Daily Inspiration: Meet Raquel Trujillo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raquel Trujillo

Hi Raquel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Following an artistic path has been a natural and organic process for me… and it’s all my family’s fault. My aunt owns a theater company in Spain and, since she opened it back in 2009, that place has been our life, a source of inspiration and indescribable learning for my career. My aunt is an actress and director, my mom a costume and production designer, my uncle an actor and playwright, all my cousins, even my dad, are actors – I know, a spectacle!

I grew up on and backstage, acting professionally for more than twelve years in some of the most emblematic plays of the Spanish theater, giving voice and life to incredible characters. Unlike my friends, I spent most of my childhood and teenage years on tour with my whole big family, going to rehearsals, skipping classes, learning tongue-twister verses from classical theater plays, trading parties for opening nights, blowing candles on stage, studying on planes, cars, between scenes – worth of its own TV show, I know… but don’t worry it’s already in the making and it’s called MUCHA MIERDA 😉 But truly, it was that experience that made me the woman and writer I am today, that shaped the way I see the world, create, and tell stories; but it also made me realize how powerful stories can be, how much they can impact the audiences – especially young people.

Telling stories is such a meaningful and magical power, and since I was a kid, I knew that I wanted to contribute to that magic and, in one way or another, I’ve always done it. First, as a creative child, who used to make up crazy lives for her imaginary friends living in her grandma’s garage; later, as an actress, being the channel through which the story gets to the audience, and now, as a screenwriter, generating those stories, giving birth to those characters.

In that sense, my career as a storyteller has pivoted so much throughout the years, being able to tell stories in many different ways. However, it was during my exchange year in London that I fell in love with screenwriting. I wrote my first script then, and I haven’t stopped since.

After that moment, I tried to link everything that I did to screenwriting. For instance, one of the turning points in my career was the development of my undergrad thesis for which I adapted a novel into a TV limited series. I wrote the six scripts of the project, a bible, and I produced and directed a teaser trailer. It was, without a doubt, one of the most fulfilling and challenging projects I’ve ever done, and it really opened the door to many other opportunities that came later. I was lucky enough to work in development at Paramount in Spain for two years right after college and there, apart from getting invaluable learning as an aspiring screenwriter, having to read and analyze tons of scripts, I was able to witness firsthand how the industry works and how hard it is to make something happen. That gave me the boost to take a risk and apply to one of the most important fellowships in my country that would allow me to study an MFA in Screenwriting in the US; the cradle of cinema, TV, and entertainment. And here I am now, just graduated from AFI Conservatory and looking for the next steps in my journey.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It is always challenging in this industry and, unluckily, there’s no smooth road for anyone. I had the luck of being born into a family that completely embraces the arts in all forms, and that environment, that constant contact with culture, made me develop an artistic sensitivity from a very early age. That certainly gave me quite a boost – I would’ve probably chosen another career path if it wasn’t for my family and the creative environment I grew up in.

Things are getting better but being a woman in this industry it’s also a challenge, especially if you’re pursuing technical roles or roles that involve decision-making; that’s why initiatives like Women In Film are truly essential.

I’m from Spain, I started my career there and I’d love to keep developing my career there too, but I’d dare to say that being a screenwriter in Spain is perhaps harder. Though in full swing, we have a smaller industry so there are not the same resources, the same visibility, nor the same opportunities especially for people who are taking their first steps. This happens in the US too and it’s a struggle that I, and many of my colleagues, face every day – there are not enough first-entry-level jobs for creative people and, if there are, they’re not creative at all. I wish the industry, both here and internationally, would take more risks and bet on new talent letting them do what they do best.

I’m sure that every outsider in LA says this but moving to this city to pursue a screenwriting career has been a challenge on its own. In my case, apart from being a difficult city and the common struggles of an aspiring artist, it has been really hard to be this far away from my family. First, because I have a really close relationship with them, and second because they nurture me creatively in an indescribable way – and I miss that.

