“I Wrote My Book Not As An Author But As The Protagonist, Leela” – Sujata Rajpal

Sujata Rajpal made an unimaginable journey from being an Economics graduate in the modern and bubbly city of Chandigarh to a full-time writer in the peaceful and historical city of Mysore. She never dreamt of being a writer. But as fate would have it, she landed up with a Corporate Communication and PR function in an MNC which involved writing newsletters, brochures, media and market reports, press releases etc. And that’s when a lifelong love for writing bloomed. Before she realized, she found herself writing fiction, and “The Other End of The Corridor” was born.

The rest, as they say, is history.

We recently interviewed Sujata Rajpal on her life before and after taking up writing as a full-time profession, and her love for stories. Here are the excerpts.

Tell us about Sujata Rajpal and the storyteller in you.

I was brought up in Chandigarh, insanely beautiful and the only fully planned city in India. I hold a degree in Mass Communication and have done MPhil in Economics from Panjab University. I have taught Economics in Degree Colleges in Delhi and Chandigarh but that was many years ago. Economics is history now.

I had been an average student, nothing exceptional to talk about, but I am a daydreamer like Leela. When I was in college, I feared public speaking. I admired those girls in my class who could ask questions in the class. I wanted to be like them. I wished, one day I could also speak confidently like them. While in college, I used to write middles/ articles for the newspapers once in a while but hadn’t taken writing seriously.  I have lived in Chandigarh, Delhi, Bangalore and am currently staying in Mysore. If I look back ten twelve years, writing a book and becoming a full time author was not even on my wish list but today I feel writing a novel and leaving my job to become a full time writer are the best decisions of my life so far. I was never a voracious reader. If I were, I would have written this book much earlier. After I started writing seriously, I realized the importance of reading on a variety of subjects, now my day is incomplete without reading and writing.  Besides writing, the other things which sparkle my life are – Toastmasters, Yoga, and playing chess with my sons.

I am not a born storyteller though I like to dramatize things. I feel life would be boring without drama and a sense of humor.  A post graduate degree in Economics and love for drama have nothing in common but what is life if it is predictable.

What influenced or inspired you to start writing?

Fourteen years ago I entered the corporate world. I headed the Corporate Communication and PR function of an IT MNC in Mysore. My job involved lots of writing like newsletters, brochures, media and market reports, press releases etc. Though it was not fiction and a different kind of writing but it got me interested in writing. When I was writing for my company, I also started freelance writing for newspapers/ magazines. That is when I realized writing gave me a lot of happiness. I also started reading more. The satisfaction of writing a good piece appreciated by readers can’t be measured in money. The next step was a full length book. I wanted to write fiction as I had never written fiction before (not even a short story) and was not sure if I would be able to as I had always believed that I am not creative enough to give wings to my imagination, but when I dabbled in it, it happened. I was hooked to writing fiction. I also introspected on what kind of writing gave me more satisfaction. At work, I had to write what was expected of my work profile, but at home I could write what I wanted to.

[color-box color=” customcolorpicker=” rounded=false dropshadow=false]Once a reader told me that she has been going through abuse in her marriage but my book gave her the courage to fight back. She said, if Leela could stand up for herself, why couldn’t she.[/color-box]

Your first book dealt with sensitive issues like domestic abuse and marital rape. What made you take up this topic?

Domestic abuse and marital rape are issues which are brushed under the carpet; they are talked about in hushed tones, but they are everywhere – at work, home, neighbors – at every place you will know of women who are victims and silent sufferers. If one doesn’t talk about these issues, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I wanted to write about a subject which is not discussed openly in our society. And it is not just about physical abuse, it is also emotional abuse. Once a reader told me that she has been going through abuse in her marriage but my book gave her the courage to fight back. She said, if Leela could stand up for herself, why couldn’t she.

That was when I knew that all the pain and hard work that I endured to bring this book out was worth it.

You quit a full-time corporate job to start writing stories. What are the pros and cons of doing so?

After I started writing my debut novel, I knew that writing is something I would want to do for the rest of my life. It was not an instant decision to quit a satisfactory and well paid job. I mulled over it for almost two years. It was an informed decision and not an emotional one. I was aware that writing can be very frustrating at times especially when one is hit by writer’s block or face rejections but writing had become a passion and I couldn’t do without it. I feel miserable if I don’t write. My friends and fellow authors discouraged me from quitting my cushy job and take up something uncertain like writing but I am glad I took this decision.

