Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25112275-20141218163520/@comment-25112275-20150105203026

TheOmegaWerewolf wrote: Question: Don't the writers have some say in how the storyline for the characters is going to happen? Or are the writers just given exact instructions on what they have to write about and they can't change things in the script unless given permission to? I always thought that the writers and creators in any TV show work together to create the plot.

I'd say possibly 30 ish percent of the time the writers work with the creators to make the plot. In this case they work together and bounce ideas off one another.

The other 70% of the time a writer is told what to write. Writers are directed in what the show creators, or even the network, want. After that, the writers sit together and bounce ideas off of one another giving the show creators, or even the network, what they want.

A good example of this is Legend of Korra. Nickelodeon didn't want Korra and Asami kissing on screen because they didn't want to offend their viewership with bisexuality. So they let the creators (who are also the writers) hint at the relationship by holding hands and blushing.

In the case of The 100, the writers were most likely told what to write. Jason has come out and said that Finn's death was his vision. Meaning the writers wrote what Jason asked for. The writers are then tasked with coming up with that script. They sit in a room (The writers Room) and toss around different ideas on how the death would happen. Jason was probably present during some of this.

Almost all of the time the script you see on screen isn't the first or second. Sometimes the episode you are watching could very well be the 20th draft. The one you see pictures of (that the writers or show creators upload) are the final draft.

I know on some shows, they have 3 different writers write 3 different drafts. Not always the case, but sometimes.

If the producers, or show creator don't like the script, the writers will be forced to rewrite it. If a writer doesn't, they are removed from a project and a new writer is brought in. Or another script is chosen.

Now there is that occasional rare moment that writers are allowed to have a say. However, they must have 100% copy right to that character. Sometimes, seasoned writers are respected enough to give input.

This is why The 100 writers aren't allowed to read Fanfictions. They could very well copy another persons character by mistake and get sued or lose the rights to getting their credit.

If you look back on the 100 episode, most are done by the same writers over and over. These are the people giving Jason what he asked for. Those are the seasoned writers who might have had a say in the script. Some might have more than 1 writer, which means that other writer helped create the script that was used.

It's hard to dictate things like this, because no one will ever come out and say "Yeah I removed a writer from a project for not wanting to write something". Instead you'll see "Creative differences" or something a long that lines.

But in this case, we have been told it was Jason's idea. The writers just created his vision.