Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
I’m a multi-platform writer and creative executive. I have written books, scripts, narrative podcasts, theater plays and audiostories. I love to have a hand in every narrative medium, it is fascinating to me how storytelling can grow and evolve and reach people differently from one medium to the next! A few months ago, I published my first YA novel, Carlota Paris. It is the story of an 11-year-old girl in search of her missing mum, who turns out to be a member of an ancient all-female secret society with supernatural powers. And now, I have the opportunity to expand on that fantasy universe through audiostories and short stories on my website, which I think is an awesome way to keep spinning the story while offering fans new and engaging content.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I think I put a tremendous amount of soul into everything I write. It doesn’t matter if it’s an otherworldly fantasy tale, or a dystopian psychological thriller, there’s always a lot of me in it. It’s honestly frightening and makes me feel incredibly vulnerable every time new stuff comes out, cause people who know me will read it and have this reaction where they feel like they can “see through” the characters. But I also think that’s the reason why my YA stories resonate so well with an adult audience, because there’s a strong emotional layer underlying the plot, and that works as a universal hook.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
Huh, that’s a tricky one. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, ever since I was a kid and somebody (my mum) put the first book in my hands. But that’s not where my professional career started. I actually started out as a lawyer at a corporate law firm back in Spain, my home country. It was a terrific learning experience and I feel like I got so much out of my lawyer years, personally and professionally, but my heart was never there. I always wanted to work in the film industry and hone my creativity, and so when the pandemic hit, I took the big swing. And it’s been an amazing adventure ever since!
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
I would say, having lived in Madrid for the better part of my adult life, moving to LA was a big cultural shock. It meant starting out a new career in a city on the opposite side of the world without a support system of friends and family close by. Also, writing in your second language is hard! I feel like I have to work twice as hard just to achieve dialogue that sounds real, that sounds like something somebody would actually say, but also witty and humorous. Comedy is the hardest to crack, because jokes and sarcasm often don’t travel as well as you would think. They might work on the page, but they don’t land when you read them out loud.
On the positive side, my international experience (I’ve lived in Madrid, Florence and London before LA), my cultural background, and my knowledge of foreign languages are all powerful assets for storytelling. They have helped set my writing and development skills apart in this town, and also connect with industry professionals interested in a European POV for their projects – or just a native Spanish speaker! So I would say there have been important challenges, but I’m always looking for ways to flip those into creative opportunities.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
Reese Whitherspoon: I have the utmost respect for her company, Hello Sunshine, and her vision of female narratives in the entertainment industry. She doesn’t just put women at the center of every project, she’s proving to the world that female-led stories (female written, directed, acted, etc.) can be highly acclaimed and extremely profitable. And she’s doing that one great show at a time.
Amy Sherman-Palladino: she’s one of my all-time favorite writers. She is insanely smart and funny, she’s uniquely talented at creating compelling characters (from Lorelai Gilmore to Midge Maisel), and I just can’t think of anyone who can write rapid-fire dialogue the way she does. I would love to be her mentee one day!
Chris Nolan: he’s my favorite director. I don’t think there’s many people in Hollywood who could take intellectually complex topics and explore them in such an engaging way the way he does. He’s always thinking about the underlying ethical dilemma, no matter if he’s directing a space opera or a superhero story, and I would love to learn that from him.
Drop your social media links.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martahernani/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-hernani-fern%C3%A1ndez-71459bb1/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartaHernani