Storybook Plan

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I am creating a storybook with a twist on Dante's Inferno. Obviously, this project will rely heavily on the original story. I want to learn more about the circles themselves: why Dante chose these specific categories, how he brings those circles to life for the reader, etc. By taking a deeper look at the story and its meaning, I'll hopefully gain a much better understanding of the text. I could also benefit from looking back at past storybooks to see if any of them inspire me.
There are definitely some components that I want to keep in my story. For example, Dante encounters several characters from other mythologies throughout the nine levels of hell. That is definitely a way I can convey the theme of each of my recreated circles. However, I want to give the story a much more modern twist, which might be a little hard considering how long ago it was written. That obviously starts with the plot itself. Because of the time constraints, I unfortunately won't be able to recreate all nine circles (and for that matter, I'm not sure I'd be able to). I plan on presenting a 21st-century twist on the first three levels of hell.
I'm going to be using more current wording in my stories to make my characters a little more relatable. I'm going to need to change the writing as well as the language the characters employ. One of my journalism professors told me to write as if your audience has an eighth-grade reading level, and by keeping things simple, I'll be able to give a clearer depiction of this new hell.

Main project source: Dante's Inferno.

Looking forward to throwing my twist in this man's epic tale!