Марина

Maryna Sokolyan
Narrative Designer | Visual Storyteller & Scriptwriter

CONTACT
[open contact info](look above in the "contact info" section)
[open contact info](look above in the "contact info" section)
Kyiv, Ukraine
LinkedIn profile
Visual portfolio
Official Author Website & Literary Archive (Novel Excerpts, Reviews, Book Trailers)
Comic sample (Google Drive)

PROFILE SUMMARY
ESFS Award-winning author and experienced screenwriter with a strong background in sociology (M.A., NaUKMA) and visual storytelling. Specializing in character-driven narratives, complex worldbuilding, sequential pacing, and multi-POV structures. Proven expertise in translating written concepts into visual assets, storyboards, and cross-media formats using modern AI-assisted workflows.

CORE COMPETENCIES
- Visual Storytelling & Storyboarding: Translating text concepts into sequential panels, frame-by-frame pacing, and visual atmosphere.
- Screenwriting & Dialogue Design: Crafting cinematic structure, dynamic scene pacing, dialogues, and character arcs.
- Worldbuilding & Lore Architecture: Designing enclosed settings, fictional societies, rule systems, and internal continuity.
- Cross-Disciplinary Production: Collaborating with artists and writers, directing scene composition, and aligning narrative materials with visual assets.
- AI-Assisted Workflows: Hands-on integration of generative AI tools to accelerate concept art and visual referencing.

KEY EXPERTISE & EXPERIENCE
PUBLISHED AUTHOR & VISUAL WORLDBUILDER | SELF-EMPLOYED / VARIOUS PUBLISHERS
(2003 – Present)
- Authored 10 published novels and narrative collections, designing intricate fictional cities, governance systems, and multi-layered character arcs.
- Developed sequential promotional materials, including comic-style visual storyboards and narrative trailers, combining scriptwriting, layout composition, and AI-assisted art concepts.
- Managed end-to-end narrative structures, ensuring emotional engagement and stylistic consistency across long-form projects.

SCRIPTWRITER & SCRIPT EDITOR | UKRAINIAN MEDIA GROUP (UMG)
(2006 – 2007)
- Wrote and edited screenplays for television series, guiding narrative arcs from initial loglines to final shooting scripts.
- Designed scene pacing, visual cues, and character-driven dialogues in close collaboration with production teams.

PLAYWRIGHT & DRAMA FELLOW | ROYAL COURT THEATRE PROGRAM & INDEPENDENT FESTIVALS
(2005 – 2012)
- Developed character-focused dramatic works with an emphasis on tight scene interactions, subtext, and emotional tension.
- Participated in international playwriting residencies (London Royal Court Theatre program), focusing on structural clarity and performance dynamics.

SELECTED AWARDS & FELLOWSHIPS
2008 — ESFS Encouragement Award, Eurocon (European Science Fiction Society) for Herem.
2008 — Portal Prize for Sci-Fi / Fantasy Novel (Herem).
2012, 2021 — Coronation of the Word Prize for Novels (The Harpy’s Heart, Slight Taste of Bitterness).
2009 — Writer-in-Residence, The International House of Writers and Translators (Ventspils, Latvia).
2005 — Homines Urbani Literary Fellow (Krakow, Poland).

EDUCATION
- National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), M.A. in Sociology. Focus: Utopian thought, globalization, political myths, and information technologies in society.
- Royal Court Theatre International Residency (2011 – 2012), Playwriting Program.
- Suspense Film Studio, Kyiv (2006), Screenwriting Workshop.

TECHNICAL SKILLS & LANGUAGES
- Visual & AI Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Google Flow, Leonardo AI, Krea.ai (for storyboarding and concept generation).
- Languages: Ukrainian (Native), English (B2 / upper intermediate).