TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

My name is Deolu Oniranu Bubble, and I’m a writer. He is also an anonymous personality I created to help me write my special genre of literature. This way, no one knows who I am in public, and I can go about my business. I work with a tremendous team and business partners (we have a duly registered company), and our objective has remained the same since we started over a decade ago: to provide quality and relatable stories for the teeming young population of Africa.

HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR CRAFT

I’ve always loved to write and have been intrigued by stories. From secondary school, I always chose essay writing for my English exams, including WASSCE. I enjoyed making up stories and writing, but I didn’t do much of it until a friend encouraged me to write. I did, and as they say, the rest is history. Since that time in 2011, I’ve been writing and working with dozens of writers to get their works published on our platform while guiding them in their writing. I have enjoyed it tremendously.

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR STYLE OF WRITING AND THE NAME “DR. ONIRANU”

What inspired me was that when I started writing, there weren’t many people exploring this genre. Aside from the Better Lover of the ’90s and Hints magazine, there weren’t many writers in this space, especially online. Later, I met writers like Dan Chucks, Missy Erotica, Dame’s Caucus, and many more.
My writing style is centred on relatability—having readers understand me, my journey, and my story. I want readers to feel like my stories could happen to anyone. The name “Dr. Oniranu” was my choice. The term “Oniranu” can have different meanings, but it has a certain playful, naughty kick to it, which aligns with the meaning I want to project. To a Nigerian, “Dr. Oniranu” is funny in the same way “Dr. Naughty” would be to English-speaking audiences.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHALLENGES AS A WRITER

The biggest challenge as a writer is ensuring that every new story is better than the last, that people enjoy it more, and that you put more of yourself into it. Another significant challenge is dealing with writer’s block—the blank page staring back at you when you can’t muster the courage to start typing. Continuity can also be an issue because the story needs to make sense. A lot of time can be spent figuring out scenarios to connect two scenes, which can sometimes lead to stories being abandoned.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE STORY YOU’VE EVER WRITTEN AND WHY

Hmmm, there are so many of them, but one of my favourites is a story I wrote years ago, Inspector Chike. It’s about the underground world of oil bunkers and the quest to join the mafia’s top echelon. At the time, I had just completed 24, so I wrote it with action scenes and plot twists in mind. I loved writing it because I was inspired, and I had a following eagerly waiting for weekly episodes.

HOW DO YOU DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND WHAT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH

The law of artistic expression covers a lot of ground, and whether a story is “too much” often depends on the audience. You’d be surprised at the kinds of stories people love and enjoy. In the erotica genre, for example, stories involving lesbian relationships, stepmothers, or cheating spouses tend to perform exceptionally well.
There have been times when we thought a story wouldn’t resonate, only to later see it garner more views than expected. However, there are some themes we avoid or, if necessary, include a disclaimer for readers who may find them sensitive. At the end of the day, art imitates life, and worse things have happened in reality than you’ll ever find in stories.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST SURPRISING FEEDBACK YOU’VE RECEIVED FROM YOUR READERS

This is a funny one. Years ago, after publishing my first series, 17 Awosika, someone reached out on Twitter and sent screenshots showing they had printed out all the episodes and were reading them—even during exams. I was flattered. I also once received an email from a book club in the U.S. that had just finished reading the story. They were discussing it and didn’t like how it ended, which gave me a great deal of laughter.
Another time, a reader contacted me to share how much they loved my stories. They said they would gather on campus every Saturday night for someone to read the stories aloud. This inspired me to start producing audio stories. There are so many stories of surprising feedback from readers.

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR SOCIETY AFFECTS YOUR CRAFT

Society is the playground for our craft. Most themes, stories, and adventures come from what we observe, hear, or even live through. To paraphrase Hemingway: live first, write later. Society gives us the inspiration to create art. We are nothing without our society, even if it frowns on certain genres.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF WHAT YOU DO

The most rewarding part is being able to publish stories that take on a life of their own, finding meaning among readers, and helping upcoming writers find their footing. It’s fulfilling to see them learn more about their characters and understand how growth and redemption occur throughout a character’s journey.

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE GROWTH OF SMUT LITERATURE IN NIGERIA

It’s a type of literature like any other. However, we live in a society that likes to brand itself as conservative, even though such content is consumed heavily. Human beings are sexual by nature and will continue to be. Nigeria didn’t reach a population of 200 million through fasting and prayer—it happened through a lot of copulation. Hopefully, someday we will view this type of content as regular, without unnecessary stigmatization.