Cons: You cannot run your house by writing alone, you need to have an alternate source of income. Thinking of becoming a full-time author and living the life of a full-time author are entirely different. One must take an informed decision so that there are no unpleasant surprises. You also must be ready with a backup plan in case you get bored with writing and things don’t work as per the plan. Writing also requires tremendous amount of discipline to write all the time as there can be many distractions at home and generally women who are working from home are perceived as non-career minded.

Pros: But if you are passionate about writing then you must take it because it’s only one life. There are initial hiccups. After you overcome them, things will fall in place. We always find a way to pursue our passions. I feel liberated and feel happy that I am living my life to fulfill my dream and not someone else’s dream. It has been 15 months since I left my job. There has been no change in my routine. The only difference is my place of work is now my desk at home and I can skip the formals which I used to wear to work earlier. I don’t miss corporate life, though I was very happy while I was working.

How have the stories in your life including your background in the corporate world, influenced your style of writing, the characters in your story and the way you place your story?

Most of the characters in The Other End of the Corridor are inspired from real life. I know many Leelas but I wish they were as strong as my Leela. I wanted to write a story which readers could relate to. My corporate life has influenced my decision to write a book and write this particular book in two ways. I was working for an IT company, I thought I was supposed to know everything which created confusion in my mind and I started taking stock of my strengths and weaknesses. I started introspecting. If I wouldn’t have joined the corporate world, I wouldn’t have known that writing is my passion.

During that period when I was introspecting, I was harassed by my boss, she used to make me feel useless (I have thanked her in my acknowledgment without naming her). Every time, she tried to show me down or humiliate me in front of other co-workers, I used to hear my own voice telling me ‘something positive has to come out of this.’ (I told you, I love drama in life!!) She harassed me because I didn’t resist her behavior. I was quiet and in a way I was allowing her to harass me. This led to another kind of introspection. I wanted to find answers to why people are afraid to raise their voice against abusers, what holds them back and ultimately what gives them courage to fight back. The day I decided I will not allow anyone to take control of my life and career, things started falling in place.

I wanted to write in the language which everyone can understand.  Also every chapter should end at a point which makes the reader interested in knowing more about the story.

Any suggestions to those who want to take up writing as a profession?

For sure, there are gifted writers but writing is like any other skill which can be acquired, honed and perfected with practice and more practice. One doesn’t need to  be a born writer to write a book. I had always believed that I cannot write fiction but when I started writing fiction, it happened.

Suggestions: Observe how other authors express emotions, describe scenes and inject life into characters. It helps to write a diary of noteworthy events in your life/ someone’s life observed by you or told to you, which can later form a part of your novel. Also read a few unpopular books to understand the don’ts of writing. Believe in yourself, start it only if you are passionate about writing, otherwise rejections can demotivate you.

Write honestly. Writing will evolve as time progresses. It needs discipline, perseverance and self-motivation. Every sentence, every paragraph should take the story forward, should make the reader curious, and then satisfy the curiosity. If you as an author can’t satisfy that curiosity, the reader will not find your book interesting enough. Also take negative feedback and reviews in your stride.

Your suggestion to our readers and other writers on how they can help in keeping stories alive?

To keep stories alive, read and write stories. Writers need to become characters. Get into the head of the character; think like that character to inject life into the character. When I was writing my book, the moment I would hold the pen in my hand (yes, I wrote first ten drafts on paper), I would become Leela, I would think how a battered woman would feel/behave.

I wrote my book as Leela, not as Sujata Rajpal, the author.

For the reader, there also has to be something new to learn or experience in the story, it could be an emotion, new knowledge, new situation, new food for thought etc. The story should either entertain, educate or/and inform. When you read a good story pass it along. Keep the trail moving.

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You can reach Sujata Rajpal on Facebook and Twitter.

Don’t Miss: We love all those who can tell a good story. On Tell-a-Tale, we’ve featured a lot of talented storytellers, in the past.

Are you an Author? If you’re an author who is actively pursuing story-writing and would like to be featured in this column, drop us a mail at contact AT tell-a-tale.com or reach out to us via Facebook.