Name of fiction work? And were there other names you considered that you would like to share with us? My children’s picture book is called “Samantha’s Sandwich Stand”. It is illustrated by the wonderful Nathan Caro Fréchette and published by Renaissance. I always had this name in mind for the book since it was written for my niece Samantha.
https://nathancarofrechette.ca/?fbclid=IwAR3ddEDvCEl6LTVCJnr4KyikJDE_DSjh2WpNfBpTlrtyPV2J2eNT_GiT4WI
What is the date you began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I wrote this story many, many years ago, say around twenty years ago when my niece Samantha was just a kid. She’s now 29. I wrote and finished this book around 2001 and, at that time, the story only had three characters (Samantha, her dad and a talking crow). It didn’t include the friends that appear in the published version.
I had sent the story off to a contest in Canada and although it didn’t make the shortlist, it was long listed. I took the insightful suggestions provided by the kind judges and rewrote the story. It was rejected many times for years but eventually I found the amazing folks at Renaissance who took a chance on me and brought the book into the world this past September. So for those of you wanting to get your stories out there, don’t give up because eventually you’ll find the right people who will help, encourage and support your dreams and goals.
Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work? And please describe in detail. And can you please include a photo? For this particular story, I worked away on my desktop computer in my office that has large windows that allow so much natural light into my room. It’s quite amazing how the sun pours through (especially on those wintry days in Ottawa, Canada where it can get below minus 30 degrees). I have a few inspiring articles on my desk like a stone that has the words “Believe in your dreams”, a wooden doll dressed in kimono with curls (since I have curly hair), a plaque that reads “Aim high & Get spotted. You are Unique. You were born to Stand Out” and a red, round Daruma doll that a good friend bought me when I lived in Japan (I painted one eye with a black dot while I was in Japan, making a wish, and when that wish was granted, I painted the second eye. This happened when my first book “The Lebanese Dishwasher” was published in 2012).
http://quattrobooks.ca/books/the-lebanese-dishwasher/
What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? I worked on my desktop while sipping green tea. Normally I work in the early morning hours (I’m an early bird so getting up before dawn is my preference) but for this children’s picture book, I wanted sunlight to seep into my room so my writing schedule changed and I worked on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I don’t listen to music while I write because I need silence. I get easily distracted and love to people watch so writing in a café doesn’t suit me.
It didn’t take too long to get the initial story down but the rewriting took more time and effort. I let ideas simmer, take long walks outside and come back to my computer later on to revise some more. I might not listen to music while writing but if I get stuck on a scene, I’ll stop, put on an eighties song and dance (I suppose that’s my method of getting the creative juices bubbling!).
Please include just one excerpt and include page numbers as reference. This one excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer.
The grocery store door opened. “Don’t worry, Samantha. People will come,” said her father.
Everyone knew lemonade, but did they know Lebanese cream cheese and cucumber pita sandwiches, she wondered.
Maybe this was a bad idea. (Pages 21 and 22)
Why is this excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write? And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? Rejection is a huge part of being a writer but there will always be people who will fall in love with your work too. I found the above excerpt emotional and sad because here you have this young girl who feels her idea isn’t worthy and that different might not be good. No one should have to feel like this but, unfortunately, many people do. Yet Samantha’s dad encourages her. We need these cheerleaders in our lives no matter what field you might be in or whatever your dreams might be. We need to feel that our voices and ideas deserve to be heard.
I grew up in the seventies and eighties in an area where my family and I were the minority. We looked different, ate different food at home and spoke another language besides English. I wanted to fit in with my classmates and I thought this meant not bringing my Lebanese heritage to my school (even though I’m sure the teachers would have encouraged it) but it was another time period than today and I didn’t want to be different. I was already physically different with my dark curly hair. The only thing I felt that I could change to feel accepted was what I brought for school lunch. Despite my mom’s insistence, I refused to take Lebanese food to school, so I made my own lunches (peanut butter and jelly or bologna sandwiches). I wanted to write Samantha’s Sandwich Stand so that others could see themselves in the characters, to know that their stories are important too, that they can find an audience and perhaps inspire others to embrace their differences.
Were there any deletions from this excerpt that you can share with us? And can you please include a photo of your marked up rough drafts of this excerpt. Unfortunately, I ended up losing my notes for this story and don’t have a photo to share of any deletions or a marked up draft but I do have a photo of a published page with Nathan’s amazing illustrations.
About the Author: Sonia Saikaley was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada to a big Lebanese family. The daughter of a shopkeeper, she had access to all the treats she wanted. Her first book, The Lebanese Dishwasher, co-won the 2012 Ken Klonsky Novella Contest. She has two poetry collections Turkish Delight, Montreal Winter and A Samurai’s Pink House. Her novel The Allspice Bath was the 2020 IPPY Gold Medal winner and the 2020 International Book Awards winner for Multicultural Fiction and a finalist in the 2020 Ottawa Book Awards. She is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and the Humber School for Writers. Many years ago she belly-danced her way across Northern Japan and taught English there, too. She loves eating labneh and cucumber pita sandwiches on hot summer days.
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Sonia-Saikaley-1030439696980837/
Twitter: @SaikaleySonia: https://twitter.com/saikaleysonia?lang=en
Instagram: @soniasaikaley: https://www.instagram.com/soniasaikaley/?hl=en
Website:https://soniasaikaley.com/
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHKpqqfX81U
About the Illustrator: Nathan Caro Fréchette is a queer transgender sequential artist, publisher, and author. He has published over a dozen short stories, both graphic and prose, as well as five novels, three graphic novels, and two works of nonfiction. He has taught creative writing over a decade, and has a degree in Film Studies and another in Sequential Art. He was the founder and director of the French Canadian literary magazine Histoires à Boire Debout, and an editor for the French Canadian graphic novel publisher Premières Lignes.
