Fan to Full-Time — How Amber Martinez Took Her Writing Career to the Next Level at Pocket Gems
by Pocket Gems
This is the first installment of Pocket Gems’ Creator Spotlight, where we’ll showcase some of the talented folks in the “Episode” community.
“Episode Interactive” is a narrative storytelling platform with a vibrant community. At Pocket Gems, we have a team of extraordinary creators that work to make “Episode’s” content engaging, relatable, and empowering for young women.
Meet Amber! A proud Latina and one of our story layout artists who took an unconventional route to join our team.
The Calling
Having grown up in sunny and spirited Miami, Amber Martinez always loved expressing herself through different creative mediums. Whether it be writing, art, music, you name it — the girl did it all! At 18, Amber discovered “Episode,” and played through her first story, “Campus Crush.” She was immediately hooked and just knew she had to take a crack at writing her own stories!
Writing stories as a community creator for “Episode” became an essential outlet for Amber, especially as she weathered the growing pains of early adulthood. She immersed herself into the writer and player communities, finding them engaging and empowering. She wrote stories that she hoped young women would relate to, often touching on serious topics like eating disorders and stress management, and always emphasized a strong female lead who had agency over her own life. Over time, Amber’s knack for creating stories that resonated with others earned her an active following. She felt inspired knowing that her work was making a positive impact on young women’s lives. With her newfound passion, Amber was determined to take her stories, and her career, to the next level.
The Career
With a growing desire to leave Miami, Amber decided it was time to make moves. She knew that “Episode’s” parent company, Pocket Gems, employed full-time writers and story artists to work on the game in-house. So, she devised a strategy to get noticed. Amber boldly sent personalized messages that showcased her passion for “Episode” to anyone she could find that worked at Pocket Gems. She knew it was a longshot, but she was determined nonetheless.
Eventually - spoiler alert - the odds worked in her favor and she landed herself an interview! Soon enough, Amber packed her bags to embark on a new journey in San Francisco as Pocket Gem’s freshest associate story layout artist!
The Goal
Fast-forward one year and Amber is thriving in her work. She bagged a promotion and recently finished a story extension that she’s extremely proud of. While she doesn’t focus as much on her own stories in her current role, she enjoys working with other storytellers from underrepresented communities to amplify their voices. She hopes that her journey will help set the stage for many more aspiring writers of color.
Amber’s latest project is “Coming for the Crown,” a story originally by Ana Stacy, centered on women’s empowerment and equal rights. Check it out here.
We are so grateful to have Amber on our team here at Pocket Gems. Stay tuned as we highlight more of our fantastic creators in this series, and give them the shine they deserve.
