Seven reasons why introverts are drawn to writing

Writers often spend hours upon hours alone researching, reading, and creating drafts. Although it hasn’t been proven in any kind of scientific study, it could be argued that writers are generally introverts. They enjoy connecting with others through written words, which can be less draining and stressful than having a face-to-face interaction. As author John Green said, “Writing is something you do alone. It’s a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”

Here are seven reasons why introverts are drawn to writing and make great writers:

1. Writing gives us time to reflect. Writing allows us to construct solid thoughts, rather than spewing out thoughts as fast as they fly through our mind. It’s a more organized method for relaying our ideas at a controlled pace, allowing us plenty of time to give meaning and context to what we’re saying. Mary Walton, creator of the blog Simple Grad, writes, “We’re all told to think before we speak, but not all of us follow those words of advice…the added bonus of writing is that it gives you a buffer of time to think, edit, rewrite and change what you were going to say.”

2. Writing our thoughts is less intimidating than speaking them. Introverts don’t like the spotlight. In fact, anything we can do to avoid it, we’ll do. When we write, we get our thoughts out without having to put ourselves physically out there. We can express ourselves freely, without being intimidated by a room full of eyes staring back at us.

3. We’re very aware of our surroundings. Introverts are generally great at reading people and have a keen awareness of our surroundings. We see the small details that others might miss, and we might pick up on the finer points of situations and conversations. When you’re writing, all you’ve got are your words, so you need to use them to fully convey the intricacies of what you’re saying.

4. We’re great listeners. Introverts tend to listen intently while someone is speaking, and we aren’t waiting to interrupt or throw our two cents in. “We introverts are the ideal listeners,” writer Carol Wise told me. “We’re content to sit back and listen.” As we listen, we gather tons of information that can provide us with a continual fountain of creativity.

5. Alone time is our favorite time. All an introvert wants is to be left alone (at least for a little while). We aren’t afraid of solitude. Because writing takes so much quiet reading, research, and actual writing, by its very nature, it requires you to be alone. Introverts thrive on running solo, so this makes writing a perfect pastime (or career) for us.

6. We can finally express all the ideas we have built up in our minds. Some people have no problem voicing their thoughts on everything to anyone who will lend an open ear. But, for introverts, getting our thoughts out isn’t always that easy. It can be a frightening thing for an introvert to engage in a conversation with someone they don’t know well, even if they have amazing things to say. “Because [introverts] are such keen observers, they’ve usually got lots of thoughts floating around in their heads, just waiting to get out there. Writing lets them do that,” writer Amber Coburn told me.

7. Writing is fun for us. Not everyone enjoys putting pen to paper—or fingers to keyboard—but for many introverts, writing is a fun way to release our creativity.

Not everyone is a great public speaker, or even comfortable having a face-to-face conversation. But introverts can use the traits of their nature to their advantage when they write. Writing makes it easy for introverts to be creative and participate in the conversation. So, if you enjoy your alone time, are an observant listener, and have something to say, writing might just be your calling.

http://introvertdear.com

INFJs are perfectionists, which often causes them to struggle with their own failures. When they make mistakes INFJs can be unbelievably hard on themselves. They will often punish themselves for a long time, feeling like they could have done better. This can cause the INFJ to feel bottled up, and have a hard time moving forward with projects. Sometimes they will refrain from trying anything new, simply because they are afraid that they will fail once again. This can be a struggle for INFJs, and is certainly something that they need to work on. It is important for them to be around people who help them to forgive themselves for their mistakes.

INFJs are usually excellent at communication, especially when they are doing this through writing rather than verbally. INFJs can often end up being the mediator between two people, since they are skilled at finding ways to bridge the gap of communication. They can often see where people are misunderstanding one another, and find out a simpler way to help them understand. INFJs are not always the most chatty people, but what they do communicate is very well thought out. They like to take a step back and process things sometimes, which can make their written communication much better than verbal. When they are given time to think things through, they will have plenty to say.

INFJs need plenty of alone time in order to recharge their batteries, and will often retreat into themselves for long periods of time. They have very rich inner worlds and they can often spend hours just pondering the thoughts inside their head space.

Sometimes it is Easier to Write it, Than it is to Say it

INFJs often have a beautiful symphony of words inside their mind. These words fall together and explain their thoughts in a perfect way, but it isn’t always easy to speak those things. They can struggle with finding ways to explain themselves to others verbally, but are often skilled at putting things into writing. Sometimes it is best for an INFJ to have the time and patience to sit down and write out what they are thinking, rather than being forced to speak out their thoughts and feelings.

INFJs can definitely be perfectionists, which often lends to their procrastination. Their need to make sure things are done to the highest standards will often cause them to be fearful of finishing a task. They will feel like their task is not complete, since it isn’t perfect yet. The INFJ will sometimes stress about getting something done, but will almost always complete the task at hand. They might leave it until the very last minute, but that sense of urgency is often a great inspiration for them. Without that sense of stress on a project, the INFJ may not find the need to get it done.

Thoughts on writing ~

In my mind, a story plays out like a beautiful movie, full of dramatic effects, the equivalent of CGI. It is a visualisation of a tale that my heart sings to. I live it, breathe it mentally, over and over. The film is a personal pleasure that I decided to share because I fell in love with the characters and concept, and hoped that others would too. Being new to writing, the difficulty was translating that exact imagery on paper as knew nothing of the craft. I divided the visual into parts, a book series because it was too epic to tell in one piece. When writing it almost feels like I'm directing scenes. The story is already planned out from beginning to end of all the series, of course, the plots twist and more layers are later added as certain characters/aspects grow. I love it when that happens. It just comes to life. The part I dread is structural editing. I often wonder if I'll destroy the feel by heavy editing. It's trial and error all the way. There are some parts I wish that I left in the first book, but will rectify in a later edition. For example ~ Bea's background of her mother, a small piece, but relevant, and the scene of memory concerning Brandon and the past. These little pieces were edited out so that word count could be lowered and because I didn't worried too much of info-dumping. Jonathan's lengthy conversation was deep in science, creation, and the cosmos, but was told that it would've been taken readers away from the main story. I guess this is where mastering 'the craft' comes into play by adding those elements/messages via clever interweaving between lighter areas, so not to bog down the immediate story.

As you know, I'm editing book two, and feel, for an unknown reason, that my flow is slow. Mainly, I guess, it's a mixture of juggling with everyday life with not being happy with the beginning chapter, which, I keep re-writing, and keep doing so until the time that it feels right.
I WILL (determined) complete by summer. 😉

Love and light,

Trace

xox