Introverted vs. Extroverted and How it Affects Your Writing

I spent the majority of my life confused why I loved being the center of attention, but would become increasingly irritable the longer I had the spotlight. It wasn’t until about a year ago that I learned introverted doesn’t mean “one who hates people and attention.” An introvert simply needs to be alone to be rejuvenated.

Think of it this way. When you’re at your wits end with life and work and whatever else, do you crave going out to a party or sitting with a group of friends chatting? Or would you rather curl up with a good book and some tea? Not to say you can only ever choose one. I love a good friend dinner as much as anyone else, but when the dinner is over, I just want to be alone for a bit. I’m drained.

Knowing whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert can affect your writing. Since I always thought that my love for attention made me an extrovert, I tried to be social while writing or studying or reading. I thought that trying to be productive in my parent’s living room while they chatted and watched TV was best for me and my personality. And then people started to tell me I was angry, that I was always lashing out for no reason and they never knew why. Well, there was a reason, and that reason was that I was and am very far from being an extrovert.

If you want to write well you need to know yourself, and that starts with what you like and don’t like, and what rejuvenates you and drains you. If you’re writing at Starbucks for an hour and you feel like you just ran a marathon, and it wasn’t because of your writing, then maybe you need more or less people around you (depending on your chosen Starbucks). I’m all for killing your darlings (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/371112-kill-your-darlings-kill-your-darlings-even-when-it-breaks), but if your reason is because you’re in a bad mood based on your surroundings, you may want to live and let live.

My challenge to you this weekend is to analyze yourself. How do you feel in a crowd of people? Do you want the party to continue or do you want to take a break? How can you implement this knowledge into your writing habits?