I stumbled across a video from someone who was talking about four different communication styles. And that got me to thinking about writing styles. Writing, after all, is a way of communication. We’re just communicating in written form, rather than speaking. So today, I am going to make an attempt to take what I gleaned from this video and apply it to the world of writers.

I tried to link in the video, but I kept getting an error. I want to credit this person for inspiring today’s post. The video was titled “How to Talk to ANYONE (Once You Know Their Color!)” by Vinh Giang.

RED AS A WRITER

Red is direct. This is a writer who likes to get right to the action in the story. They aren’t going to do the “slow burn” approach. I doubt they find tons of backstory, heavy description, or side chatting to be all that interesting. Their dialogue is probably more direct. You won’t get a lot of thoughts or actions around the speaking. And most of what the characters do add directly add to the plot. You won’t find much fluff here. This makes me think that these writers’ stories are probably shorter as a result.

As a marketer, I think these writers probably get straight to the point and say, “Hey, I have a book out, and here it is.” I doubt they want to linger around social media for long, and they probably are more interested in strategies to market (more than hanging out and chatting with people online). So I’m thinking ads might be a strength for these people.

Readers are not likely to find these stories boring. In fact, for readers who don’t have much spare time on their hands, these writers are perfect. They deliver a good, solid story in as few words as possible. This kind of writer also pleases readers who like a the story that flows at a steady pace. If we were on a road trip, this writer would take you directly from Point A to Point B. The story starts with a bang and continues the momentum the entire way through. On the flip side, of course, there will be readers who’ll think the story feels rushed. These readers want to take at least one stop from Point A to Point B.

YELLOW AS A WRITER

This writer excels at marketing. People are drawn to them. They are the talkers. They make people feel heard and comfortable. They care about people, and it shows. These are your extroverts. I suspect this type of writer would rather market a book than write it. (It boggles my mind that these people exist, but they do. I have talked to them, and they truly do an awesome job of promoting their books without even saying, “I have a book to sell you.” They are the stars of social media. Truly, their energy for being around people is a gift because it is hard for some of us–like me–to even know what to post.)

My guess is that this type of writer loves to add in extras to their stories. I read a book by a yellow years ago and remember the characters having long conversations where they were simply playing games and engaging in witty banter. The focus was more on enjoying who the characters were and how they related to each other than adding anything directly to the plot. So we can think of these types of writers like taking a road trip where you stop to check out the sights along the way. Those sites don’t just have to be character’s conversing. It can be a side plot that doesn’t do much for the main plot. The main thing is that you relax and enjoy the ride. While I believe these people will write longer stories than reds (overall), their love for having the book out to market will override their urge to linger too long in the story.

GREEN AS A WRITER

This is the writer who will give you the slow burn kind of story if that’s what you’re looking for. This writer loves to start in the character’s ordinary world before the conflict comes into play. So we get to see the life before the pivotal moment when everything changes. They will give you backstories, lengthier dialogue sections with the character’s thoughts and feelings inserted throughout the conversation, and they might give you tons of description if that adds to the atmosphere they’re going for. So if we were on the road trip with this writer, we would not only take stops along the way, but we would also spend a night to spend significant time at these stops. If you want to dip your toes in the water and smell the flowers along the way, this is your type of writer. The downside is that this type of writer will feel boring to readers who would rather just get to the plot.

For this writer, keeping up the connection with past characters is fun. They will often do series, but even if they don’t, you’ll find Easter eggs across different books to clue you in that all of these characters co-exist within the same world. Their stories tend to be longer because they are enjoying all of the time with these characters. They hate to say goodbye. While finishing a book is key to being able to share it with the world, it’s a bittersweet experience. (But that’s why they keep bringing back past characters.)

This is a very pleasant writer to engage with, just as yellow is, but green isn’t the center of the stage. Green is more of the encourager. Their interactions online will be friendly and warm, and they are sincere, but they are more likely to focus on the other person rather than talk about themselves. They probably don’t share much of their personal life. They probably don’t like to market at all but are on social media because they have to let the world know they exist so people will find their books. Their strength is more in line with making sure they have links available in their profiles (or perhaps books displayed in their icon or headers). They will mention when a book is out, but they would rather be writing than spending time marketing.

BLUE AS A WRITER

This type of writer loves spreadsheets. They love numbers. They will run ads and take note of every keyword and the exact Return On Investment they get from them. They know exactly how many books they sold and where. They excel in details. If you want a book that is thoroughly researched and detailed, this is your kind of writer. If you take a road trip with this writer, you will see some of the sites along the way to the destination, but each spot will be something that has to do with the story in some way. You’ll learn the history about something you didn’t know before. You’ll know what material makes up their outfits or how they decorate their home. These writers get lost in the research and forget to keep writing the book. For readers who love description and accuracy, this is this your kind of writer.

They like their work thoroughly edited. Simply hearing, “I enjoy the book,” from a beta reader won’t work. They want things they can change or do better. They want specific feedback. They are perfectionists. They want every word to mean what it says. They are careful with punctuation. They watch their dialogue to make sure it’s on point. In some ways, they are like reds as far as getting to the point, but they also enjoy some of the immersion in the story that lets you soak in the experience, too. While all writers are sensitive about criticism, the degrees of this sensitivity varies. Reds bounce back pretty fast. Yellows have tons of support to get them back on their feet. Greens will practice self care to get back in the groove. Blues, however, are hit the worst and have the hardest time getting over it. The reason it hits them the hardest is because they are their own worst critic. (Remember, they are a perfectionist.)

TO SUM UP

This is why I don’t believe we can tell every single writer that they MUST write or even market a certain way. The writing and marketing styles that best mesh with each writer matters. If you can figure out what color you are as a writer, it’ll probably help you moving forward. Now you know why you do what do you. More importantly, you know who you should listen to when seeking advice. For example, if you are a yellow, the red’s way of doing things will not work for you. There might be some lessons you can glean from them, but only take the things that best align with your strengths. You aren’t trying to please every reader. You are only trying to please readers who are “yellow” readers. Another example, if you are a green writer, and a blue writer is telling you that you need to monitor Amazon ads, you don’t have to do that. Those numbers don’t motivate you like they motive the blue writer. Just have a general idea of where you are. That’s good enough for a green.

Your strengths matter. Knowing those strengths will help you. There’s no point in trying to be someone you’re not. I know it sounds cliche, but you’re better off being the best “you” that you can be.

Also, if you are a reader who is reading this, this probably explains why some authors appeal more to you than others. Even if people agree that they love the same genre, there’s bound to be some authors who seem to “wow” you while other authors aren’t your cup of tea. Your personality matters as much as the authors’ personalities do. A book is a transaction between two people. Sometimes that transaction works, and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s okay. You don’t have to like every book you come across. Just enjoy the ones you do.