Interview (Part 6): Michele Atkins (2016 Nicholl Winner)

Scott Myers
Go Into The Story
Published in
4 min readMay 13, 2017

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A 6-part chat with the writer of the winning script “Talking About the Sky”.

Michele Atkins wrote the original screenplay “Talking About the Sky” which won a 2016 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Michele about her background, her award-winning script, the craft of screenwriting, and what winning the Nicholl has meant to her.

Today in Part 6 of this 6 part series, Michele provides some advice to aspiring screenwriters.

Scott: I was going ask you about your dialogue process, but you got into that pretty clearly. Regarding Walter, was he a songwriter? Because at times, his dialogue felt like they could have lyrics been straight from a song?

Michele: Yes, he was a songwriter.

That’s why in the opening someone comes to his doorstep and wants him to sign the papers. It’s because he wrote the music/lyrics, his ex-wife wanted permission to record the songs acoustically.

Scott: What about when you write a scene, do you have a thought process of things you’re trying to accomplish when you write a scene?

Michele: I do but it’s probably not as exact as some people do. It’s like a big block of clay. I eventually push it into the different acts that they need to be.

At first, I’m mostly working on character and what their goal is, and then I start whittling down more into the individual scenes and what they’re trying to accomplish.

Scott: So this 55‑page treatment, is that more typical of what you do in story prep before you go to Fade In or do you do an outline?

Michele: More along the lines of treatment. In this that particular one (the 50 page treatment), there are historical facts in it and there are dates because it covers a period of time. There’s certain, just procedural items are in it.

For instance, just talking about Medicaid in Tennessee, or Medicare with something in the script for talking about the sky, that I had to look up.

Even if you write a script where you think there’s no research, there’s always some sort of research you’re going to have to do, right?

I have to see what was the state of healthcare in Tennessee, what would make sense, what wouldn’t make sense. This new script I am working on, my fellowship script, that’s the script with the 50 treatment pages, there’s a lot to look up because it’s covering different decades.

Scott: You’ve got a successful career as a commercial director. What’s your actual writing process like? Do you carve out time every day to write or do you only write when you’ve got time? How do you go about balancing those two aspects of your life?

Michele: When I’m not directing and shooting, I’m writing essentially. I write every day. I get up in the morning, and might workout or do something in the morning, but by 9:30, 10:00, I’m writing. I’ll write all day long till the end of the day.

Scott: Where do you see yourself? Ideal world 10 years from now, what are you doing?

Michele: There’s some director/writer’s that I’m a huge fan of, and I’d love to have some semblance of their career.

I’m a huge fan of Andrea Arnold, Jacque Audiard, the Dardenne Brothers, and Mike Leigh.

I’m going to keep writing about people that move me, people trying to find the goodness in their hearts, those who may not be lucky or those who are on the fringes. That’s the kind of story that interests me most.

Scott: Let’s hope that that happens for you. I got one last question. What advice can you offer to aspiring screenwriters and film makers in general about learning the craft and breaking into the business?

Michele: I would write what you love. Write with what you can align with, and feel good about.

Whether it’s a success or it’s not a success, at least you didn’t sell out, right? You write what you love to write, you don’t try to write to fit in somewhere. You write what’s in your heart.

If you fail at something, it’s yours. If you win, it’s yours. Whatever it is, make it yours.

For Part 1 of the interview, go here.

Part 2, here.

Part 3, here.

Part 4, here.

Part 5, here.

For Michele’s commercial reel, go here.

For my interviews with 24 other Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners, go here.

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