S. Richardson speaks to Spectralhues

Richardson Susairaj’s has come up with his debut novel “I Played a Game with Life”. Having received his Bachelors in Computer Science, Richard is presently working as a Technical Writer in a software company. He is crazy about American television shows and is an ardent reader. He dreams about traveling the world someday, capturing memorable photographs and experiences, interacting with new people and making new friends, appreciating new cultures, and most importantly going through adventures.

The novel deals with the life of Sam and how he plays a game with life. His aspirations that fall too high from what a simple Chennai guy would dream of, he falls in and out of love, faces numerous obstacles but who wins in the end, life or Sam is what the book tries to tell.

In a chit chat with Harshita Srivastava, Richardson talks about his book, life and more.

How does it feel to hold your debut work in your hand?

It feels great. I feel complete, like this book is a part of me. It’s taken so much to see this moment happen and I feel great.

Tell us something about your background.

I was born, and brought up in Chennai. I did my B. Sc. in Computer Science at Loyola. After that phase, I took a break, spent my time at home, reading novels, and discovering the writer in me. When I finished writing my first book, I finally decided to work, and now working in a software company as a Technical Writer. I wasn’t much into reading novels as a kid, but to know that I am writer now surprises me more than it does anyone else.

What motivated you to write ‘I Played a Game with Life’?

The last few years have seen me reading a lot. A book a day, actually. That eventually led to me writing. Once I began writing and the story practically penned itself. I was more like the typewriter than the typist. The credit goes to the universe for making it all happen. After all, the source of all inspiration is Life.

How long did you take to complete this piece of fiction?

12 months, give or take a few hours. 🙂

 What made you pick the title of the book?

After writing and editing the story I spent a month thinking about what would be an apt title. At that time the Prologue an Epilogue weren’t yet part of the book. Once I was done with the Prologue it struck me… Sam, the protagonist, is essentially playing a game with life, so why not ‘I PLAYED A GAME WITH LIFE’.

Being a debut author what hurdles did you face in getting a publisher?

Plenty, no actual measure. In fact, I lost count. I didn’t let rejections affect me beyond a certain point. I remember the time when I was on the verge of losing hope and my mobile phone lit up like a beacon. I checked my mail on it, and there I read the good news. The thing is, circumstances are always going to be hard for beginners in any field. We should hold on to faith and face stuff head on, that’s precisely when things will start to work.

What kind of books do you plan to write in future?

Books that brings change into people’s lives. For now, I think I’m good at Romance/Drama, so I’m sticking to that.

Apart from writing, what else do you indulge in?

I like travelling, I do that a lot. But I haven’t checked off even 1% of my travel list, yet.

Does the story of your book find any resemblance with reality?

It’s purely fictional, maybe the characters can be related to the extent that they seem real, but that doesn’t mean they are based on actual living human beings. And yes, I feel many people can relate their life to this story, at least some resemblances.

What is your take on ‘love’ and ‘relationships’?

Love is eternal and relationships take a life time to fully appreciate. Both combined make for a perfect love story. In some regards, it takes a person to be open minded enough to believe in fairy tales, and I’m one such believer.

Is there a message you would like to convey to your readers?

Dear Readers, thank you for reading, if it wasn’t for you guys our work won’t be appreciated.  And also read I PLAYE A GAME WITH LIFE, and give your feedback.

• About the Author

About Harshita Srivastava

Harshita Srivastava is the author of 'One In A Million'. She has been associated with Spectralhues for a long time and loves writing for this space. She is an ardent reader and a passionate writer. She is the kind of person who believes in turning your dreams into reality. You can follow her at her blogs Dreams V/s Reality and Relationship Vows(Woes)