As a boy, Rod Serling’s work entertained and inspired me. Over the years, I found myself returning again and again to it, and his social critiques gave me food for thought. The ideals he presented through his writing certainly challenged me to do better.
I started writing Sci Fi as an adult, and set to re-examining the stories that I kept going back to, be they television, books, or movies. Trying to determine why this or that story or character resonated with me. I kept finding my way back to certain episodes of The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.
Rod Serling, Teaching at Ithaca College
Then I discovered his interviews and lectures, his talk show appearances, and really dug into what he had to teach about storytelling. Some things I’d been unconsiously emulating in a clumsy, ape-like way, and I was able to sharpen those, focus more clearly on some aspect of a character or scene. Hearing him explain why and how some approach worked did me more good than most “writing advice” vids I’d seen or books I’d read. Any storyteller, novice or veteran, would profit from what Rod Serling had to say on the matter.
In short, he was a mentor who never met his student, but he helped me become a better storyteller. His emphasis on quality, engaging stories that challenged viewers, rather than just market-fodder set for the lowest common denominator helped me get on board with a solid publisher.
My Tales From the Long Night storyverse owes a great deal to the example he set and the knowledge he shared, and, frankly, to the man’s character. I go to cons now as a a published author. Albeit, a novice published pro, if you like, as my first novel, A Kiss for Damocles, was published in June and I have another coming out in January. Several of my published short stories, the ones I regard as the best, were written with him whispering in my mind.
While I write sci fi set in a space-opera style universe, now and then, sometimes, something happens that straddles the line between science and superstition, and there are things that move in the shadows.
Thank you for this opportunity to share how Rod Serling helped me improve my craft!
