Interview: Melissa Iqbal (2014 Nicholl Winner)

U.K.-based writer Melissa Iqbal wrote the original screenplay “The Death Engine” which won the 2014 Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting. Recently Melissa and I had a transatlantic phone call in which we covered a lot of territory in an excellent conversation.

Here are links to the six installments of the entire interview:

Part 1: “It’s always great to hear from other writers. It can help you improve your approach or you might pick up useful tips. And even if you don’t there’s at least a sense of camaraderie you get from hearing other writers talk about their process.”

Part 2: “It definitely grew out of this idea of a world where people can live forever and I know I do tend to return to the idea of immortality, mostly because I like fables and Greek mythology. I also love stories about people who get what they want only to realize they don’t want it anymore, like a rise and fall.”

Part 3: “I do like twisted fairy tales and I especially like bringing these sorts of references into a real world scenario. It also felt like a really apt way of exposing the imperfections of this seemingly perfect world.”

Part 4: “I don’t think that’s something she’s used to because there’s nothing she feels passionate about anymore, but death is the one thing she’s yet to experience, so it’s exciting for her to imagine what it might feel like.”

Part 5: “I usually start with a science fiction or fantasy concept and start to imagine a world that operates in a unique way. I always think the characters should feel like real people regardless of whatever heightened reality they’re operating in, so that’s usually why they come second.”

Part 6: “I think the important thing is to keep writing and improving even when it’s painful or hard. At the end of the day, it’s all about telling heart-felt, intelligent stories. Everything else you can figure out.”

Here is Melissa with her Nicholl Fellowship acceptance speech:

Melissa is repped by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.

Twitter: @Azureix.