What Was Before Dark? |SOE 2

What Was Before Dark? |SOE 2

Author: MJ Munoz April 19, 2023 Duration: 19:15
Full Show NotesWIPWhat is the status of my current projects: progress made, length of time on the backburner?ActiveGrobug Series – 5 Books PlannedManuscript Completed: Books 1 and 2Drafts Completed: 0Drafts to Start: Books 3-5Outlines Started: Book 3, sort of. I have one outline paragraph written for the book.Outlines to Start: Books 4 and 5.Next Action from 09-27-22 : make text descriptions and thumbnail sketched for all 32 pages.Actions Taken by 10-07-22: I made a copy of the text document and formatted it for the descriptions and sketchesNext Actions: make descriptions and sketches for Grobug Book 1.Follow-Up
  • Research Crowdfunding
  • Make Crowdfunding Proposal
  • Send to artist
  • Negotiate Rates and Terms
Back BurnerMTM – Breastfeeding Book for big brothers and sisters. (2 Weeks)MTM – Next actions to publish: make text descriptions and thumbnail sketched for all 32 pages (2 Weeks)Fantasy Dragon Book – Manuscript may need revision. On hold.Lessons LearnedWhat did I learn from the world of story this week?
  • I need to learn to be a funny writer. It seems like Inoue treats writing like a game in some ways. He plays with the structure of the show, the characters and the situations in such a way that it is entertaining, even when it isn’t serious or important. The fact is: this is fiction and while stories matter, the only ones that count are the ones that stick with you. I think all the fun I have had with Donbrothers will cause it to stick in my mind for a long time. [Donbros 31]
  • Is it artistic integrity to do something you want to do as the author even if the audience will think it is dumb? Maybe, it is definitely gutsy, and I do admire that. In other words, be bold and make choices you like, even if some of our audience will balk at them. [Fuuto PI 10]
  • Make sure your cast and setting match each other well. The author is in control and can right size the elements so they all flow well. You have to make choices and stick to them, even if it is hard. [Geats 05]
Fabula Ex MachinaPart brainstorm, part drafting out loud.Prompt: Make a Creation story for my Super Hero universe.Approach it with the question, what was before dark?Listen to the episode to hear the straining of the creative process.10-09-2022 – Before the Dark89 Words5 MinutesMentioned
  • The Bible
  • The “Bet” at the start of the Torah Scroll
  • Masculine and Feminine traits of the Divine
  • Physics
  • Conservation of Matter and Energy
  • Shotaro Ishinomori

Hosted by aspiring author MJ Munoz, Fortress Fiction is a quiet space built for anyone fascinated by the architecture of a good story. Here, the focus isn't just on what happens in books, films, or television, but on how those stories are built from the ground up-the careful craft of making a reader or viewer invest in something they know isn't real. Each episode feels like a shared notebook, where MJ studies narratives of transformation and heroism, breaking down what makes them resonate. You'll hear his personal reflections on the creative process, reviews that dig into the mechanics of storytelling across different media, and chronicles from his own writing endeavors. This podcast is for those who find equal magic in a perfectly turned phrase, a compelling character arc, or a well-framed scene. It’s an ongoing conversation about the alchemy of art, offering both analysis and a candid look at one writer’s journey to build something meaningful, sentence by sentence.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 156

Fortress Fiction
Podcast Episodes
The Book of Three Chapter 11: Taran Grows Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Chapter 11 of The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander isn’t the most exciting chapter in the book, but it may be one of the most important.After everything that’s happened, Taran finally has a moment to reflect. Gwydion is…
How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps Book Chat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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I usually dislike first person narration in fantasy books. But Andrew Rowe’s How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps completely won me over.In this Fortress Fiction book chat, I talk about why this Zelda-style fanta…
The Book of Three Chapter 10 On Lore and Lineage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:49
Chapter 10 of The Book of Three is packed so densely with lore, lineage, and quiet setup that I had to listen to it three times—and I still found more to unpack.BONUS CONTENT - https://mjmunoz.com/2026/02/06/the-book-of-…
The Book of Three Chapter by Chapter 9 |CXC44 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:15
What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 9 by Lloyd Alexander?#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTIONSOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/04/24/cxc44/SOE CATALOG -…
The Book of Three Chapter by Chapter 8 |CXC43 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:08
What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 8 by Lloyd Alexander?#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTIONSOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/04/18/cxc43/SOE CATALOG -…
The Book of Three Chapter by Chapter 7 |CXC42 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:13
What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 7 by Lloyd Alexander?#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTIONSOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/04/04/cxc42/SOE CATALOG -…