I recently read an article
titled Ten Myths About Introverts by
Carl King. You can read it here. If you're an introvert, it might explain a few
things, like why you may sound eloquent on the written page but
babble like an idiot in a radio interview, or send awkward (even standoffish) body
language at a book signing. A lot of unfortunate, misunderstood signals going
on here.
I’m an introvert and a writer, and I’m in good
company.
Carl’s list had several
points that resonated with me, like providing insight as to why I squirm at the phrase ‘self-promotion.’ Social media tools like Twitter or Facebook are pretty non-threatening in their brevity. Blog interviews let
you blaze past all the chit-chat and small talk, and send the answers in an
email. Words like ‘media interview’ and ‘book signing,’ on the
other hand, can both excite and strike fear in your little introverted heart,
or at least drain your energy and leave you craving solitude before it’s over.
Don't misunderstand - we enjoy signing books and meeting readers, no matter what our body language may say. We're just experiencing a big learning curve.
Writer-introverts greatly
value privacy, even if it’s on the edge of the social universe. While we don’t
mind the distant drone of the coffee shop crowd, we prefer to stake out our own
little orbits. It’s not that we don’t
like people - we just like them one at a time and not when we’re on the verge
of solving a plot point. Making chit
chat is trying for some of us, but get us started about something we love (our
books!) and we’ll give you TMI about our characters.
So, what’s the problem?
This is what we wanted when we became writers, isn't it? We have a work of art that we’ve labored over
for years and we’re excited to spread the word. I’m not saying we aren’t willing and able to
follow through on what’s necessary to promote our work and build a career. We just have to work harder at it than
extroverts. It doesn’t come naturally. We really have to want it.
Extroverts just don’t get
us. Some may not even like us. Some
think we could change if we really want to. But being introverts tempers us into
the kinds of writers we are, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to
give that up.
I’m an introvert and a
writer, and I’m in good company.
What about you? Do you suffer the challenges of the introvert
writer or are you an extrovert who believes we should just hitch up our pants
and get over it?
