writing introverts and extroverts and why it matters

Characters, like people, have personality types, thus they must be introverts, extroverts, or ambiverts (meaning can be both at different comfort levels). As writers, we have to know what our characters are to make them realistic, and doing so can make a more dynamic social scene in your writing.

For example, having an extrovert (Person A) and an introvert (Person B) clash due to Person A having a need to fill the comfortable silence Person B enjoys will create a conflict that can drive conversation and character development. Conflict furthers your story and, in this scene, can spur colorful words from Person B, while Person A may not understand why the other character is so irritated. This is why introverted or extroverted matters; we interact based on being an introvert or extrovert all the time. It influences us far more than we think because it influences where we get our energy from and what exhausts us.

Since I've now said the words introvert and extrovert without definition way too many times, let's go into what these words actually mean for your characters.

Introverted people, in the general sense, pull from long term memory when speaking and already have stimulated minds (so, they are comfortable in their inner worlds). They are mistaken for being "shy" and don't always fit in with the rest of society, mostly because our society is built for extroverts. They speak less in public and more one-on-one or in small groups. Extroverted-introverts do exist and may appear to be extroverts, but all introverts need quiet alone time to recharge. Often, introverts communicate better in writing than they do verbally.

Extroverted people, generally, pull from short term memory and are stimulated more by people around them than their mind (or inner world, rather). They fit in better and come across as more leadership material. They are often popular and extremely social. They can come up with a verbal response quicker than most introverts. They may have trouble writing and be better at verbal expression, in some cases. They can greet strangers at a loud cocktail party and be entirely in their element, while silence can make them uncomfortable.

Introversion and extroversion are a spectrum, so keep in mind your characters can have aspects of both. There is also an introverted-extrovert (extrovert that can be mistaken for an introvert).

Creating characters, conversation, and interactions in the story may depend on where they are on the spectrum. For example, an introvert on the extreme end will be irritated and go slightly insane when they are given no alone time, thus can be testy and curt to other characters. This will influence the moods of their friends and set off cause-and-effect dominoes if they are also harshly sarcastic and cold to people around them. A middle-of-the-spectrum introvert may be able to handle more social time than the previous introvert I described. They may get slightly cranky, but won't be so bad. An extrovert on the extreme end will have no issues with having no alone time, but may have plenty of issues being alone.

There are boatloads of research on this topic, and I could go even deeper, but this post can only be so long and I can write more blogs on different aspects of this at another time. As usual, if you want to hear about anything specific (guns, personality types, body types.....etc) comment below.

Hope you had a good Easter! He is risen!