The Extroverted Writer

As a follow-up to Kate’s post here on introverted writers, I want to talk about the extroverts among us. Not that there’s much more to say; she covers it fantastically.

Because the physical act of writing is usually such a solitary activity, I think the typical image of a writer is the hermit alone in the woods, removed from society…

Nope, sorry.

Speaking as a writer of fantasy, that’s just not realistic if I want my stories to be at all relatable to anyone else. (That’s a whole other post.) Whether I like it or not, I have to go out and interact with real, live people. But you know what? I think that part can be a lot of fun.

No two artists approach their craft the exact same way. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; the trick is in finding our own and playing to them. Most extroverted writers I know wear many hats: actor, musician, EMT, to name a few. Consequently, they bring that diversity and complexity to their stories. Extroverts are not better or worse writers than introverts; just different. Which is good for me, as I am completely neutral between the two.

A lot of the world — at least Western society — has a biased preference for extroverts, so maybe those who identify as introvert are digging in and carving out their niches. The problem lies in the misconceptions perpetuated about both sides.

Quite frankly, I don’t get it. Some people are energized by social interaction, some by solitude. That’s it. The end!

Certain quirks and personality traits tend to be attributed to one side or another: extroverts as loud, outgoing, and boisterous; introverts as quiet and shy. But those aren’t always the case. We all  worry about meeting new people, about making fools of ourselves; we all feel shy and insecure at times.

I’ll let you in on a not-so-little secret: whatever you are, it’s ok to be exactly that.