A closer look

The mastermind behind 'The Three Musketeers' wasn't so much a writer as he was a narrative factory manager. Alexandre Dumas published over 100,000 pages in his lifetime, mostly because he employed a staggering number of uncredited assistants. Auguste Maquet famously wrote out the entire plot structures and first drafts, while Dumas simply sprinkled his trademark flair over the top. He practically invented the modern television writers' room.