Opening November 2026
Pharos
Terminal
You teach. Pharos Terminal provides lessons relevant to today’s world.
By Zac Northup, writer, historian and researcher.
Screens from Pharos Terminal, with a sample student and sample data.
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Reality Writes! · Premium project-based curriculum
Your student writes and publishes a book.
Research a real moment in history. Write the novel. Publish the book. A self-paced curriculum that ends with a paperback novella of 18,000 to 25,000 words, published on Amazon.
- 17 modulesFrom choosing a subject to launch day.
- 26 weeksAbout two semesters, self-paced.
- 18,000–25,000Words: a complete historical novella.
- PublishedA paperback on Amazon, through Kindle Direct Publishing.
From a real subject to a real book.
Research and writing come first. Then the manuscript becomes a book.
- 1
Choose
Pick a real historical subject.
- 2
Research
Build a research plan and source log, and read the masters: Steinbeck, Hemingway, Poe and London.
- 3
Write
Draft the novella, 600 to 1,000 words a weekday, then edit, peer review and finish it.
- 4
Design
Create the cover and lay out the pages in Adobe Creative Cloud.
- 5
Publish
Proof it through Amazon KDP, publish the paperback on Amazon, then launch it.
Seventeen modules. Two semesters.
The words are your student’s own. AI may not invent plot, character or theme, and a finished draft holds no more than 5% AI corrections and edits.
- Weeks 1–2Modules 1–2Choose a real historical subject. Build a research plan and source log.
- Weeks 3–5Module 3Read short novels and stories by the masters.
- Weeks 6–7Modules 4–5Logline, synopsis, outline and a look at the market.
- Weeks 8–13Module 6Write the draft, 600 to 1,000 words a weekday.
- Weeks 14–17Modules 7–9Edit, peer review and final draft.
- Weeks 18–24Modules 10–15Cover, layout, Amazon proof and formats.
- Weeks 25–26Modules 16–17Marketing plan and launch.
Who it’s for
Intended for 11th–12th graders, and advanced students no younger than 8th grade, who are ready to research, write and publish a full-length novella. They work on their own, with a parent or mentor signing off each module.
Reality Writes!
$495One payment. One family license. The complete 132-page PDF, all 17 modules, templates, checklists and sign-off sheets.
$295 for Pharos Terminal subscribers
Includes all 17 modules online in Pharos Terminal, plus the PDF. A Pharos Terminal subscription already includes Modules 1 and 2.
Pharos Terminal · Opens November 2026
Dynamic lessons. Every week.
You teach. Pharos Terminal provides lessons relevant to today's world, and keeps your records while you do.
- 1
Discover
Nexus Points: real events worth teaching, each scored 0 to 100 for your student by Teaching Value.
- 2
Teach
Ready-to-teach lesson packets in nine subjects, tagged to West Virginia standards, plus Reality Writes! Modules 1–2.
- 3
Track
The parent tracker logs lessons, hours and work samples, then builds your year-end portfolio.
Get the Free WV 2026 Election Lesson Pack
Four lessons that use West Virginia’s 2026 general election as a case study: the ballot and Amendment 1, your districts, the results and the canvass. Grades 7–12. Strictly nonpartisan.
Free from Pharos Terminal. Every fact comes from an official record, and nothing in it endorses or ranks a candidate or measure. We'll email you a link to confirm your address, then send the lesson pack straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
Books by Zac Northup
Novels & Short Stories
Stories of America, born from real-world experience. In audio, print and eBook.
In the AshesIn the Ashes
A World War II Thriller
Stories From Middle AmericaStories From Middle America
The Short Story Collection
REMNANTREMNANT
The Boreasby Blueprint
Through the Fading DarknessThrough the Fading Darkness
Fading Darkness Series, Book One
Beyond the Fading DarknessBeyond the Fading Darkness
Fading Darkness Series, Book Two
Winter's GhostsWinter's Ghosts
Fading Darkness Series, Book Three
Meet Zac · Founder of Pharos Terminal
Writer, historian and researcher.
Experience over theory, for families who teach at home. Zac Northup writes and publishes curriculum for homeschoolers, micro-schools and learning pods. You teach; he provides the material.
- A published writer since 1996, under his own name and for ghostwriting clients.
- Novels, short stories, novellas, academic curricula and ghostwritten family histories.
- Publisher and managing editor of National Guard Review, 1996–2003.
- M.A., History, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
- Most recent commission: a family history for former U.S. Representative David McKinley, covering 1650 to 1783.
Ghostwriting and heritage research
Ghostwriting, heritage research consulting and military memoirs.
See services ›Pharos Terminal opens November 2026.
For homeschoolers, micro-schools and learning pods with students in grades 7–12. Apply for the beta, or see the Reality Writes! course.
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© 2026 Zac Northup. All Rights Reserved.