Before We Begin...

If you're new to the epic genre, you should probably know a few things before reading about Trendy Gal. As defined in most dictionaries, "epic" pertains to a poem or poetry narrating in lofty style the achievements and adventures of a hero.

If you've read "The Iliad" or "The Odyssey", then you're familiar with classic Greek epic poetry. Other epics include "The Song of Roland" and "The Epic of Gilgamesh".

Common in most epic stories is a larger than life hero who brags. Bragging was considered a heroic thing back in those days, and if you had bragging rights, you were supposed to use them. Heroes also often called upon the gods to help guide them. Never mind that they were almost superhuman, heroes always asked the gods for succor. Heck, even the narrator of the epic tale called for help from the Muses.

Epics typically started in medias res*, which is Latin for "in the middle of things". That is to say, the story doesn't start at "the beginning". The hero is already a hero; the conflict has already started. It's a little bit like a James Bond movie starting as he's finishing up another adventure.

Additionally, epics were always on a grand scale. Great lands and a lot of traveling were usually involved. Sometimes even the sky and the sea were in on the action. And monsters - woohoo!

But probably the greatest thing about an epic is the way it's written. Epics were usually passed from generation to generation through oral tradition, so epics were made to be easily memorized. They were lyrical, rhyming, and alliterative.

If you know the meaning of the phrase "iambic pentameter"* and "heroic couplet"*, then you know what I'm talking about.

...continue to The Epic of Trendy Gal