I am an introvert. 

When you read these words, how do you hear them? Does it somehow sound confessional, as though I am admitting a personal failing? In truth, many people feel this way. It’s no wonder, given a wider culture that celebrates the charismatic, externally confident individual.

I felt this most clearly in my early twenties when a colleague pulled me aside and chastised me for being so socially aloof.  “You need to come out with us in the evenings and weekends. It’s unhealthy for you to lock yourself away in your room reading Book or watching movies alone. This is not what a mature adult does. Don’t be such an introvert!”

Needless to say, coming from a co-worker who I considered a friend, I was crushed. He was right that I spent a lot of time alone both inside and outside of work. And being honest with myself, I was too socially isolated.  However, something didn’t settle right with me as I considered his words. And in a twist of fate, his use of the word “introvert”, despite it being thrown in my face like an insult, became the catalyst for one of the most significant changes in my life up until that point. The moment he was done talking to me, I turned and headed directly to my office, turned on the computer and did an online search for the word “introvert”. When I discovered what it meant (and didn’t mean), I was liberated. It freed me to be who I was in health ways.

Thankfully the culture we live in is finally beginning to celebrate us Introverts. Through this better understanding and open affirmation of our giftings, introverts are receiving more opportunity and freedom to live and work in ways that makes the most of who we are. This is exciting for me, especially as a Writer. The wonderful thing about the writing world is that it is a place where introverts are no strangers.

In my experience, writers tend to be a group where the introverts outnumber the extraverts. After all, when we think about writing, we often picture ourselves in our favorite writing corner—be it at our desk or in a local cafe—working by ourselves as we do what we love: writing. Without question, writing is a lot of work. Yet, as an introvert, doing so alone also energizes me. It gives me life!

The good news is that introvert writers can also be wildly successful while not compromising who they are. Consider Pierce Brown, author of the New York Times best-seller science fiction “Red Rising” Trilogy. When he released “Red Rising”, the first book in the trilogy, he was working as a page at NBC and living in the garage of a former professor. Now, his books have made millions, with moving rights auction off in the seven-figure range.  We might assume that such a meteoric rise was the result of a charismatic extravert, but Brown put those assumption to rest:

“Anyone who writes books is at least mostly an introvert. It’s amazing to be able to share that internalized part of myself, that little world that no one really knows about. I just wrote down it down on a piece of paper just to be crazy, and people loving that is so strange.”

John Green, best-selling author of such blockbusters as “The Fault In Our Stars” and “Paper Towns” (both adapted into major Hollywood films), shared a similar sentiment:

“Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”

Green has been a significantly influential person in my life as a writer (and in general). His openness about his introversion is liberating, while the way he also maximizes use of social media to remain connected to fans is challenging.

Finally, there are few better example of a successful, self-admitted introvert writer than the great J.K. Rowling, author of the historically successful Harry Potter books. In the now famous story of how she came up with the idea for the series as she was commuting on a train, Rowling remembers desperately looking for a pen to write down the idea. Not able to find one, she spent the rest of the trip imagining this new world and it’s magical characters. It could be said that her unwillingness to ask a stranger for a pen required her to spend the time in her imaginings, resulting in the master pieces we all enjoy today.

There are countless examples of amazing writers who are also introverts. Not only can we draw inspiration from their success, but we can also glean from their examples ways in which we can utilize our introversion for the betterment of our craft, as well as learn disciplines to do what needs to be done even when we are uncomfortable or not naturally inclined to such choices.

I am an introvert writer.

When I write these words, I don’t share them as though they are a confession of weakness. Rather, I write them as a confident declaration. I am proud of who I am and the absolutely unique contribution I bring to the table, including (and sometime especially) being a introvert. I hope you can find ways to be a better, more confident and unapologetic introvert writer.

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