This week on Buffy and the Art of Story – Beauty and the Beasts (Season 3 Episode 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). This podcast episode talks about: (1) a very subtle Midpoint turn; (2) what is plot and what is subplot; (3) the challenges with the metaphor to abuse within a relationship; (4) point of view and playing fair with the audience; and (5) use of voiceover. As always, the discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is spoiler-free, except at the end (with plenty of warni...

  This week on Buffy and the Art of Story – Dead Man's Party (Season 3 Episode 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). This podcast episode includes: (1) how the zombie plot turns connect to the emotional story line; (2) whether our characters act consistently with what we know of them from Seasons 1 and 2; (3) is the conflict between Buffy and her friends false conflict; and (4) is that mask angry at the room? As always, the discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slaye...

This week on Buffy and the Art of Story - Anne (Season 3 Episode 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). This podcast episode includes: (1) how the premiere's tone differs from the rest of the season; (2) hazy early plot turns; (3) multiple themes that raise a question on what the story's about; and (4) whether the stakes are high enough for Buffy to be the protagonist. As always, the discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is spoiler-free, except at the end (with plenty of warning). ...

Two announcements for the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story: Buffy and the Art of Story Season 3 begins next Monday (August 10, 2020) with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 3 premiere, Anne. The second Patron-Only Q&A has been posted on Patreon. (You can become a patron here for a dollar or more a month.) What's in the Q&A?   key writing lessons learned from watching Buffy Seasons 1 and 2 so closely  which episodes I'm most looking forward to wat...

This week on the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story Becoming Part 2 (Season 2 Episode 22 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer): This podcast episode covers (1) why the pace of Part 2 is so fast compared to Becoming Part 1; (2) how to show emotion through a character’s actions; (3) the elements of a pyrrhic victory; (4) and how the episode plays out Season 2 themes and foreshadows future relationships. As always, the discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is spoiler-free, except at the end (with ple...