This post is a reminder and sneak preview of my Iron Man 2 Deconstruction class that ran from Sunday, June 12th, through Saturday, June 18th, 2011
Iron Man 2 by Alexander Irvine offers a surprising number of techniques to explore. Over the course of the week, we will be taking a deep look at what choices Irvine made and analyzing the effects they achieve. Here is a glimpse at what the syllabus holds for participants:
Day 1:
First I’ll explain why I chose Iron Man 2, and how I went about deconstructing the novel. Then we’ll look at some of the themes addressed in the book and analyze how they work to strengthen the characters and story.
Day 2 and 3:
These two days will be spent looking at plotting, pacing, and a little bit of point of view. Irvine uses several different techniques to great effect depending on whether this is an action or character scene.
Day 4:
We will spend a day looking at Tony Stark as both hero and superhero. How does the story make him approachable while maintaining the superhuman aspects?
Day 5:
And no superhero novel would be complete without the villain. Day 5 will focus on the two villains of the piece: Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko. Why did the reader need two villains? What purpose does each serve?
Day 6:
Having hit on the big topics, we’ll spend a day looking at specific descriptive passages I feel are worth some attention. We’ll also touch on a couple differences between the movie and the book despite both springing from the same screenplay.
Day 7:
The final day will be a bit of a free for all. I’m looking forward to the discussions each day’s reading should provoke. Day 7 gives me the opportunity to address the issues raised in those discussions. However, should the discussions lack for questions, have no fear. We will also be looking at a few elements that didn’t fit in the previous categories, including continuity issues and how the series threads are handled.
So, have I piqued your interest? It should be a fun class, and I would be surprised if you walk away without learning a thing or two. If you’d like to join in, there’s still time. The signup link is here: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=606
Note: The class assumes you have read the novel and have access to a copy. If this is not the case, you can still follow along, but be aware there will be spoilers.