Writing Extroverted Characters: 7 Things You Should Know
A few months ago I published a post about how to write introverted characters. People read it. People liked it. People wanted me to write a post on extroverted characters. I told people no. Because why would I, an introvert, write a post about extroverts when I know somebody far more qualified? I wouldn't. That is why, today, I'm excited to share a guest post with you written by the highly talented, highly extroverted Harley Rae. She has 7 great points to share about writing extroverts, so sit back and soak in her awesomeness:
You don’t read about a ton of extroverts. In my opinion, introverts are more common than extroverts in works of fiction. You want to know why? Because most writers are introverts. And a lot of writers base characters off of their own personality. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say ALL writers are introverts and that they should be. I’m saying that most authors I’ve met are introverts. Personally, I’m an extrovert. As you can see, I’m also a writer. For those of you introverts that are having trouble writing a character who is an extrovert, I’ve written down a few pointers so you can do it right! (I think I’ve said the words “introvert” and “extrovert” way too many times).
1. Not all extroverts are mean. I’m sick and tired of hearing about mean extroverts. Just because we like to talk, does not mean we like to be mean. My Dad and I were discussing this topic earlier, and he made a really good point: All bullies are extroverts, but not all extroverts are bullies. Think about it. You never meet a shy bully. It doesn’t work. But, you do meet nice extroverts. That totally works.
2. Extroverts are alert. This may be a minor thing, but I thought I’d mention it. The four character traits of an extrovert are sociability, talkativeness, excitability, and alertness. I thought it was interesting that alertness was included. But then I started thinking about it. We are always looking for more attention (I know that sounds conceited but we do it anyway), which requires being alert. We have to stay on our toes to find the nearest crowd, especially us short extroverts. That may just make sense to me… I might be delusional.
3. Extroverts LOVE to talk. It’s good to have a lot of dialogue in your story. Make your extrovert talkative. If you have a character who is an introvert, make it so that the introvert likes listening to the extrovert. For me, personally, I love it when people are willing to listen to me. I mostly talk about fangirl stuff, so my family tunes me out all the time. When someone is willing to listen to me it makes my day!
4. Extroverts enjoy exploring new things. Extroverts like to explore. Make your character WANT to try things. Readers like exploring new places in books. As a avid reader, I know I love to hear of new places and things. I think your readers would really like it if you included some exploring.
5. They’re not always confident. Trust me, I doubt myself, a lot. Extroverts sometimes make really stupid decisions. I’m not saying we’re stupid, but everyone makes a bad decision once in awhile. It’s really funny when you’re reading about a very sarcastic character who, in the middle of a battle, makes a stupid decision. Then they make sarcastic comments to cover up their stupidity.
6. Extroverts aren’t always natural leaders. Just because we like being around people, doesn't mean we want to lead them into battle. It would be fun to read a story about a leader who is an introvert, and their best friend is a extrovert and enjoys following them into battle.
7. Extroverts like making people laugh. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I can rule the world when a group of people actually laugh at my jokes. I love reading about a sarcastic character. Percy Jackson is a perfect example of a sarcastic extrovert. He is also very sassy, but that’s off topic.
Well, that’s all of the pointers I can think of. If you have any more, I would love to hear them. I hope this helps you write the perfect extroverted character! Thank you for reading!
Did you like this post? I'm sure you did. If you want to get more of Harley Rae, go subscribe to her blog and follow her on twitter. It's not a requirement, but choosing not to do so will go down as a Poor Life Decision. We all have enough of those, so don't add to the list. Go follow her. And leave a comment below telling us about your favorite extroverted characters, your favorite tip, and any other favorite things you want to tell us!
Related Articles:
Writing Introverted Characters: 8 Things You Should Know
7 Cliche Characters in YA Fiction That Need to Stop
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every week!
You don’t read about a ton of extroverts. In my opinion, introverts are more common than extroverts in works of fiction. You want to know why? Because most writers are introverts. And a lot of writers base characters off of their own personality. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say ALL writers are introverts and that they should be. I’m saying that most authors I’ve met are introverts. Personally, I’m an extrovert. As you can see, I’m also a writer. For those of you introverts that are having trouble writing a character who is an extrovert, I’ve written down a few pointers so you can do it right! (I think I’ve said the words “introvert” and “extrovert” way too many times).
1. Not all extroverts are mean. I’m sick and tired of hearing about mean extroverts. Just because we like to talk, does not mean we like to be mean. My Dad and I were discussing this topic earlier, and he made a really good point: All bullies are extroverts, but not all extroverts are bullies. Think about it. You never meet a shy bully. It doesn’t work. But, you do meet nice extroverts. That totally works.2. Extroverts are alert. This may be a minor thing, but I thought I’d mention it. The four character traits of an extrovert are sociability, talkativeness, excitability, and alertness. I thought it was interesting that alertness was included. But then I started thinking about it. We are always looking for more attention (I know that sounds conceited but we do it anyway), which requires being alert. We have to stay on our toes to find the nearest crowd, especially us short extroverts. That may just make sense to me… I might be delusional.
3. Extroverts LOVE to talk. It’s good to have a lot of dialogue in your story. Make your extrovert talkative. If you have a character who is an introvert, make it so that the introvert likes listening to the extrovert. For me, personally, I love it when people are willing to listen to me. I mostly talk about fangirl stuff, so my family tunes me out all the time. When someone is willing to listen to me it makes my day!
4. Extroverts enjoy exploring new things. Extroverts like to explore. Make your character WANT to try things. Readers like exploring new places in books. As a avid reader, I know I love to hear of new places and things. I think your readers would really like it if you included some exploring.
5. They’re not always confident. Trust me, I doubt myself, a lot. Extroverts sometimes make really stupid decisions. I’m not saying we’re stupid, but everyone makes a bad decision once in awhile. It’s really funny when you’re reading about a very sarcastic character who, in the middle of a battle, makes a stupid decision. Then they make sarcastic comments to cover up their stupidity.
6. Extroverts aren’t always natural leaders. Just because we like being around people, doesn't mean we want to lead them into battle. It would be fun to read a story about a leader who is an introvert, and their best friend is a extrovert and enjoys following them into battle.
7. Extroverts like making people laugh. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I can rule the world when a group of people actually laugh at my jokes. I love reading about a sarcastic character. Percy Jackson is a perfect example of a sarcastic extrovert. He is also very sassy, but that’s off topic.
Well, that’s all of the pointers I can think of. If you have any more, I would love to hear them. I hope this helps you write the perfect extroverted character! Thank you for reading!
Did you like this post? I'm sure you did. If you want to get more of Harley Rae, go subscribe to her blog and follow her on twitter. It's not a requirement, but choosing not to do so will go down as a Poor Life Decision. We all have enough of those, so don't add to the list. Go follow her. And leave a comment below telling us about your favorite extroverted characters, your favorite tip, and any other favorite things you want to tell us!
Related Articles:
Writing Introverted Characters: 8 Things You Should Know
7 Cliche Characters in YA Fiction That Need to Stop
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every week!
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