Dhruv Sharma
Netflix’s new Spanish drama, ‘Valeria,’ is a contemporary take on the romance genre. The show centers around the life of an aspiring writer named Valeria, who goes through the torrid woes of life but with the help of her three friends, she makes it out alive. Along the way, she and her friends learn some valuable lessons that they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives. Although the show adopts many familiar tropes and stereotypes of the romance genre, its characters often seem real. So if you’ve already seen the show and you’re wondering where it draws its inspirations from, here’s everything you need to know.
Is Valeria Based on a True Story?
No, ‘Valeria’ is not based on a true story. It has been adapted from a bestselling book saga, titled “En los zapatos de Valeria” (“In Valeria’s shoes” in English), which is written by Elísabet Benavent. Elísabet is a Madrid based writer who had self-published the novel online and was able to garner a viewership of millions soon after her book was published.
One thing that particularly stands out about the series is how realistic and imperfect its characters seem. The show’s story never tries to justify its characters’ wrongdoings and never even over-romanticizes their relationships. Instead, it gives you somewhat of a realistic picture of who they are and what they aspire to be. In an interview, the author of the source, Elísabet Benavent, explained that the inspiration for the story comes from her own experiences.
The Real-Life Inspirations Behind Valeria
After being asked about everything that motivated her to become a writer, she recalled how her sister introduced her to books as a child, which played a key role in initiating her knack for writing. Adding to this, she also claimed that she just started writing little-by-little and eventually decided to pursue it full-time. Although she does not suggest this in the interview, she seems to have a lot in common with the titular character of the show, Valeria. Just like her, Valeria initially just develops this flair for writing a novel and after manifesting it for a while, she finally gives it a shot.
As you may already know, along with Valeria, the show also reflects on the lives of three other secondary protagonists—Lola, Nerea, and Carmen. In the same interview, the author elaborates on how even these characters are inspired by her own friends. “Valeria, in addition, was born from the need to feel closer to my friends; I had recently moved to Madrid, I missed them and, as I never believed that anyone would read me, I wrote a story that brought them closer,” she said. “That is why Valeria will always be so special to me because in each of them there is a piece of my friends.”
She further adds that every time she meets her friends for dinner, she simply notes down ideas that she picks up from the personalities and conversations of her friends and then later traverses these into her writing. Moreover, the central theme of the show, which primarily revolves around Valeria’s love life, also reflects on Elísabet’s faith in love.
Read More: Will There be a Valeria Season 2?
