Demystifying the Introvert

All those personality tests are missing something. Labeling people as introverts
is inncorrect. They think introverts don't like socializing, have issues with talking to people, don't like meeting new people, etc.

They're wrong.

Introverts don't like wasting time. Introverts want action. Introverts are doers.

They're not going to sit around talking about the weather, but bring them to a place of shared interest and they turn on. They are bright and talkative and will control the conversation. They ask the most interesting and thoughtful questions and will have people sharing more than the usual small talk. Introverts crave interesting things.

Got an introvert in your life? Discover their passions and engage them about it. Is your introvert into Art? Auto mechanics? Theater? Books? Museums? Baseball? Football? Go there. Talk about it, visit it, find out more about it.

That's the secret.

Don't call them Introverts. Call them The Passionate. 

Writing without Fear

Found this meme and thought it really related to writing. 

One of the things that holds a lot of people back is judgement.

Am I good enough?

Will they laugh at me?

Do I really know what I'm doing?

Other writers will think my book is stupid.

My friends will think my book stinks!

I'll be embarrassed...

At some point writers have to just get over it. Some never do. Some never care what other's think. 

Today a guy I've known since I was in grammar school wanted to know where he could buy my books. (Yay!) But I can't say I didn't have that little tingle of fear that said, "Will he like them? Will he get it?" It took a moment to just brush that off and send him the link. 

The first book I put up was Soul Mates. A story about a person reincarnated as a Chihuahua who goes through a rough time to find happiness. I foster a lot of abused dogs and always wondered what put that fear into their eyes before they came to my house, so I wrote about it. I put that book up without fear because I liked the story. I didn't think about who else would like it. I thought it was a story I had to tell for the dogs.  

The next book was harder. For a long time I had to remind myself to shrug off the fear and just do what I wanted to do. Write. Tell stories. 

Stephen King once said he wanted to be remembered as a good story teller. I hold on to that because he's right. I just want to share the stories and hope they give someone a little escape and maybe some happiness for just a short while. 

Someone once said, "Courage is just fear holding out for one more minute."

So, here's to courage! May we laugh at fear and kick it to the curb while we post our stories and share our art. Some may love it, some may not, but we're too busy to notice because we're working on the next story. 

See you in the pages....