Buffy and the Art of Story starts with Season 1, Episode 1, Welcome to the Hellmouth. 

For writers and other story creators who want to learn more about plot, characterization, and other story elements by watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

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

Story Elements in Welcome to the Hellmouth:

In this podcast episode we'll look at how Welcome to the Hellmouth handles:

* Prologue

* Exposition

* Opening Conflict

* Story Spark (a/k/a Inciting Incident)

* The first major plot turn

* A strong story Mid-point

We'll also talk about some highlights from the Buffy Season 1 DVD commentaries by Joss Whedon.

Next Up: The Harvest

The 7 Season Plan

After Welcome to the Hellmouth, Buffy and the Art of Story plans to cover every episode of Buffy in order and spoiler-free — except at the end so I can talk about foreshadowing, but I'll give you plenty of warning.

Down the road there'll be a Patreon page where patrons can download a free story structure template. As a patron, you'll also get access to bonus episodes.

Those 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.

Requests will be welcome.

Episode Transcript of Welcome to the Hellmouth

Welcome To The Hellmouth S1 E1

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 suspense, mysteries, and supernatural thrillers and founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com.

Each week I'll talk about one episode of Buffy in order, covering plot turns and other story elements. The discussion will be spoiler-free except at the very end, and I'll give you plenty of warning.

Today we'll start with Welcome To The Hellmouth, the first half of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot. We’ll cover the opening conflict, the plot point at the one-quarter mark of the story as a whole and the Midpoint which is where the story breaks until the next episode.

I'll also talk about prologues because we have one here, and exposition because Buffy as a whole does exposition so wonderfully well.

Okay, let's dive into the Hellmouth.

Prologue

We start with what looks like two high school students breaking into a high school. Neither of these two characters are our protagonist. And the events here come before the story starts, which is what makes this a prologue.

The young man and young woman break in.

The girl seems nervous, and the boy is reassuring her and kind of luring her further into the high school where it's deserted. She keeps saying “I think I hear something” or “are you sure there's no one here?”

Subverting Tropes

He's the one who seems so confident about being here and wanting to get her alone. And then it turns on its head and the girl goes into vamp face and attacks him. So immediately we have this subverting of the horror movie trope. Even though we don't see Buffy we do see that this is going to be part of what this show is—or the heart of what the show is.

This pretty blond who we traditionally had thought of as the victim becomes the one who others fear. And then we cut.

There is a lot of controversy among authors and readers about the use of prologues. Because by definition they come before our story starts. As a reader I sometimes have to push past a book with a prologue.

By that I mean I've got to push myself to read it.