Being introverted can mean that we are badgered by many negative feelings and emotions. Most social situations make us feel very uncomfortable and sometimes even fearful. This is because we are so afraid of criticism and to be humiliated in front of others. But this need not be the case. You could change your mind-set from always expecting the worse, to simply lightening up and accepting what is. Introverted writers all have to create a safe haven for ourselves. But before we can create this safe haven, we have to get to know ourselves and what paralyzes us completely. Here are a few things to consider when creating your safe haven: • If public speaking is really painful for you, skip it and self-promote via Skype. You could also self-promote online and present online workshops. • If traditional publishing scares you with all its querying and intense competitiveness, then self-publish. There are so many online opportunities to self-publish that there is no excuse not to look for that option if you are really paralyzed by the thought of sending out manuscripts. • If meeting people in person scares you, meet them online on Facebook and Twitter. These are all possibilities and you can ensure that you still meet people and sometimes even the right people to be the best writer that you can be. However, introverts have to remember one thing: sometimes we have to challenge ourselves and do something outside of our comfort zone to grow as writers and individuals. Introverts are especially prone to doing things that don’t scare them because they want to maintain control. But this only makes us stagnant and we won’t evolve and grow. So, once in a while, introverted writers should do something that will be a bit uncomfortable but so that we will grow over time. If we always do the same things over and over again, we will probably not grow and we will not only remain the same but we will constrict. So, we try not to do that. Instead, we should try to challenge ourselves once in a while, and do something different. Try it! Irene S. Roth