1. Instructions for Making the Epic Book
Language Arts
Mrs. Nabulsi

2. What is an epic Long narrative poem Hero is of noble birth
The fate of the nation depends of him
It begins in the middle of things
The muse of poetry is invoked to help the writer write the poem
Descriptions of battles and armor
Intervention of the gods
Epithets
Patronymics
Long journey
Journey to the underworld
Epic similes

3. DIRECTIONS Develop the character Develop the setting Develop the quest
Write the story
Make the book and
all its pages

4. Create a hero What is his/her name (Make one up)?
Where does he live-village, city, jungle, moon?
When does he live-ancient times, present, future?
What does he look like (tall, one blue eye/one brown one, long hair, scaly blue skin)?
What is his fate (to be king, to become a fish, to marry the queen, to become a constellation)?
What about him causes him to go on the quest?

5. Create a town Where is the town located?
What kind of ruler does the town have?
What are the customs?
What are the houses like?
How do the people dress?
What do they eat?
What is the problem that can destroy this town and/or its people?

6. Create a few gods/goddesses
Have a helper god(s)
or goddess(es).
Give them powers.
Give them symbols.

7. Create a monster/villain
Who is trying to
stop your hero?
Who does he fight?
Who tests him?
Is it a monster?
Is it a god?
Is it a wizard?

8. Create the Quest – Why your hero?
What is the problem in his town?
What is the hero’s fate?
Does he go on the quest because he
Volunteers
Is forced
Is tricked?
Does he have a test to show he is worthy to go on the quest?
Who goes with him?

9. Continue the quest: helpers
Who are his helpers: gods, humans, magical creatures?
Do they give him advice?
Do they give him amulets (magical weapons, stones, etc.)?
Do they transform?

10. Continue the quest: Blockers/boon
What is needed to solve his village’s problem (boon)?
Where is it located?
How will he get there?
What will he have to do to acquire it?
When he leaves his familiar territory to go to the land of adventure, is anyone “guarding the path” he must defeat?
When he arrives at the nadir, where he must obtain the boon, who tries to stop him?

11. Continue the Quest: The Return
Once the hero has the boon, how does he get back home?
Does he honor the gods?
Do the gods help him get home?
Does he return the gifts from the gods?
Does he survive?
Does he solve the villages problem?
How is he rewarded?

12. Making the book: Pages involved
Frontispiece (picture)
Half title page
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Dedication page
Title page
Copyright page
Text of the story

13. Frontispiece – select a picture; logo

14. Half-title page (title and author)
Title of Book
Your Name

15. Foreword Man always needs a hero to solve his
problems and believe in powers greater than himself to help him as he journeys through life.

16. Acknowledgements
This book thanks Joseph Campbell for the studies he conducted which resulted in the text, Hero with a Thousand Faces, and his own personal quest for knowledge that has helped all who enjoy the stories of heroes to venture into fantasy.

17. Dedication: You decide to whom you wish to dedicate your book.
I dedicate this book to ______ because __________.

18. Publisher (make up one)
Title Page
The Title of the Book
Your Name
Publisher (make up one)
Place Published

19. Copyright page Library of Congress Cataloging
Copyright © 2006 by Your Name
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalogue Number:

20. Type the text
Begin to type your story describing the village and the birth of your hero. Tell his fate.
Then begin to tell the problem that hits his village. Be very descriptive.
Include all of the requirements of the quest.

21. Contents after (post) the text
Glossary – dictionary
Index – locator
Bibliography – list of books
Appendix – graphic organizer or map of your quest

22. Glossary - have five words in alphabetical order from YOUR text and their definitions.
Able – qualities to complete a task
Baraki – home of the hero, Glaterer
Jedds – enemies of Baraki
Moltan – King of Baraki
Zerean – the holy book of the Barakians

23. Index – same five words in alphabetical and page on which they appear.
Able – 2, 5
Baraki – 1-3
Jedds – 2-5
Moltan – 1, 5
Zerean – 1, 4-5

24. Bibliography – list this book
Campbell, Joseph. Hero with a Thousand
Faces. Princeton, New Jersey:
Princeton University Press, 1968.

25. APPENDIX – Map or Monomyth

26. Set up- your paper Go to WORD File Page set-up Landscape OK
Go to Format
Columns 2 OK
Template is in your digital locker
Students set up their paper in class. They
went to their digital locker and found epictemplatefullpage. I made a template for students to use. They just have to fill in their name, title and publication information. They also need to dedicate this book to someone. They can finish the bibliography page from the information in this PowerPoint. They cannot do the index or glossary until the epic is completed.