Flying home to Chicago at sunset. I always love seeing the skyline.

How do you tell a great story about the treacherous waters of destiny, free will & the all-too-human struggle between redemption and power? Angel podcast Wolfram & Cast visits Buffy and the Art of Story to look at Angel S1 E21 Blind Date. lisalilly.com/blind-date/ #Buffy #BTVS

First sign of a deep fake on a late 90s tv show

Do we need so many flaying & skin-eating scenes? One of many questions asked during the recap of Same Time Same Place, where Willow returns to Sunnydale, a creepy voice taunts people & no one can find anyone. #buffyrewatch #BuffyTheVampireSlayer #BTVS lisalilly.com/same-time-same…

How do you surprise the audience yet weave in foreshadowing so it feels inevitable when it happens? In Help, the writers lay the groundwork for a 2nd and 3rd surprise ending. More in the Buffy and the Art of Story podcast. lisalilly.com/help/ #buffythevampireslayer #buffy

If you haven't read my Q.C. Davis crime novels yet, this is a great time to catch up. The ebook box set with the first three is free today through 9/5. Book 7 coming soon! amazon.com/dp/B08FFBY47K #freebook #freebooks #Mystery #FreeEBooks

What motivates Buffy to face the Master & certain death in S1? Is Spike the most emotionally healthy character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer? And what role does grief play when the Potentials & Buffy's friends turn against her? lisalilly.com/grief-in-the-b… #Grief #mentalhealth #Buffy

From Once More With Feeling to Where The Wild Things Are, the Top 5 and Bottom 5 Buffy episodes ever, plus some Honorable Mentions. See if you agree! Listen to full episode of Buffy and the Art of Story on my author website, YouTube or your favorite podcast app. #Buffy #BTVS

In Salvage (Angel S4 E13), Wesley holds an imagined conversation with Lilah that shows his fear, grief, anger & inner conflict in a compelling way. Might this concept apply to your writing? Listen to the full podcast episode: lisalilly.com/salvage/ #buffy #fictionwriting

In Release, Wesley insists Faith become vicious to win. But now Faith's deepest desire is to be good. Will she sacrifice it save the world? That's a conflict that keeps viewers engaged. More on that & a recap in the new podcast ep. lisalilly.com/release-angel/ #Buffy #writingtips

Buffy and the Art of Story Season Three Part 2: How To Write Characters The Audience Loves (Or Loves To Hate) And Plots They Can’t Put Down lisalilly.com/buffy-and-the-… #newrelease #buffythevampireslayer

Why does Willow revert to her early S6 self when she crosses over to Angel? Cheery and joking about spells, no worries about becoming Dark Willow. More on this in the new Buffy and the Art of Story podcast episode. lisalilly.com/orpheus/ #buffythevampireslayer #writingtips

"Are you the bad Slayer now? Am I the good Slayer now?" The graveyard scene when Faith returns to Sunnydale is fun and fascinating despite that the characters trade information the audience already knows. Why? Because there's conflict, humor, and deep emotion. #writingtips #Buffy

Nine years ago, I brought a scared little parakeet home. He calmed down when I started listening to Joanna (J.F.) Penn podcast. He still loves to hear Joanna‘s voice after all these years. Hasn’t written a novel yet though. #writing

Chicago readers, you can donate new or gently used K-8 kids' books at the Dirksen Federal courthouse at 219 S. Dearborn St. The aim is to provide children attending naturalization ceremonies with a book to take home, fostering #literacy and a love for reading. #makeadifference

Some cases stay cold for a reason… The Forgotten Man, a cold case murder mystery is free today and tomorrow on #kindle amazon.com/Forgotten-Man-… #freebook #mysterybooks #murdermystery

Private investigator Quille is still haunted by the cold case murder of her sister, whose body was found nearly 40 years ago in the same grave as another little girl. bookbub.com/books/the-forg… #murdermystery #coldcase #FreeBook #KindleUnlimited

Haunted by the cold case murder of her sister, found nearly 40 years ago in the same grave as another little girl, Quille vows find the true killer… but her investigation may put a target on her back. amazon.com/Forgotten-Man-… #MYSTERY #freebook #kindleunlimited #suspense

Is society the real antagonist in Empty Places, society being the community of potentials and Buffy's friends? What role does grief play in the final confrontation? And what does Empty Places says about leadership? lisalilly.com/empty-places/ #buffy #grief #WritingCommunity #podcast

Some story questions keep the audience hanging on to find out more. Others are distractions. Which are which in Touched, the third-to-last Buffy episode ever? And what does it signal about the finale? lisalilly.com/touched/ #buffythevampireslayer #writingtips #btvs #spuffy