How Does Your Personality Type Affect Your Writing?

We’ve all heard of the introvert and extrovert personality types, and ambivert refers to a fairly even mixture of the two.  So in what ways do these personality traits affect an author’s writing?  I recently read that finding out where you are on the personality spectrum can improve your writing skills by helping you recognize your strengths and weaknesses as a writer.  

This raised my curiosity, so I took a quick (and I’m sure not very scientific) personality test online.  It confirmed what I already knew - that I am an introvert - and provided the additional detail that I am an ISTJ Introvert(41%)  Sensing(44%)  Thinking(19%)  Judging(44%), for whatever that’s worth.  (Interesting that ‘thinking’ is my lowest percentage!)

It generally appears that introverts desire quiet concentration, while extroverts find energy by being around other people.  Therefore, introverts may prefer to work alone, while extroverts may enjoy working in writers’ groups and generating ideas through discussion.  Check.  I like to work alone and the thought of working in a group is daunting to me, although I’ll admit that I’ve never tried it.  Working in a group may be something for me to explore.  

(I might not mind working with my cat.)

Another trait of introverts is that they may generally find it difficult to ask for feedback, while extroverts value oral feedback on their writing.  Check again.  

Further, introverts might generally follow a typical structure, such as outlining, while extroverts may write with little planning.  No check here.  I am a “seat of the pants” writer or “pantser,” so have never used an outline - at least so far.  Maybe I have a little extroversion in me, after all!

I also wonder how being an introvert or extrovert affects the characters an author writes.  Does an introvert write best about introverted characters, or can an introverted writer use her characters to break out of her own personality type and live like an extrovert through a character or two?  I feel like my cat detective character, Li’l Tom, is pretty extroverted, so perhaps I live vicariously through his exploits.  (I also wouldn’t mind living like a cat, but I don’t think that will ever happen.)  I am currently writing a mystery involving four women as the main characters.  I know how I think of them in terms of personality, but am not sure how they might come across to readers.  Perhaps it’s time for me to learn how to do the extroverted thing and ask for feedback.  

Finally, being an extrovert might be an asset these days since a writer is often expected to be a public speaker, and a marketer and promoter of his work.  I’m always up for a challenge and usually won’t turn down an opportunity to speak in public when it presents itself, although I’ve never been too comfortable with it and am usually a bundle of nerves before and during.  They say practice makes perfect, but the nervousness has never gone away for me.  

What do you think?  How does your personality type affect your writing and your characters’ personalities?  Do you find it nerve-wracking to speak in public at book signings, conventions, etc., or does it come naturally?

Angela Crider Neary is an attorney by day and writer by night. She is an avid mystery reader and especially enjoys reading novels set in interesting locales. She was inspired to write her first mystery novella, Li'l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos, by one of her favorite areas in San Francisco, Telegraph Hill.  Her second book, Li'l Tom and the Case of the New Year Dragon is now available.  To learn more, visit her on Facebook and Amazon.