'Sempiterno,' the new book by bestseller Joana Marcús: "My problem has never been the blank page."

Joana Marcús (Mallorca, 2000) is a bestselling young adult writer, with a resume of 24 novels at the age of 24 and a million followers on social media , fans of her romance and fantasy books. For this prolific author, "the blank page" has never been a problem: "There are always active stories in my head."

In an interview about her latest novel 'Sempiterno', published by Montena and in bookstores since May 22, Marcús admits that she needs to update her X profile where she describes herself as "an attempt at a writer" and not be so humble, but she clarifies that when she is not signing (an activity that causes eternal queues and even brought the Gran Vía to a standstill) or promoting a book, her life "is not at all glamorous, but rather normal."

And in Fornalutx (Mallorca), she says, the small town where she lives with just over 500 inhabitants, they ask her about her books, but for them she is still "the daughter of...".

This young woman's writing career began at age 13 on the internet (on the online reading and writing platform Wattpad) and she moved on to paper at age 15 with a book whose title now seems "horrible" to her and makes her blush because of its adolescent tone: "Irresistible Proposal," which sold 123 copies.

"I feel my characters as if they were my children"

From then on, her career has been meteoric, with a brief interruption due to bullying in high school: "At that time, my books began to flourish. People visited my profile, they started writing comments, and I was a very private person. I suppose the bullying started because I stood out, and when you stand out, you become a target. It can be good or bad, and I was unlucky."

Marcús acknowledges that his writing career is going well, but he wants a plan B, so he's studying psychology, a degree that helps him delve deeper into his characters.

"It may seem disturbing, but I feel like my characters are my children; they grow with me and are my life partners," he explains.

"While I write, I need immediate feedback."

This is the case of Caleb and Victoria , the characters from 'Ethereal' who continue in 'Eternal': a boy with non-human abilities and a 19-year-old waitress, two very opposite characters who meet and, in some way, take parts of the author's life.

Marcús reveals that he can be inspired "by anything," from his own life to more irrelevant details like a song or a movie.

Marcús recognizes herself as a writer who launches into a book without immediate planning and driven by instinct, but she does allow herself to be advised: "I need someone to tell me what they think and what catches their attention."

Therefore, he lets his agent, his editors, and his friends read those first texts because he knows they will give him a different and very professional opinion.

And he never reads a novel after it's been published, when it's already on paper, because he's aware of his perfectionist nature and believes he'll always find errors or things he doesn't like.

"I won't adapt my work for film just because it's the best time."

Her writing time ranges from a few months to a year: "If it's a contemporary romance, it takes me less time because you don't have to delve so deeply into the world surrounding the characters." With fantasy, it takes a little longer, and she acknowledges that traditional print publishing sets certain time limits.

Marcús has received offers to adapt his novels into films, but he hasn't been convinced because he doesn't want to fall into the temptation of making an adaptation "just because it's the right time."

The author is indeed willing to bring her work to the big screen, but only when the offer comes from a group she feels comfortable with, one that has read the books and whose vision, even if it doesn't match hers, feels it works and "will live up to what people expect."

And looking to the future, Marcús doesn't want to be pigeonholed into any genre, but for now, she's comfortable with young adult romance and her audience, the 15- to 25-year-old range.

As a reader, she has a weakness for children's literature that reminds her of moments in her life that she has enjoyed, and she does not rule out doing science fiction or another genre and precisely that indecision in the future motivates her.