Hi Everyone!
We are proud to welcome Dami Salako and her YA Urban Fantasy novel Children with Gifts.
Children with Gifts is Six of Crows meets Marvel’s X-Men, a 90,000 word YA urban science fiction/fantasy about young people with powers and the lengths we’ll go for the people we love.
We had the opportunity to interview Dami and learn more about Children with Gifts!
What inspired you to write Children with Gifts?
First, I wanted to write a story about the quintessential (and perhaps idealized) sibling
relationship: the siblings who bicker and fight all the time but always have each other’s backs when it counts. And the relationship between Anthony and his sister is absolutely inspired by my own relationship with my younger sister.
Second, I also wanted to write a story that thoughtfully, accurately, and intentionally featured mental illness without sensationalizing or romanticizing it. I’m a psychiatrist and have spent years listening to other people’s stories and doing my best to support them through their journeys. I see my friends, my patients, and myself in all these characters. The story and the plot may be fictional, but these feelings and experiences are very real for so many people.
My hope is for other people to see themselves in these stories and know that even though it’s not ok, they’re ok.
Can you tell us a little about your writing process? What do you do when you confront that mischievous minion “writer’s block?”
I’ve evolved from pantser to plotter as I’ve gotten older! My ideas are usually just “vibes” or “what if” questions. So my first job is creating something more concrete from these vague elements. Pinterest is helpful with this! I organize all my thoughts, character ideas, etc in Notion and this will later serve as my Encyclopedia for world-building. I’m a big fan of Save The Cat’s beat sheet, too!
When I finally start drafting, I try not to focus on word count or chapter length. I just follow the beat sheet and if my characters get inspired to do something else (look, they’re in charge not me), then I’ll change course! The lingering pantser in me can’t resist. I’m a very character-driven reader and writer so I put a lot of faith in my characters to take the wheel — which means there is a tendency for things to get side-quest heavy.
The best advice regarding writer’s block that I ever received was to go back and re-read my manuscript from the very beginning. Usually, I’m able to see how I’ve written myself into a
ditch and gotten everyone stuck! Sometimes I’ll skip ahead and write an upcoming scene or I’ll just go back to the beat sheet drawing board and try to map how I got lost. But re-reading from the beginning is my favorite remedy for writer’s block!
Were there any major influences for you as a writer?
V.E. Schwab and Leigh Bardugo. Their writing style and prose is so beautifully crafted without being excessive and flowery. I don’t think I’m there yet when it comes to striking that balance, but that’s the dream!
Without any spoilers, is there a character who holds a special place in your heart?
Ruth. I put a lot of myself into her without realizing it. She’s the first character the reader meets. Even though she’s not the main protagonist, her story has the furthest reach in all the characters’ lives and in the overarching story, and nobody — including Ruth — knows it.
If your book had a soundtrack or theme song, what would it be?
This book does have a playlist actually – here’s the link! But two songs that I heavily associate with this book are “Shutter Island” by Jessie Reyez and “Guns for Hire” by Woodkid.
What is your favorite trope?
Enemies to lovers and slow burn romance. I’m a sucker for it.
What was a memorable moment when you learned that language had power?
Maybe not a moment, but a slow realization — reading Eoin Colfer’s The Wishlist. There was something about Colfer’s narrative voice that really sucked me into his books as a kid. I remember re-reading that book dozens of times — I loved it more than the Artemis Fowl Series. The Wishlist was the first book that I read that made me think to myself, I want to be able to do THAT one day.
So what are you reading now? What’s on your TBR List?
Right now I’m listening to A Court this Cruel and Lovely by Stacia Stark and reading
Skyhunter by Marie Lu.
My TBR is long but some highlights: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto, and Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson.
What other works have you published? Where can we find you?
Children with Gifts will be my debut! But I’m working on two other manuscripts (one of which is the sequel to CWG). For updates, check out my website and signup for my newsletter!
About Dami Salako
Dami is a first-generation Nigerian American who spent the first half of her childhood in England and the second half in Dallas, TX. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in English with a Creative Writing Specialization. She completed her medical school and residency training at University of Texas at Southwestern.
Dami is a board-certified psychiatrist and owner of her own private practice, Salako Psychiatry. She currently resides in Dallas, TX with her husband, two dogs, and two cats.
When she’s not working or writing, Dami is cosplaying, playing Stardew Valley or Baldur’s Gate, or attending EDM festivals (her favorite artist is Rezz).
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