Lauren Sapala

Category: Introverts, INFJs, and INFPs

  • You Really Want to Be a Writer. So Why Do You Have So Many Problems Actually Writing?

    You Really Want to Be a Writer. So Why Do You Have So Many Problems Actually Writing?

    Being a writer is hard work, any writer can tell you that. But what many writers won’t tell you is exactly how deep their writing problems go. There are countless writers out there who deal with constant guilt and shame around the writing process. Either because they’re not writing very much, or they’re not writing at all.

    Sometimes these writers can admit they have a bad case of writer’s block, and sometimes they just think they’re bad writers and writing is something they should give up on. Usually, when a writer has gotten to this point, they’ve tried everything. They’ve used different writing plans and schedules, made outlines and lists and writing maps, and they think about writing all the time and how they can conquer their writing problems.

    But still, when it comes time to sit down and write, the writer procrastinates. Or, they make themselves sit down but are filled with anxiety and dread. They freeze, get overwhelmed, and then become paralyzed, and another day goes by without any writing being done at all. (more…)

  • Most Introvert Writers Are Doing Social Media All Wrong. Here’s the One Big Thing They’re Missing.

    Most Introvert Writers Are Doing Social Media All Wrong. Here’s the One Big Thing They’re Missing.

    I was on the phone with a client yesterday while we talked about her marketing strategy for her new book. She told me she was on Instagram and posted there regularly, but she found it draining and was also having a bit of anxiety about how present and available she was able to be on the platform. Readers had reached out to her with positive feedback about her book, which was great, but she was feeling the pressure to have conversations with all of them. As an introvert, this was quickly becoming exhausting.

    Luckily, I’ve seen this very same problem countless times before with introvert writers on social media. The solution is one quick pivot in mindset about how to approach social media as an introvert author, and that one quick pivot changes everything. (more…)

  • The 3 Biggest Writing Problems for INFJ Writers

    The 3 Biggest Writing Problems for INFJ Writers

    All writers have problems with writing at one time or another, but writers who are also of the INFJ personality type tend to have a very specific set of problems when it comes to writing. INFJ writers don’t always link these problems to their personality type, but each one of them is rooted in their temperament as intuitive, emotionally-centered introverts. Once the connection is made, that’s when the INFJ writer can begin to overcome them.

    Here are the 3 biggest writing problems an INFJ writer struggles with: (more…)

  • The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Writer’s Block

    The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Writer’s Block

    Writer’s block comes in many different forms, but two of the most common types are procrastination and perfectionism. All writers struggle with one or both at some time during their writing life, but some writers struggle more than most, to the point where one or both of these conditions feels utterly paralyzing and the writer never finishes (or even starts) any creative project, ever.

    For the writers who struggle with severe procrastination, or severe perfectionism, they also experience a sickening feeling of shame that accompanies the writer’s block that’s causing them so much trouble. They assume that they’re not motivated enough, or that they need to try harder, or “just get over it.” However, if the procrastination or perfectionism is of the severe type (and not just experienced occasionally or fleetingly), then the roots of the block go much deeper than most writers suspect. (more…)

  • INFP Writers and the Constant Struggle to Focus

    INFP Writers and the Constant Struggle to Focus

    The INFP writers I work with report one big problem to me: they can’t stick with one creative project. INFP writers will frequently get a really great idea, start the story, and then a week or two later they find that they’ve lost interest. Then they try to double down on their efforts to stick with it and force themselves through it. But it doesn’t work. They not only end up feeling like they killed off what little interest in the story they still had, but they also feel guilty and ashamed because they “failed” again.

    They couldn’t stick with a project to the very end.

    However, what most INFP writers don’t know is that it’s not a lack of willpower that’s the problem. The real problem is resulting from the fact that they’re trying to get themselves to work in a way that isn’t natural or right for them. They’re trying to force themselves to follow the mainstream methods for learning and creating that they’ve always been taught to follow. But what no one ever told them is that those mainstream methods absolutely do not work for INFP personality types. (more…)