Are You An Introverted Writer?

What I love about being a writer — WRITING.

What I hate about being a writer — promoting myself.

“Please stand, and tell us about yourself.”

Let’s imagine the scenario: You’re at an event, or on a tour, for work, or school, or perhaps even a social gathering you thought would be a good idea. Everything is going well. The people are great. The food is even better. You feel like you’re finally getting the hang of this socializing thing. You even start thinking that you might say yes to the next one. Then, just as you’ve started to relax, someone announces: “Let’s get to know each other. Please stand up one at a time, and tell us a little about yourself.”

Just like that, you regret ever leaving the house that morning. You wish, beyond all wishes, that you could go back in time and say no. Sadly, these things happen, no matter how much we try to avoid them. They’ve happened to me, although mine was worse — “Stand up and do a dance that best represents you.” I’m not kidding — may the ground swallow me whole. Have you ever seen the dance of the introvert? Of course not.

Why Introverts Hate ‘Tell us About Yourself’

For some, this wouldn’t be a big deal. They’d simply stand up, tell the group about themselves, and sit down. They might even throw in the odd joke. Easy.

For others, people like you and me, it can feel as if the world is about to end. Every insecurity swims to the surface, and you become consumed by the hope that you won’t make a fool of yourself. For me, my brain shuts down, and everything that was once so easy for me to talk about is forgotten.

“Hi, I’m Christine, and I’m…” What? I’m nervous? Angry? Insecure? About to cry? “…a writer,” I blurt and hurry to take my seat. They don’t need to know more.

Why was this such a big deal? Why did I worry so much? Why couldn’t I do a simple task which other people had done with ease? Why were my hands shaking? Unfortunately, due to my overactive mind, I would spend half the time worrying about what I was going to say, and the other half hoping I didn’t make a fool of myself. In other words, I wouldn’t hear a thing anyone else said. This isn’t an ideal situation, and it’s certainly an unnecessary one. We do it to ourselves, don’t we? Well, try telling that to my mind, to my shaking hands, to my desire to be left alone.

Public speaking to me is like eat your broccoli to a child.

I would love to stand up in front of a crowd and talk freely, but my body betrays me the moment I’m the centre of attention. My legs shake, my hands tremble, my face turns red.

I would love to be one of those people who feel nervous, but don’t look it. Instead, I’m up there shaking like a Polaroid picture. It’s why I avoid all forms of talking in front of crowd (and yes, a crowd, for me, constitutes of more than four people). If there’s a way for me to get out of speaking in public, I’ll be the first to volunteer. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and life has a funny little way of making you do things you don’t want to. Public speaking is not just standing up in front of hundreds of people. It can be standing up in a group of strangers, or even standing up in front of friends. There’s simply something about having everyone’s eyes on you that causes all introverts to panic.

How to Make It Easier for Introverts

While we can’t always avoid it, it would be great to see more leaders and event organizers take introverts into consideration. Most of the time, introductions like this aren’t beneficial, and most of what is said is forgotten within minutes. There are other ways of getting to know one another that doesn’t include singling people out, and most people enjoy a more casual way of getting to know one another. Introductions don’t have to be forced, so please remember that when putting your next event together. The more relaxed people are, the more likely they will be to return.

What to Do When It’s Unavoidable

So, what do you do when public speaking is thrust upon you without prior warning? Do you run away? Do you hide under the table and consume an entire bottle of wine? No, of course not. You might not be able to control your situation, but you can control — to a degree — the way you deal with it. There is only one way to deal with a situation like this, and that is to keep it simple.

“Keep it simple, stupid!” K.I.S.S is an acronym devised by the U.S Navy in 1960. Other variants include, “Keep it simple, silly,” “Keep it short and simple,” and “Keep it simple and straightforward.” Either way, the premise is the same. If you’re ever in a situation where you need to stand up in front of a crowd, just remember this phrase. Don’t complicate things by trying to come up with something interesting, or unique or funny. You’re only going to cause even more stress for yourself. Take a deep breath, be concise, and remember that most people are more worried about what they’re going to say than what you are. If there’s one thing the online community has taught me, it’s that there are more insecure people out in the world than we realize.

Keep it simple, fake it until you make it, and remember that you’re not alone.