In a perfect world, somebody who has actual experience as a writer for a TV drama series (or at least a non-sitcom) will help answer a few of the following questions.
Failing that, any reasonable speculation on what the answers may be will be welcome.
My wife and I are always commenting to each other on how well (or how poorly) the writers of our favorite shows have done their jobs. We are at least as keen on the writing as we are the acting, sometimes much more keen.
Some questions (add your own):
How far into the future of a character’s arc are writers clear on as they proceed? Is there an outline of such considerations the writers must follow?
To what degree does plot drive a character’s behavior? Is the reverse as common?
How often does the original plan for a character get modified by the actor doing that part?
To what degree does audience feedback influence directions in plot, character, tone, political issues, social issues, etc.?
How much of a given episode is a collaborative “think tank” sort of thing and how much is dictated by “the creator” or “owner” of the series?
I’ll add more as I think of them. There are many more.
Shows that make me most curious about the writing process: The Sopranos, House, Bones, Boston Legal, Deadwood, Rome, In Treatment, 24, The Unit, The Shield, Dexter, Six Feet Under, Grey’s Anatomy, Medium, Lie to Me, Fringe, The Mentalist, Eleventh Hour (add to the list of shows you think of as having interesting writing).
As is so often the case in life, the answer is “It depends.” You can’t come up with rules that fit every show. But, in general:
1) How far into the future of a character’s arc are writers clear on as they proceed? Is there an outline of such considerations the writers must follow?
The only show I’ve ever heard of that actually had considerations longer than the current season was Babylon 5. Some will, however, have a general outline for a particular season or for shorter story arcs.
2) To what degree does plot drive a character’s behavior? Is the reverse as common?
Both are common. If you have a plot idea, you consider how the character behaves. If you have a strong character behavior, you construct a plot around it.
3) How often does the original plan for a character get modified by the actor doing that part?
Hard to say how often, but it does. Mira Furlan’s portrayal of Delenn in the Babylon 5 pilot caused changes in the conception (she was originally supposed to give the impression Delenn was male).
*
4) To what degree does audience feedback influence directions in plot, character, tone, political issues, social issues, etc.*?
Very hard to tell, especially since the only audience feedback that counts is ratings.
5) How much of a given episode is a collaborative “think tank” sort of thing and how much is dictated by “the creator” or “owner” of the series?
Also depends. Usually the creator gives parameters and asks the writers to add elements that he wants to introduce at that point. Maybe they leave enough time for a scene to advance the story arc, for instance.
I worked for a year on the set of Northern Exposure as a go-fer/assistant/stand-in/extra and did not personally know or talk to the writers, so take this for what it’s worth: Just like **RealityChuck **says, it depends on all five of your questions. *NoEx *had a whole stable of writers, and some were better than others, and most but not all of them had to knuckle under to the creative executive types if there was disagreement about plot, character, arc, bowing to audience opinion, etc.
Interestingly, on NoEx, the standard script length requirement (or allowance, depending on your view) was known to be longer than could possibly end up in the episode, usually by five or ten minutes’ worth of screen time. In the first few seasons, this gave executives and editors creative control: they could choose to edit out the bits they didn’t like so well in terms of what kind of show they thought it should be. But when the writers caught on, they started including interesting but ultimately unnecessary bits that were just ridiculously easy to take out without disturbing the storyline, while tightening up their main scenes to make them harder to cut anything from. Many, many dream sequences and “quirky” (god I hate that word) atmospheric interludes were cut. These were also often the most expensive scenes to shoot, since they were less likely to take place on a pre-existing set, and more likely to involve elaborate or surreal sets, props, and costumes than normal. And the directors and the whole crew knew it. An amazing amount of money and creativity was completely wasted that way.