I is for Introversion

Extroversion is often defined as having a personality that is energized by interaction with others. Therefore, it makes sense that introversion is the opposite of that: interaction is draining for the introvert. I’ve written about this a few times before and have given it some thought. The thing that seems to be overlooked is the fact that introversion and extroversion are on a continuum. Some people are more introverted or extroverted than others. 

It is assumed that all writers are introverts. Who else could stand to be alone for *hours* while writing? That’s a comment that an extreme extrovert would make. But really, I think writing is simply a profession in which its employees are circumstantially alone. On average, I think writers are near the middle of the continuum and maybe a little to the extrovert end. Writers like community and support. They like hanging out together. The internet has let writers be more social than they ever have been.

Is it easier to be a writer if you’re an introvert? Well, if you’re so much of an extrovert that you can’t be alone, writing might not be your best career choice. But if you’re on my level of being an introvert, it’s not a day in the park either. The social aspects of the writing (the business, the marketing, the networking) are daunting. It goes past the realm of fear into the realm of exhaustion. More than I’d like, I feel the need to spend my energy budget on being social instead of spending my energy on writing. It’s not a pleasant place to be.