Sunday, October 31, 2021 / 05:30PM / Ever Obi / Header Image Credit:  Ever Obi

Theauthor of Men Don't Die, Ever Obi isan expert in risk management and a prolific writer whose enthusiasm for art andculture through writing has enabled him to share some thought-provoking storiesabout Africa and man's struggles against the unfairness of life. Beyond hisprofessional life as the Managing Director of one of Nigeria's leading consumerlending firms, Zedvance Finance Limited, he uses writing to express himself onsocietal concerns. Obi, in this interview spoke about his journey into writingand his latest book, Some Angels Don'tSee God.

Excerpt:

When did you first realizeyou wanted to be a writer?

Probablyat the age of ten. Growing up, I began reading some of my mother's old books: The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Jero plays, Things Fall Apart; books by Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, thatgeneration of writers. But I never wanted to be a writer, I never thought thatI could be one, until my sister introduced me to the works of Adaeze Atuegwu (The Adventures of Nnanna, Tears, Fate, Chalet 9 and The BinaSerie). Because Atuegwu was quite young then, her works made me realise thatyoung people could write too. I began to write into my imaginations.

How long does it take youto write a book?

Itis tough to say, there is nothing hard and fast. Now, because I have alwaysheld a day job, as a financial risk manager and then as a business executive ina leading financial institution - day jobs that are extremely demanding ; Ijust learn patience. I write at my pace, whenever I can make out time. It tookme four years to write Men Don't Die andmy new book took six years of my natural life. Writing teaches patience.

What is your work schedulelike when you're writing?

Workschedule is always going to be work schedule. Here, you have two thingsfighting over you. First, it's your day job that pays the bills. Because youare being paid for it, you need to be good at it, be a good professional. Onthe other hand, its writing and literature, where your heart lies; somethingyou know that you cannot live without doing. If something holds that sort ofimportance in your life, you have to make out time for it, even when it doesnot hold any solid promise of financial stability. You just need to alwaysstrike that balance.

Every writer is different,and sometimes we have certain rituals or quirks that help us write. Where doyou get your information or ideas for your books?

Iwrite literary fiction, which means that I am essentially writing about life. Iget my ideas from my experiences and experiences of others, and sometimes,stories just come to you, totally from the boundlessness of your imagination. Iwrite about life and because we are all students of life, it is easy to getthese ideas. Turning them into a book is what makes you an artist, trying to colourlife experiences with beautiful words and metaphors.

When did you write yourfirst book and how old were you?

Myfirst published work was Men Don't Die;I wrote it between 2010 and 2014. It eventually got published in 2019. But whenI was a boy, discovering myself and literature, I wrote a lot, some of themwere ridiculous scribblings. I can still remember all the titles that I gavethem, plays and novels. The first full-length novel manuscript that I everwrote was one that I titled Touching theLeopard's Tail. I ended up misplacing it, just like every other thing Iwrote back then.

What do you like to dowhen you're not writing?

WhenI am not writing or getting overwhelmed by life, I am reading a book orwatching Mixed Martial Arts. It is surprising that watching prizefighterspummel one another helps me relax.

What does your familythink of your writing?

Myfamily has always known me to be like this, right from when I turned my motherinto a human dictionary; I was paying too much attention to words, right fromwhen I started scribbling stories. They have always been supportive and arealways asking about the next project I am working on. I am blessed to have themin my corner, to have people who have, over all these years, tolerated all myidiosyncrasies.

What was one of the mostsurprising things you learned in creating your books?

Thatwriting isn't a hobby. It is intense and it is huge work on its own. It is notlike playing football or watching TV, not one of those things you occupy yourleisure time with because you want to have fun. Writing requires dedication andpatience. People misunderstand this; they think you are having fun when you arewriting. You are actually working. The physical and mental efforts that go intowriting form an investment that needs to be respected. I feel that because alot of people don't understand this, they don't respect these efforts; that iswhy they don't expect writers to make money from their art.

Your debut novel "Men Don'tDie" is a melancholic story about death and spiritualism; money and love. Whatinspired the story?

Life.My life and the lives of other people. It is a story born out of the need toreiterate that life actually owes us nothing. It does not matter what you thinkyou deserve. Life deals us whatever card it wants; we just need to keep goingand keep doing our best. And it was also a way for me to raise more questionsabout spiritualism and the notions we hold about the afterlife.

Can you tell us about yournew book "Some Angels Don't See God"? What's the story about?

Thebook is about so many things. But in the most basic form of it, I would say itis about incest and the ramifications of it in the lives of some of the maincharacters. I will leave it at that, allow people purchase their copies.

Where can we find yourbooks?

Mybooks can be found in major book stores across the country. You can also getthem online or on Amazon. Google does the magic. Just go on Google and get allthe options available.  

Do you have anysuggestions to help aspiring writers? If yes, what are they?

Read,read to learn. It is easier when you know the kind of writer you want to be;that means you know the kind of books you should be reading. Then write. Youcannot be a writer without actually writing. Write and be patient. It is thepatience that keeps you going when it does not make sense to continue.

Do you hear from yourreaders much? What kind of things do they say?

Yes,yes, I do hear from my readers. The world is increasingly getting smaller andsmaller; anybody can connect with you on social media, with questions orcriticisms about your work. When you write fiction, you are creating your ownworld. And when you publish, you are inviting people into this world. Thatmeans that you should expect it all, praises and criticisms; some of themconstructive, others shockingly ridiculous. But it is part of the process ofbecoming an artist, accepting that your work is going to be received bydifferent people in different ways.

As a child, what did youwant to do when you grew up?

Iwanted to be many things. There was a time when I wanted to be an engineer, andtime when I wanted to be a medical doctor. Despite the fact that I had startedwriting at a young age, always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was ascience student. You know back in the day when those lazy guidance counsellorssee that you are a little brilliant, they just mark you for science. I wantedto be so many things, but most importantly, in the midst of all that confusion,one thing never changed. I always knew that I also wanted to be a writer.

Do you want each book tostand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connectionsbetween each book?

Itdoesn't really matter to me. If your story leads you down that path where youneed to write multiple books to do justice to the demands it has on your heart,why not? It depends on how the story has come, on what you are trying to say.Whether you say it in one book or in three books, it does not matter.

If you could tell youryounger writing-self anything, what would it be?

Writemore. Be more selfish about chasing your goals. Immerse yourself in literatureand maximize all the fulfilment it holds.

What does literary successlook like to you?

Theundeniable truth is that creatives enjoy getting paid for their works. There isthat financial angle to it, selling enough books, your works opening otherdoors and creating a solid economic place for you. But most importantly, havingcopies of your book in the hands of people who do justice to literature byreading books well, getting the story and connecting with you to discuss howthe book speaks to them, brings an indescribable feeling. It is just amazing.That is the feeling of success.

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