WHERE MASTERFUL WRITING MEETS AN UNCONVENTIONAL CRIME THRILLER

Author Interview: Suraj Laxminarayanan

Suraj Laxminarayanan lives in Bangalore and is a software engineer by profession. He is a big fan of crime and mystery thrillers, and movies in the genre of crime and suspense inspired him to take up writing on similar subjects. He has recently come out with the book “Elephants in the room”. In a candid chat with Chirdeep Malhotra, he talks about his latest book, his writing journey, the nuances of writing a crime thriller, the type of research involved in this book, and much more.


Please tell us more about Suraj Laxminarayanan as a person.
My day job is that of a software engineer working out of Bangalore. I spend my free time reading and watching movies across languages. I log my reviews for books and movies on websites like Goodreads and Letterboxd. I have always been interested in self-help books and the psychology of crime. Crime movies and mysteries appeal to me. The unexpected twists and turns in the books I read and the movies I watch fascinate me. Hence, I was always sure that I would write crime related subjects. After my day job of writing code, I write for an hour every day. However, Saturday and Sunday are the two days where I manage to write the most. This has come at the cost of missing many friend meets, but my buddies always understood my dream.

Being a software engineer, you have forayed into writing fiction. Your writing journey seems very interesting. Can you tell us more about it?
My father was in a transferrable job which led to a transfer in location every four years. As a result of this, I grew up in several places across the country, studying in many schools and colleges. Apart from this, my parents are frequent travellers who plan a trip every year. We have visited several countries across the world after having covered most of India. This allowed me to get exposure to different cultures, geographies and peoples across the globe. It also kindled the interest for writing in my mind during childhood. I started by journaling my journeys, documenting the various places I visited, the description of the local people and the peculiar practices followed everywhere. My trips soon changed from mere vacations to exploratory voyages in order to search for new experiences and stories.
It is only natural that I got the idea for this book during a journey to Chennai in a bus. The first draft of the novel was made over a period of three years during weekends and late nights. I then began the process of editing and refining the writing. Apprehensions of the perceptions of the readers came later before approaching publishers. As a consequence, I conducted more research on techniques to make the book better and turn the reading experience into a memorable and immersive one for the reader. This was also aided by constructive and helpful criticism from my friends who provided honest feedback as readers.

Can you tell us more about your book “Elephants in the room”?
Set in the backdrop of Chennai, “Elephants in the Room” is about a group of friends planning a bank robbery. They make meticulous plans but nothing goes according to plan. Whatever could go wrong, does go wrong!
Much of the action in the book takes place inside a confined space i.e. the bank. The setting of the bank is perceived through the eyes of myriad characters present inside where each character has different stakes involved in the situation and a lot to lose, enabling to increase the tension, suspense and thrill. Even the simplest of things that take place in the story is filled with tension and humour at the same time in the given situation.
Trying to outmanoeuvre each other, a lot of quick thinking and some luck is required. What ensues is a battle of wits as the stage is set for unlikely bonds among criminals.

How has the response of readers been to your book?
The response has been positive especially with the encouraging review from New Asian Writing. All the other reviewers whom we reached out to have uniformly appreciated the book and its quality. I take the positive feedback as a result of my hard work and the feedback of my dear friends and editors who helped make the book what it is today. I take the negative feedback as an area that I can work upon and hopefully remedy in my future works.

What type of research went into writing this book?
The first area of research involved scouting the locations for the world that is presented in the book – the city of Chennai. For this, I traveled to all the places of Chennai mentioned in the book myself.
The second area of research was around the tradition of gaana songs. For this, I interacted with the locals of Chennai and friends to collect the vocabulary of Chennai Bashai which in turn enabled me to compose the lyrics myself. The third area of research involved collecting information around the functioning of the police department and government intelligence agencies.
The fourth area of research involved the study of human nature, the evolution and development of crime and the character traits of intelligence and adaptability. Fear is the recurring emotion in the book and I studied its anatomy to understand its origin and trace its development to peak state. The researches helped me in portraying the emotions in the best way possible and in turn provide an immersive and cinematic experience for the reader within the realms of a book.
The fifth area of research involved study of leadership, teamwork, relationship building and business strategy. This enabled me to develop these traits into the characters and portray their transformation in the most authentic and natural way possible. The sixth area of research which was generic to writing and the most important was around the development of the story and the book itself. My research involved going through various books on writing techniques and character development.

The book is set against the backdrop of Chennai. Can you share some interesting instances of the exquisite urban culture of Chennai, and in extension, the fascinating rural, urban and mofussil culture of Tamil Nadu, which you have portrayed in the book?
A main area of research was around the tradition of gaana songs. Gaana songs stand out for their simple yet meaningful lyrics composed in Chennai Bashai (local dialect of Tamil) which is unique and different in its own way. For this, I interacted with the locals of Chennai and friends to collect the vocabulary of Chennai Bashai which in turn enabled me to compose the lyrics myself. The subsequent translation of the songs into English also helped me delve into poetry after a long time and appreciate its beauty.

What are your favourite books? Can you share with our esteemed readers about the genres that you like and your favourite authors?
I love reading thrillers and I try to read for 30 minutes every day. My favourite authors include Dan Brown, Ashwin Sanghi and Jeffrey Deaver.

What are your other interests apart from writing?
I spend my free time reading and watching movies across languages. I am a huge fan of tennis and follow the sport closely. I also play at a local academy for recreational purpose.

Are there any other literary projects in the pipeline?
I want to take one thing at a time. At present, I am in the process of getting my book published and learning from the experience. My future attempt at writing would revolve around the intricacies of human behavior and relationships.

Can you share with our readers a motivational quote that keeps you going?
A quote from Hemingway below is one of my favourite quotes that I remember at all times. My interpretation of it is that one has to keep improving throughout life and never stop learning. - “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”6