High-concept storytelling in Gone

Lesson pack
High-concept storytelling in Gone
6 lessons
Purpose
Teach students about structure, pacing and point of view for a high-concept narrative.
Description
In Gone, the best-selling Michael Grant novel, every person over the age of 15 in Perdido Beach vanishes, leaving a bunch of kids to figure out what happened and what to do next. This course looks at how the novel introduces its characters, world and high-concept premise. Each lesson takes a snippet from the first chapter, and we look at how the chapter builds from a small event to a large scale crisis. We also explore the classic lead-think-feel character triangle, and how this tool provides reactions and commentary, and drives the plot. The language of Gone is technically simple; the challenge in this course is in coming up with a viable concept and then developing it through character action, which requires students to plan ahead and control the release of narrative information. It will suit middle-years students with teacher support, or older students who can work independently.
Tags
Action, Adventure, Superhero
Lessons in this pack