I have received many yeses in my life, but I have also received three times as many noes– it’s just that we don’t tell people about those that much. It’s part of the process, the sooner you understand that the better… and, in most cases, those rejections have nothing to do with your talent or your ability to pursue a career in this industry. And I’ve learned that no matter how many noes I get, the only thing I have to keep doing is writing.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My graduate degree will tell you that I’m a screenwriter – which I am – but, in my heart, I consider myself more of a storyteller. That’s what I love to do regardless of the medium. But it is true that, most of the time, my mind thinks in images; I love the idea of putting visual images on paper that could be able to say much more than words. My lifetime goal is to be able to write and produce for TV, but I would also love to direct my own movies and theatre plays… as I say, I just want to tell stories.

As a writer who aspires to tell stories that make you laugh and cry in a span of two minutes, I want to capture people’s hearts, I want to tell stories that show the world as I see it, complex but full of fun and exciting adventures. I’m really interested in stories that portray the duality and nuances of family and its meaning – in my opinion, one of the strongest relationships a person can experience. But above all, I aspire to tell stories that make audiences feel, forget, enjoy, and see life from a brighter perspective. Because, at the end of the day, film and TV are forms of entertainment in their truest sense, and I want to serve that purpose.

Right now, one of the projects that excite me the most and that I’m most proud of is my feature comedy, “Abuelas”. The script, that I wrote during my second year at AFI, got into the semifinals of the Screencraft Comedy Competition 2024 and Humanitas the David & Lynn Angell College Comedy Award 2024. Besides, the script received a Development Grant from the Canary Islands Government (Spain) and recently got selected for the Spanish program, CIMA Impulsa, a program that helps projects written by women find their place in the market and get financed. I’m thrilled about all the love and help this project is receiving, and I hope it can see that light someday soon.

My first project as a playwright, “The Last Verse” which premiered in Spain in December 2023 and it’s currently on tour, is a project that holds a very important place in my heart and that I’m incredibly proud of. It was actually the first feature script I ever wrote – I adapted the script into a theatre play – and, as we all know, the first baby is always special. But it is also very special because I got to make it come to life with my family.

At the moment, I’m working on a couple of spec scripts that I’m truly excited for: a psychological thriller about sisterhood and the sometimes irrepressible desire to become a mother, and a period romcom set in Spain with Bridgerton and My Lady Jane vibes.

My goal right now is to keep writing, mastering the craft by creating more stories, characters, and universes. I’d love to get the chance soon to experience being in a writer’s room – I love collaborative writing and the creative synergies and dynamics that come out of that, and I am sure that would be the perfect next step for my career.

I don’t know if this is what sets me apart from others because I do believe that all artists have a similar way of seeing our craft but I feel like my passion and love for creating stories is a strong force that can truly make me overcome any obstacle, fill me with resilience and make me love what I do every day of my life even when things don’t look as bright. I completely believe that passion and illusion are generators in themselves of self-success.

What makes you happy?
There are so many things that make me happy – I tend to get excited with every little thing I do – but, among them, I would always highlight: traveling and discovering new places, doing theater, going out for dinner with my girlfriends, organizing and hosting all sort of parties and gatherings with my favorite people, experiencing live events like theatre plays, movies, concerts… I’m a theatre musical freak so, for instance, I find myself enjoying the hell out of myself whenever I put my headphones on, turn any of my favorite Broadway musical soundtracks on, and perform around the house like nobody is watching.

Creating stories gives me indescribable joy, fullfills me in an imaginable way, and I want to devote my life to it because of that. But, without a doubt, what makes me the happiest is spending time with my family. And if it is on a theatre stage or creating stories together… that is just PERFECTION and nothing could make me happier.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.raqueltrujillo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raqueltrujillo8/?hl=es
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14094839/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_q_raquel%2520trujillo

Image Credits
Raúl Guadarrama, Jesús Bilbao, AFI