What’s an Extrovert to Do?

I just returned from Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and there was much talk about how most writers are introverts, people who prefer solitude and who are somewhat uncomfortable in big crowds.

I don’t know what they’re talking about! I am an off-the-charts extrovert, and my wife says I’ll talk to anyone. At writers conferences, I make friends standing in meal lines, waiting on group meetings, walking to classes, sitting outside . . . well, you get the picture. Writing can be hard for me for this very reason: I’d rather be cutting up with someone somewhere rather than sitting alone writing. God does, indeed, use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.

One thing that has always fascinated me about this introvert/extrovert conundrum is Genre Night. BRMCWC (I’ll say it again—Pat, we need to buy a vowel) started this now-annual event a few years ago, and, quite frankly, I have found it a bit weird.

For those who are uninitiated, at Genre Night, writers/conference attendees dress in costume based on the type of writing they do or their current project, march across the stage, and explain their genre to the audience.

Even as an extrovert, I never thought it sounded fun. Until this year.

I had never participated in Genre Night because (1) it’s hard to dress up based on what I write (What does a humorist/freelancer/blogger/general writer-for-hire wear, anyway?) and (2) I don’t own a velvet gown, a Klingon costume, nor any authentic 18th century garb (shocking, I know).

In the lead-up to this year’s event, attendees were blowing up the conference Facebook with their dress-up plans, and one lady even offered to loan items from her costume stash. All that talk got me thinking about joining the parade, but what could I wear?

I thought of my favorite t-shirt, featuring Snoopy wearing glasses, a dress shirt and tie and holding a pencil. I like to say it’s “Joe Cool Carlton.” I spotted a wild-looking Hawaiian shirt my son got me for Christmas one year. I had been “saving” it to wear for a special occasion, so why not? But I needed something to top it off.

Sometimes being a children’s pastor comes in handy. I have a multi-colored beanie with a plastic helicopter blade on the top, held up with a pig. Perfect! I also found some googly-eyed nerd glasses for good measure.

I knew I would have to get on stage and explain my genre, but what if . . .

As a humorist and an extrovert who needs people to notice him, I didn’t want to say, “I write humor.” Combined with my silly costume, that might get some chuckles. I’ll say it again—I WRITE HUMOR. I wanted to go for the belly laughs. We had to wear our costumes to dinner, and I got many comments and curious looks. Then, my moment came to walk onstage and explain myself.

“My name is Carlton Hughes, and I represent . . . Amish romance.” A hush fell over the crowd for a split second, as if they were thinking, What? Then, the kicker.

“I actually write humor.” The crowd exploded with laughter.

The rest of the week I met lots of people who wanted to know this crazy guy. One of the conference directors even yelled, “Amish Romance!” each time she passed me. My job as an extrovert in a sea of introverts was done. Through it all, I learned God makes us all different, giving spice to life. He needs loud people like me to entertain the quiet ones.

Now, what to do next year?

Carlton Hughes wears many hats—some serious, some goofy.

By day, he’s a professor of communication at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he does object lessons and songs with motions as Children’s Pastor of Lynch Church of God. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul and several devotional books from Worthy Publishing—Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and the soon-to-be-released Everyday Grace for Men. Carlton and his wife Kathy have two college-age sons, Noah and Ethan. He is on the planning committee for Kentucky Christian Writers Conference and is a year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas child.