How The Twilight Zone Can Help You Create a Better Story!

One of most popular and respected television shows of all times is The Twilight Zone. Running from 1959 to 1964, the original show was created and often written by one of TV’s greatest talents, Rod Serling. A vital premise of the show is that all its stories take place in the fifth “dimension of imagination” where fantastic things can happen.

I recently began watching the series, from the start, and wanted to write about it. But while watching the first episode, I had a strange reaction. The story and show riveted me, but I was struggling to understand why. Perhaps what threw me was the unusual territory of the show’s fantasy elements and thus the different types of characters and story problems. But I couldn’t figure it out why the show riveted me.

Then I watched episode 3, “Mr. Denton on Doomsday”. This episode was more comfortable territory for me, a western, but it still had fantasy elements that were imaginative and different. Thankfully, by the end of this story I was able to come up with six reasons why the show was riveting and so intensely dramatic for me.

Briefly here are those reasons:

1) The nature of the main story problem was different, intriguing and dramatic. The story involved Mr. Denton (played by one of my all-time favourite baddies, Dan Duryea!), a drunkard in an old west town who suddenly through the intervention of a mysterious and magical seeming stranger (a peddler) is given a second chance at life. IF he can survive his own bad premises and circumstances as a former gunfighter.

2) The imaginative fantasy element of the mysterious stranger and his “help” to Mr. Denton made the story unique and original, esp. for a western. It was a genre mash that worked.

3) The suspense of how would/could Mr. Denton survive his weird and fascinating problem and opportunity was engrossing.

4) The stakes were the very highest, life and death. At first for Mr. Denton’s soul, and then for his physical existence.

5) The story had two grabbing twists. One was to set up the unique fantastic situation the protagonist faced, and one was in the climax. This second twist was especially clever and ironic and logically led to a very satisfying resolution.

6) The story had an important and dramatic message. (Spoiler: That fate can be positive and benevolent.)

I won’t write much more about this episode as I don’t want to spoil the story for you. But I do recommend that you watch some episodes of The Twilight Zone. One great value of the show is that it being so different and original -- of being above all else imaginative -- all writers can learn from it. Because The Twilight Zone is set in a world where imagination is unbound, human’s highest values can be tested in new and inventive ways.

Rod Serling certainly earned his place among the American TV greats. And creatives should always study and learn from and be inspired by the masters! When was the last time you really pushed yourself to be original, imaginative, fresh? And didn’t stop until you were!

Stories are ideas in action!

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