This week on Buffy and the Art of Story: Nightmares. (Season 1, Episode 10 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)

Along with story structure and plot turns, this episode covers the way the writers escalate conflict to maximize the characters' pain and how Nightmares foreshadows many significant emotional arcs in the series.

As always, the discussion is spoiler-free, except at the end (with plenty of warning).

Story Elements in Nightmares

In this podcast episode we’ll look at:

* Plot Turns  

* The interplay of Buffy's character and plot conflicts

* How the writers escalate conflict for maximum emotional impact

* Foreshadowing of significant emotional arcs in the series

Also Season 1 DVD information about how Joss Whedon chose the Mutant Enemy company name and created the logo.

Next Up:  Out of Mind Out of Sight S1 E11

Last Week: The Puppet Show S1 E9

Plotting Your Story

Working through plot issues for your own novel, screenplay, or story?

Try this Story Structure Template, available free to all on my Patreon page.

If you become a patron, you’ll also get access to bonus episodes and content.

Episodes will include Buffy-adjacent stories (such as key Angel episodes). Also films or TV episodes that are intriguing from a story, theme, or character perspective.

Episode Transcript Nightmares

Hello and welcome to Buffy and the Art of Story. If you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you love creating stories or just taking them apart to see how they work, you’re in the right place.

I am Lisa M. Lilly, author of The Awakening Supernatural Thriller Series and the QC Davis mysteries and the founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com.

This Week

Today we’ll be talking about Season One, Episode Ten: Nightmares.

Along with story structure and plot turns, I’ll talk about the way the writers escalate the conflict for maximum emotional impact. Also about the ways this episode foreshadows certain emotional arcs in the series.

As always, though, there will be no spoilers until the very end with plenty of warning. So if you want to hear about foreshadowing, stay tuned for that spoiler section.

Okay, let's dive into the Hellmouth.

Writers and Directors

Nightmares was written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt and directed by Bruce Seth Green.

Opening Conflict

We start with Buffy in a shadowy cave, her hair in braids, candles on all the walls. The Master confronts her. This powerful vampire that was the antagonist in the pilot and has been lurking through many of these episodes.

He confronts her. She drops her stake and backs away. He grabs her. She says, “No, No, No.”

And she is still saying that when Joyce shakes her awake. So this is part of our opening conflict. It sets the stage for the episode. Though we don't quite know why yet. When Joyce shakes her awake, we get the initial emotional conflict here.

Emotional Hook

Remember our initial conflict may or may not relate to our main plot. But it is a conflict that draws the reader into our story. That's what keeps the reader or audience member engaged while we set the stage.

Joyce says to Buffy, “I spoke with your father.” Buffy says, “He's coming right?”

And there is our emotional hook.