My husband is reading our four-year old daughter some of his favorite childhood books. They are in the middle of Treasure Island. I never cared for this story in book or movie form. After discussing story craft with my husband, I understand we like different kinds of books but he insisted I read Treasure Island. I’m not done reading it but several craft points stand out.
Scene Description
Scene description is sparse. The Admiral Benbow Inn was probably a common country building: pub downstairs and rooms upstairs. The author probably didn’t need to describe it. He does say it was set off aways from the rest of the local country town along the water. The interior and exterior are never described.
Character Description
The narrator, Jim Hawkins, has yet to describe himself but Billy Bones does call him “Young Jim Hawkins.” Since Jim helps with the pub, the reader understands his isn’t a toddler or small child. So far, that is all the description of Jim.
The other main character currently in the story is Billy Bones. His clothes, dialogue, and mannerisms are very different from Jim’s so these are easily dropped in. Billy drinks rum and sings the song. He frets about a one legged man. He walks down by the sea.
The doctor and two boat mates of Billy’s are the only other characters in these first chapters that are described. The description is almost all through action or dialogue: how the character moves or what is said.
Action
It is a common piece of contemporary advice for popular fiction to start with action in the thick of the story as opposed to before the story actually starts. Treasure Island doesn’t follow that advice but slowly builds up to the true start of the story. Each scene has some action that happens. So what is the inciting incident? Is it that Billy Bones came to stay at the Inn? Yes and no. Mostly no.
Exposition
Exposition is used to inform the reader of backstory or a character’s thoughts. I’m on chapter four and there hasn’t been any backstory yet. Jim Hawkins rarely has a thought and if he does it is just another way to say how scary or drunk Billy Bones is. The story is conveyed through physical action or dialogue.