Rod Serling on Writing

Part 11 of a 16-part series featuring the master storyteller on video.

Ever since I launched Go Into The Story, I have regularly gone down the Internet’s rabbit hole in search of unique video clips featuring renowned writers. In 2010, I hit the Mother Lode: A series of 16 clips featuring Rod Serling chatting with what appear to be college students circa 1970.

Most well-known for the long-running TV anthology series “The Twilight Zone” (148 episodes, 1959–1964), Serling has over 70 writing credits including the screenplays for movies such as Seven Days in May and the original Planet of the Apes.

Back in 2010, I went through each clip and extracted some key quotes from Serling. Then as is often the case with the Internet, the videos disappeared.

However, they have emerged once again, a big hat tip to Doc Kane for surfacing them. As long as they are up, I will reprise the series.

Today Serling ruminates on story climaxes:

“I can tell you a thousand plots. Brilliant premises. Really knock you out. And as a producer of a show, I’ve had writers come to me and say, ‘Gee, I’ve got a notion.’ And then proceed to tell you a brilliant notion… to the point of the climax. And that’s where everything dissolves. Suddenly you wonder, where is act three? What does he do? What happens?”

For Part 1 of the series, go here.

Part 2, here.

Part 3, here.

Part 4, here.

Part 5, here.

Part 6, here.

Part 7, here.

Part 8, here.

Part 9, here.

Part 10, here.

Tomorrow: Another installment in this series featuring Rod Serling.