Everything you need to know about Abuja based writer and author Oreva Ode-Irri

Growing up Oreva Ode-Irri just wanted to be rich but aside that, she also wanted to be many things. These many things keep changing per time but the most consistent one was probably that she wanted to be a banker. Oreva is a writer but also currently doing her masters in International Business, FInance and Accounting. Today we will let her tell her story in her own words. Happy reading.

View this post on Instagram

So I’ve been binging on this series this period. It’s an intense ancient Asian drama about kingdoms, betrayal, love…etc. Anyway, for the most part of the series, the antagonist would try to back the protagonist into a corner but every single time, it would fail because not only was she aware of the power she had, she had a secret protector who was always coming through. Even when she was not aware of his existence😭 I’m almost at the end now and my fave is backed into a corner yet again and I’m not even disturbed. Why? Because I know somehow, it can’t end like this. Based on all I know from all I’ve watched so far, I trust that something will sha happen sha and they’ll save my protagonist yet again. Secret protector will come through yet again and she will win. I don’t know how yet but I trust that it’ll happen. I think this is what unshakable faith looks like. Trusting in God’s love for you that no matter what happens, he’s got you. Not knowing the how but trusting that based on what you know about him to be true, based on consistent evidence in scripture and in your life, he WILL not leave you stranded. God is always good, even when it doesn’t feel good. Even when it’s scary and hard. We know that he’s not slack, he’s working even when we don’t see it. He’s too faithful to leave you hanging. Trust him. (Going to sleep now. I’ll let you guys know how the series ends tomorrow) #InsomniaDiaries

A post shared by Oreva (@rehviie) on Mar 18, 2020 at 9:32pm PDT

How it all started

I have been writing for as long as I can remember but I only started to really take it seriously in secondary school. Then, I and 4 of my friends would write these little stories in notes and share round the set. We would release them in series and it was highly demanded. In SS1, I was selected to represent my school in a national essay writing competition and I won.

That and the fact that I won the prize for literature every year, led me to writing my first book in my last year of secondary school. I was 16 at the time. After that, it’s been a long-winding journey of discovering myself and finding the kind of writer I wanted to be.

It’s been so worthwhile. I have written 2 books and I am currently working on the 3rd one. My book Absolution was inspired by a verse of scripture (2nd Cor 5:17) and it’s is a story I have always wanted to tell. The best part of being a write is bringing stories to life.

View this post on Instagram

As promised, it’s here❤️ Buy for yourself and your friends also. It’s 1k from now till the 20th of October and after that, it’ll be 1500. Link is in my bio. You won’t regret it. It’s a promise❤️

A post shared by Oreva (@rehviie) on Oct 11, 2019 at 4:11am PDT

How I write

Everything I write has played out in my mind at least ten times. I love that I can create whole new worlds and see it change lives and provoke either thought or emotion. Most times when I write the plot comes first. Selecting names for my characters depends on factors like setting, language, meaning but other than these, its mostly random selection.

My typical writing days goes like this; an idea pops in my head, I bring out a book and write to my heart’s content. Then I read it over and add and embellish and edit till I am satisfied. Sometimes, I spend hours researching on a subject just to write a short story that’ll be a 5 minutes read.

I used to believe in writer’s block but I don’t think it is a thing anymore. I do not believe in it. Feeling strong emotion helps one to be good write if not you might not enjoy what you write. I have a lot I have a lot of unfinished and unpublished book, at least 4 current drafts and countless rough drafts of ideas that I want to explore.

View this post on Instagram

As a child (and even well into my teenage years), when asked to paint, I would always only paint the same thing – a seaside with the sun shining down on the sea and the sea being so blue and still, it looked glassy. Then I would use black to create little V’s in the sky which were supposed to be birds flying wide and free. I used to think I painted that because it was easy to paint. I needed only 3 colours – Yellow, black and blue (and maybe a little brown) But I wonder now if I drew that because it was the picture of perfection in my mind. The perfect scenario to me at the time was when the sea is still, the sun is bright and everything is calm and peaceful. But growing up, I’ve come to learn that is not the picture of peace. If I were to draw a picture of peace now, I would draw the seas raging, the skies grey and dark vomitting torrents of rain in heavy successions. Yes, it would be raining cats and dogs. No yellow, no blue, only black and grey. Then there would be me – Standing on the waves in full colour. Unperturbed. Undisturbed. Unshaken. It would be me walking on water. Who needs the sun when you have the son?

A post shared by Oreva (@rehviie) on Mar 7, 2020 at 10:56am PST

My desire

If I could meet one famous author and sit down with to discuss their body of work it will have to be FRANCINE RIVERS.

If am to be a character in a book, it will be hard. This is because I feel things really deeply and so I have so many characters I am fond of, but I don’t know if there is anyone I want to be wholly. Maybe bits and pieces of them but not wholly.

Top 3 books

My top 3 books are A voice in the wind by Francine Rivers, All your perfects by Colleen Hoover and Stay with me by Ayobami Adebayo

Favorite travel destination

My favorite travel destination is PARIS.

Relationship

I am currently engaged. The 3 words I will use to describe my ideal man are Thoughtful. Sweet. God-fearing. The first thing I notice in a man is his smile. My relationship breaker is violence.

View this post on Instagram

3 nights ago, the love of my life asked me to marry him and it’s been such a whirlwind since then. (Lmao. I said yes of course) I’ve stalled on making this post because it’s been hard finding the right words to express how much this meant to me. As a hopeless romantic, you’re often told to swallow your dreams. You’re told that what you want does not exist. They tell you to be realistic and face the facts and to be honest, I almost believed it. I almost wanted to settle and each time that things wouldn’t work out with a person or God would say no to people I thought were good for me, a little bit of my hope would chip away and I would wonder if maybe I was overdoing this thing – Maybe they were right. Until I met this man. And everything somehow started to make sense. There’s not a single day that I’m not grateful for him. For his kind heart and his easy laugh. For his firm faith and his wisdom. For the way he loves me with reckless abandon. He is an answered prayer. A promise kept. And there’s nobody I’ll really rather do life with. I pray to God with all of me that our union mirrors Christ and the church. That we walk in his will and love each other in the way that he’ll have us do. I love to love you J. You mean the world to me♥️

A post shared by Oreva (@rehviie) on Jan 17, 2020 at 3:04pm PST