The oldest recorded story is an epic tale of adventure. It's fraught with passion, death, battle and love. It's a tale of a heroic journey. And in this regard, it's pretty much like every other epic story.
The ancients loved their epic adventure tales. Hercules, Gilgamesh, Beowulf and their ilk continue to capture the imagination and inspire new retellings of their stories. But when it comes to modern storytelling, is writing an epic an epically bad idea?
The Long, Long, Long Tale Of…
Epic tales, whether they come from the ancient Middle East or J.R.R. Tolkien, tend to have some elements in common. There is usually a hero who is often tested, and frequently. There are dragons to slay, unusually metaphorical but sometimes actual (looking at you, Beowulf). Action, adventure, romance, good versus evil...you get the idea.
But epic tales often have yet one more thing in common: they’re long. Like super long. Like the fourth Harry Potter book long. And if there’s one thing traditional publishers don’t like so much, it’s publishing super long books.
Self-publishing is a perfect way to get your epic story out there without worry about rejection from traditional publishing houses. The success of stories like the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones series proves that super long, epic tales still capture the public's imagination. There is still an appetite for these adventure tales that are packed with plot, characters, failures and triumph.
Unleash your long tales and tell epic stories, because the modern writer has one huge advantage over all those who have come before: you can publish whatever type of story you want on your own and put your work out there for millions and even billions to read. So when it comes to publishing houses...luckily, you don't really have to worry about pleasing them at all.
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Hi Jade,
ReplyDeleteNot sure I'd class my novel as epic, but it's certainly long!
Alias Jeannie Delaney is the life story of a devastating cowgirl who's the fastest gun in the west and also bisexual. The premise is her struggle for acceptance.
Jeannie's roles through life are cowgirl, outlaw leader, jailbird, deputy sheriff, rancher and mayor.
The story is in six parts and spans forty five years, beginning in 1865 and ending in 1910.
I'm uncertain whether I'd class the story as epic, but it's certainly long. I'm three quarters of the way through editing it with the fabulous help of my mentor husband, and I'm hoping to finish this year or next, and publish on Amazon.