Behind the Scenes With Danny Ramadan

What’s your most unusual writing habit? 
“I’m a very visual writer. Every time I come up with a new idea, it must fit a certain shape, or else it won’t work. Some books are trees, with their stories branching out, and carrying little berries. Some books are airplanes: they pick up fast, then stay high and exciting, until a soft, gentle landing. My favourite book shape is a tide: each chapter a wave moving the whole story forward—some waves are strong and powerful, while others are quiet and small, tickling at your toes.”  

What’s the first thing you do after finishing a draft? 
“After I finish a draft and send it to my editor, I usually take my dogs out for a big walk on Sunset Beach in Vancouver. I watch them play in the sand, rolling around and jumping on each other. Then, I take them home and give them each a big bath. Finally, when everyone is calm and happy, I turn on my video game console and spend the evening playing a Pokémon game.”  

Describe your writing process in one word? 
“Warm.” 

Where do you most like to write? 
“My office! I’m not one of the writers who enjoy cafés or the great outdoors while writing. I tend to mumble or sing. I also move around and tap my feet a lot. So, I think it will be weird for me to write anywhere other than my own office.  
Also, my office is kinda nice (I think?). I have all these books I collected over the years. Also, the shelves are full of many of my memories: my Star-Lord mask I got from Disneyland, my instant camera I got in Thailand, an Assyrian statue I got from London, and my collection of magnets. I feel very much at home in my office, and it makes me feel safe and warm.”  

If your characters could critique you, what would they say? 
“This is a much deeper question than it looks on paper. I created Salma to be adventurous and friendly and extremely extroverted. I wonder if she will find me a bit boring and not as adventurous. She also is a great swimmer, and will be very upset to learn that I, her author, doesn’t know how to swim very well.”  

What’s the strangest thing in your workspace? 
“It is, for sure, the album cover of the Backstreet Boy’s Millennium. I used to listen to the band when I was a teen. I liked their music and enjoyed learning English through their lyrics. For my 40th birthday, my friends all decided to gift me things that made them think of me, and one of them gifted me this album cover. (A confession: I still listen to the Backstreet Boys.)” 

What’s one thing every great bedtime story needs? 
“A rhythm! A rhythm is not a rhyme. It’s not about the poetry of the book. A rhythm is the way the book carries you on its pages and helps you to a land of uninterrupted sleep. It needs a lull to it, a beautiful tempo. It must feel like a cuddle: intimate and whispering.”