03-04-2024 |10 Minute Writing – Fortress Fiction
In this 10 minute writing session, MJ writes A Grobug Tale Chapter 15 – Part VII.
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Slowly Building My Amnesiac Character’s Personality Through Dialogue
Rewritten from transcript by Claude (https://www.anthropic.com)
As an author chronicling my writing journey, I believe in the power of sharing my process, warts and all. In this 10-minute writing session from March 4th, 2024, I focused on fleshing out the personality of Hopper, the amnesiac protagonist of my middle grade novel-in-progress, A Grow Bug Tale.
The scene snippet I wrote features Hopper conversing with some Critterbots, a tiger-like creature named Cinderstripe and an owl called Gale Hoot. Cinderstripe accuses Hopper of scaring some local residents, which perplexes our memory-challenged hero. His genuine confusion and timid attempt at clarifying the situation help reveal his gentle, non-threatening nature.
While the session itself was punctuated by interruptions and less-than-ideal circumstances (the bane of any writer’s existence!), I’m pleased with the character development groundwork I laid. In earlier chapters, Hopper was understandably lost, shocked and reactive to the unfamiliar world around him. But in these lines, glimmers of his true personality poke through.
My goal is to show Hopper evolving from a bewildered blank slate to a valued member of the Critterbot Guardians, only to have that newfound security stripped away again. Faced with yet another round of navigating the unknown, I want readers to recognize his growth through the different choices he makes this time. It’s a journey of resilience and self-discovery.
Interestingly, I’m envisioning a parallel arc for the kid character partnered with Hopper in this book. I believe I outlined it somewhere, though the details escape me at the moment. Drawing parallels between their internal and external struggles could add some satisfying thematic layers to the story.
Of course, all of this only works if I carefully craft Hopper’s voice and actions in these early scenes. So even on days when the writing feels like pulling teeth, I need to trust the process. Bit by bit, my protagonist is becoming a living, breathing, multi-faceted character readers can root for. The interruptions and imperfect conditions are just part of the deal.
Let me know in the comments – how do you push through distractions and writer’s block to keep your story moving forward? Do you focus on dialogue, action or introspection when you’re first getting to know a character? I’m always eager to swap tricks and commiserate about the unglamorous parts of the writing life!
If you enjoyed this sneak peek at my novel-in-progress, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update. I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes looks at my writing and revising process, as well as diving into the kidlit and fantasy genres in general. Let’s geek out together!
And of course, if you’re craving more writerly wisdom, fictional deep dives and geeky goodies, head over to my website. I’ve got enough content to keep you procrastinating for days – but pace yourself! Your own characters need you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to bring them to life too.
MJ Muñoz 