Do you have to be deep and introverted to write well?

Describe a typical writer, and you might imagine a quiet, bespectacled person hunched over their laptop, tapping earnestly into the wee small hours.

(Me?  No.  I may be quiet and bespectacled, but I’m always asleep by 11).

You probably wouldn’t imagine a lively, warm, and chatty person with ADHD.  So if you are one, you might find it hard to believe that you’ve got what it takes to write regularly and well.

At least, that’s what a new mentoring client explained to me this week.  She is all of the above, and she also had a great idea for a book.  But she’d contacted me because she was worried she might not have “the right personality” to be a writer.

Even though she’d already written a full and interesting book proposal.

You don’t have to be an introvert to be a good writer.

Introverts draw their energy from being alone, preferring to think things through in their own minds rather than discussing them with others.  Extroverts draw their energy from being around other people, chatting and sharing ideas.

(You could also be an ambivert; someone who has a balance of both qualities).

As an introvert myself, I enjoy working with extroverts.  I seek them out when I’m looking for coaches and mentors, and when I talk to them about writing it’s always mesmerising.  Most extroverts are naturally open and enthusiastic without needing a mental warm-up; something I both love and admire.

Introverts and extroverts both have qualities that help good writing along.

We just don’t hear as much about extroverted writing habits.  That’s because they’re not half as romantic as the stereotype of the deep, mysterious artist who pours their rich inner life into their work.

But because extroverts don’t necessarily need ‘quiet time’ to write, they’ve got the potential to get a lot more done.  They’re sociable people who draw energy from buzzy environments, so they will often talk their ideas into being before – and even as – they write.  As such, they might skip the painstaking planning stage altogether.

(When I mentor extroverted writers, the first session is mostly spent talking.  A lot of introverts like to spend it on quietly creating a plan to work from).

Introvert or extrovert, there’s usually an area where we need a little extra writing help.

Introverts (like me) often need regular, gentle pushes to keep going.  We get lost in our own minds, our thoughts and feelings become entangled, we lose our emotional place, and we grind to a halt.

Meanwhile, extroverts tend to need help with structure and staying on track.  The ideas, energy, and motivation are there, but the direction may not be.

(I’m saying “often” and “tend to” here because everyone is different).

A few writing tips, for extroverts

• Sum up your writing project in a sentence and keep it visible. This will help to keep you on track when you go off on wordy tangents!
• Find a writing ‘buddy’ or join an online forum to discuss ideas and keep you motivated.
• Write somewhere with a sociable background hum, like a coffee shop or shared working space.

A few writing tips, for introverts

• Clear your crowded mind by emptying it into a notebook. Re-read what you’ve written and work with the ideas that speak to you loudest.
• Design a simple structure for your writing project, and try to work with changes instead of letting them throw you off track.
• Create a dedicated and comfortable space to write in.

Don’t worry about writer-stereotypes.  Just write, your way.

It doesn’t matter how other people like to write, or what everyone else thinks a writer should look or be like.

As long as you’re writing, you’re doing it right.

(If you’d like a little help and encouragement along the way, just ask).