NIKKI COLE
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I live half of my life in Toronto and the other half in Los Angeles.
 
Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel?
I became fascinated with the origin story of Catherine de Medici many years ago when I realized that her story of being an ostracized, misunderstood, and mischaracterized strong woman is as relevant today as it was 500 years ago.
I am a filmmaker and former choreographer. Catherine was a dancer/astrologer/psychic and I felt the best way to tell her story was in motion with an enticingly strong visual style.
 
How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN?
It took me about three months to write the pilot script for the series. I am adapting a novel but adding a lot of elements and subtext that are mine to fill out the story and give it a historical context.
 I work in Final Draft – starting with an outline and then developing into screenplay format.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I love to tell untold stories that resonate enough with me that they won’t let me go until I write them.  I am very eclectic in my interests and abilities so an idea might grab me from any genre – from comedy to drama to unscripted. The point is that the idea keeps gnawing away at me until I eventually give in and get it down on paper.
I also enjoy being a writer for hire. I like to take someone else’s idea or concept and see what I can bring to the table in order to elevate or deliver it in a unique, exciting way.
My goal in anything I create is to engage, entertain and elevate the audience viewing it.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
So many! Any film or TV writers that can hold my attention (it’s short!), and can engage, entertain and elevate me – get my vote. Some favorites include: David O. Russell,  Aaron Sorkin, Jane Campion, Chuck Lorre, and Peter Morgan.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
My all-time favorite movie is the original 2001. The existential issues and themes it explored of space time, and science – all told in an exquisitely human way grabbed my mind, heart, and soul and has held them ever since.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing!
Share your work with friends and colleagues you know will give you trustworthy advice. Take what works from their advice and chuck the rest. Unless you keep getting the same note over and over again – then it’s time to take a closer look at what you are communicating or miscommunicating.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m working on a poignant family drama about an elderly widower whose suicide plans are rudely interrupted by a runaway teen. I’m also working on a thriller with comedic undertones about three women who take revenge on a man they lost in court to on a sexual harassment charge. I’m also developing a whacky travel series with a twist and some documentaries the world will soon hear about.

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