Open Treasure Island, and you expect to find a thrilling adventure tale of pirates, shipwrecks, and lost booty. But if you join Story Grid writer and editor Leslie Watts in analyzing Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, you’ll also discover timeless lessons about the craft of storytelling.

First published in 1883, Treasure Island offers readers irresistible life-or-death stakes and a compelling coming-of-age arc for young hero Jim Hawkins. And, of course, Stevenson introduces the cunning Long John Silver, one of literature’s most unforgettable shapeshifting antagonists, complete with wooden leg and parrot.

Watts turns the novel itself into a treasure map, following landmarks of change to discover how the author fulfills readers’ expectations on multiple levels as the characters adapt to an imperfect, often terrifying world. The way Jim outwits Silver and the other pirates is a useful lesson for life and writing, says Watts.

If you’re a writer who is serious about your craft, there’s no better way to learn to capture, entertain, and enlighten readers than by exploring a masterwork. In this Guide, Leslie Watts shares her map, so climb aboard and let’s set sail.