What kind of writer are you?

Knowing where you land can help you keep going in a crisis

Today I spoke with a co-worker about how many visionaries we had both worked with (and for) over the years. We’ve both been in some form of education and/or publishing for at least 10 years, so it was refreshing to hear that someone else understood what it’s like to work as a helper or a communicator in a visionary’s world.

How does this relate to writing?

I think that all writers have an element of visionary in us, but we don’t all major on vision, blue sky ideas, and broad strokes. Some of us write snippets, create adverbial phrases with passion, or choose the just-right analogy for that vocabulary word that doesn’t exist (and which your readers wouldn’t know its meaning even if it did exist).

Knowing where you fall on the continuum of writerly types can help you in (at least) two ways:

1) It will show you how to stick with the writing when you’re meandering, doubting, checking your social media comments too often (or crickets, as the case may be), or genuinely wondering if the pursuit of writing itself — for writing’s sake — is enough.

2) It will help you figure out how to land the plane when you’re stuck. We all have moments when we have been circling the air space of an article, a novel, or a blog post, and we. can’t. quite. get. there. Knowing how we are wired as writers helps us define the answer to “what next” when we might otherwise flounder. (See No. 1.)

So, down to the nitty-gritty. What kind of writer are you?

1) Are you a skydiver?

2) Are you a cliff jumper?

3) Are you a GPS through-hiker?

Skydivers are those who need an idea. They need a little encouraging word, a curious question, an interesting news story, or a historically passed-down family fable. Give these writers the inkling they need, and they will take off running.

These writers may take that seed and turn it around until it resembles something that’s completely different than the original. But that is okay; these writers thrive on inspiration of all forms: images, thoughtful quotes, hilarious but true life moments. They will turn that sad story into a teachable moment. Just you wait and see.

Cliff divers are the writers who have no idea where they’re headed. They simply begin. These people don’t need a big push to get going. They usually have the intrinsic motivation to start with a simple assignment, a big-idea storyline, or a historical review.

They may not realize what they’re writing, however, until much further along in the process. These authors can honestly say (every time) that they have no clue what they’re doing. They just figure it out along the way. Often, these writers need to take a very thoughtful, even methodical, approach to editing because their risks in writing need to be evaluated with refinement later if they’re hoping to resonate with the intended audience of readers. (But they should not let fear of the editing process hold them back while writing.)

Our GPS through-hikers have a very clear plan, and they’re sticking to it. While these writers know the mapping of their story or the pitch before they’ve even written a word, they can sometimes put the proverbial cart before the horse if not careful.

These friends are so decisive about where their writing is headed, they can react strongly to anything that threatens to derail the course of intended action. If they overhear a beautiful conversation that seems fitting for one of their characters, these writers may not necessarily connect the two if that kind of conversation does not fall into the prescribed plan.

So these writers need to temper careful planning with fun, whimsy, and comedy whenever possible. Throw in a joke, take a character somewhere unexpected, or include a passerby who gets more attention than is warranted.

Once you’ve identified which type of writer you’re most like, think about how your wiring…

* motivates you or demotivates you.

* is helping you or hindering you?

Make a list of things you do well because of your writerly type and a list of ways you are repeatedly challenged by your type.

Now, lay aside the list. Remind yourself that writers are usually too insular anyway and this is not meant to pigeonhole your entire process. It is meant to be an asset as you begin again each day with your calling to put words on paper.

And consider this:

What is one thing you can do today to work WITH how you are wired?