Writing Your ENTP Debater

With a sample story: The Tortoise and the Hare as told by an ENTP

May 22, 2025

∙ Paid

This is an experiment in point of view and character voice. In this series I’ll be using MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)—to explore how they shape the way a character tells their own story.

For writers, it’s a tool to sharpen your characters voices and deepen uniqueness.
For AI users, it’s a way to refine prompts and narrative tone… to make your AI-generated prose feel more human.
For readers, it’s a way to explore MBTI types in action, and reflect on how perspective changes everything—even in a familiar fable.

Let’s find out what happens when a classic tale gets filtered through a new lens.

🐢 The Original Fable: The Tortoise and the Hare

A hare made fun of a tortoise for being so slow. The tortoise challenged the hare to a race. Amused, the hare agreed and sprinted ahead, confident of winning. Halfway through, he grew bored and decided to nap. The tortoise, moving slowly and steadily, passed the sleeping hare and crossed the finish line just as the hare awoke and dashed forward. Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

📝 Retelling: The Hare as an ENTP

Of course I made fun of him.

I mean—look at him. That shell. That shuffle. The whole vibe is “retired librarian with a grudge against movement.” So when he challenged me to a race, what was I supposed to do? Not make a scene?

Come on.

It was performance art. The crowd needed a show. I needed a break from boredom. Win-win.

I exploded off the starting line, obviously. Left a cloud of dust and admiration in my wake. But halfway through, I hit this patch of sun-dappled grass and—well, wouldn’t you know it—it whispered my name.

“You’re miles ahead,” it purred. “Take a breather. Tell a story. Dream a dream.”

I obliged. For the narrative, of course.

You see, it’s not that I forgot the race. It’s that I got distracted by the possibility of everything else. What if I started a podcast? What if I launched a motivational brand: “Fast Starts, Faster Finishes”? What if this race was just the beginning of my redemption arc?

I was deep into drafting slogans when the gasp hit.

The tortoise was almost there.

I scrambled up, heart thundering with ideas and panic, and tore down the path—but too late.

He crossed the line with that annoying look of humble triumph. Like he hadn’t just single-handedly murdered comedy and spectacle.

The crowd went wild.

They said he won.

I say he narrated a tragedy. I gave them tension, drama, a narrative twist. He gave them a lesson in sleep aids.

But it’s fine. Really.

Because tomorrow?

Tomorrow I race a squirrel.

And I’m bringing snacks, a mic, and a live audience.

Compare this story with other types:

📚 If You’re Enjoying These Fable Retellings…

You might love my speculative short story collections under the Echoes of Aesop series.

Each book takes one of Aesop’s ancient fables and explores its themes through original speculative fiction—experience these timeless stories from the viewpoint of mermaids, vampires, ghosts, and aliens while they struggle to survive in settings that include desert caravans, space stations, haunted mansions and alternate realities.

Available now on Amazon.

💡 MBTI Lens: ENTP – The Visionary Trickster

Commonly called “The Debater,” “The Trailblazer,” or “The Innovator,” ENTPs are quick-witted, idea-rich, and always ready to flip the script. They thrive on challenge and chaos, often turning conversations into performances. Known for charm, adaptability, and a relentless curiosity, ENTPs chase novelty and resist anything that feels like a cage—even success.

Core Traits: Quick-witted, curious, debate-loving, irreverent, idea-driven

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