A new interview has been released with two of Matt Weiner’s Mad Men writers. In it, they talk in a spoiler-free fashion about writing for the show and where the series is headed.

Most interestingly, they say that Weiner has an idea of where he wants the story to end, but doesn’t know how they’ll get there:

What’s going to happen next? Is Don’s marriage to Megan going to survive?

Maria Jacquemetton: We can’t tell you that. We know the end of season five, but we don’t know the end of the series.

André Jacquemetton: Matt has an idea of what he wants to happen to Don Draper, but getting there, I am not so sure he knows. And he’s curious to hear what we have to say, and that’s why he has 10 people in the [writing] room. Ten different voices.

What is Weiner looking for from those writers?

AJ: He’s looking for a certain surprise. Hopefully the writer can bring something he can’t bring, a certain truth.

MJ: A piece of their life experience.

How could there be a surprise if the plot is all agreed upon in the story room beforehand?

MJ: You get an outline, but you don’t get every beat of the scene. The first boy Betty ever kissed was a Jewish boy. He particularly liked that. That was something we brought …well, from my life.

AJ: He likes it when we write the family scenes. It’s something we spark to.

MJ: The Betty/Don dynamic. The married couple dynamic. I guess we do good fights.

Interesting insight! Read more over at The Globe and Mail.