Matthew Weiner - Writing Process

Writing Process

A March 2012 New York Times article by Dave Itzkoff described Weiner's writing process for Mad Men. Weiner said "here's about a three-week rumination period, which involves a lot of napping, a lot of holding books. Whether I'm reading them or not, I cannot say." Itzkoff writes that Weiner ruminates on his own life during this period and " with series consultants like Bob Levinson, a veteran ad man of the '60s, and the real-life history that might have an impact" on the series' characters. "Then he gathers his writers, who are each assigned to bring in 10 story ideas; Mr. Weiner acknowledged that he shoots down many of these pitches. From what survives, an outline is generated, a script is assigned, and when it comes in from his writers, Mr. Weiner rewrites it." "If I change less than 80 percent of it, I will leave their name on it by themselves," Weiner said, adding "I would never want my name on something that I did not write most of. Part of television is you get rewritten."

Read more about this topic:  Matthew Weiner

Famous quotes containing the words writing and/or process:

    ...Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, “It depends.” And what it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.
    Kenneth G. Wilson (b. 1923)

    A process in the weather of the world
    Turns ghost to ghost; each mothered child
    Sits in their double shade.
    A process blows the moon into the sun,
    Pulls down the shabby curtains of the skin;
    And the heart gives up its dead.
    Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)