What Kind Of Writer Are You?

If you want to know what kind of writer you are, you’re in the right (write, arf) place!

I’m Lucy V Hay, and I’ve been a script editor at Bang2write for over twenty years. I’ve worked with all kinds of creatives, from people writing their first script or book to Oscar and BAFTA-nominated screenwriters and filmmakers, plus New York Times and Amazon bestsellers.

Here’s what I’ve learned: there is no single way to be a writer. Seriously! I hate ‘one size fits all’ writing advice, because I’ve honestly never seen it work.

Some people charge into a first draft and discover the story as they go. Others can spot a plot problem from fifty paces. Some know exactly who their audience is, while others won’t start until they’ve found the thing that makes the story matter to them.

All of those approaches can produce brilliant work. All of them can cause problems, too.

Why Is Knowing What Kind Of Writer You Are A Good Idea?

The screenwriting and publishing industries constantly bang on about looking for ‘strong voices’. But this confuses a lot of writers. What does it actually mean? Are you supposed to sound like nobody else who’s ever picked up a pen?

Gawd, no. That’s an impossible standard. B2W is not here to make writers feel despondent. I want to empower you!

Your voice comes through in the choices you make: the characters you’re drawn to, the conflicts you can’t leave alone, the details you notice and the way you tell a story.

Understanding your habits helps you recognise what you bring to the page … But ALSO: it helps you spot the point where your usual strength starts getting in your way. Here’s some examples of possibly issues:

If you’re great at working independently, you might wait too long to ask for useful feedback.

If you’re full of inventive solutions, you might add three new subplots when one sharper scene would do the job.

Neither problem means you’re doing writing ‘wrong’. It means you’ve got something specific to work on.

That’s what this quiz is for. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually write, especially when the draft gets tricky. You’ll discover your writer type, the strength you can use more deliberately and one habit worth keeping an eye on.

Ready? Let’s find out … GO!

Now Take The Free Quiz

What Kind Of Writer Are You?

What type of writer are you when the draft gets difficult?

Answer eight quick questions to discover the strength you bring to your writing, the habit that might be holding you back and one practical step to help you move forward.

Start Quiz

Page 1 of 8

A new story idea grabs you. What do you do first?

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be.

A. Start writing. I’ll deal with problems as they come. B. Ask what I could do with the idea that nobody expects. C. Try a scene and see what the story teaches me. D. Imagine the readers who would love it. E. Find the conflict that makes me care enough to write it. F. Work out what makes my take different. G. Get excited about everything I love in this genre, then add my own twist. H. Decide where the story needs to go and what it will take to get there.

Page 2 of 8

2. You reach the difficult middle of a draft. You …

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be.

A. Keep going. I can fix it once I have a full draft. B. Look for a solution that changes how the whole story works. C. Try a different approach, even if I’ve never written that way before. D. Remember who I’m writing for and what I promised them. E. Push my character towards the choice they’re afraid to make. F. Write the scene only I would write. G. Revisit the stories that made me want to write in the first place. H. Check whether each scene is getting us closer to the goal.

Page 3 of 8

3. Which compliment would mean the most you?

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be.

A. ‘I can’t believe you finished that.’ B. ‘I’ve never seen anyone solve a story problem like that.’ C. ‘You made something difficult look possible.’ D. ‘I immediately knew who to recommend this to.’ E. ‘Your story made me care fiercely.’ F. ‘I’d recognise your voice anywhere.’ G. ‘You reminded me why I love this kind of story.’ H. ‘I couldn’t stop turning the pages.’

Page 4 of 8

4. A reader points out something that isn’t working. Your first thought?

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be.

A. Tell me where the problem is. I’ll handle it. B. Interesting. There might be a better way to build this. C. I’ve never dealt with that before, but I can learn. D. Did I promise the reader or viewer something I didn’t deliver? E. Did they understand why this mattered to the character? F. Are they spotting a problem, or asking me to make the story safer? G. Have I borrowed too much from the books I love? H. Where did the story lose momentum?

Page 5 of 8

5. Which writing problem catches you most often?

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be. 

A. I take on everything alone. B. My clever fix makes the story more complicated. C. I keep changing my approach before I’ve given one a chance. D. I worry people won’t take my work seriously. E. I’m so close to the story that feedback stings. F. I resist advice the moment it sounds like a rule. G. I compare my draft with finished books, TV shows & movies I adore. H. I drive towards the ending and rush the quieter moments.

Page 6 of 8

6. You have two uninterrupted hours to write. What’s the plan?

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be.

A. Get as many words down as I can. B. Crack the problem that’s holding up the draft. C. Attempt the scene I don’t yet know how to write. D. Draft a scene, then sharpen how I describe the project to readers. E. Write the confrontation I’ve been building towards. F. Work on the scene that best shows what makes this story mine. G. Write the bit I can’t wait to read or watch myself. H. Make serious progress on the next stretch of the story.

Page 7 of 8

7. What do you most need to hear right now?

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be.

A. You’re allowed to ask for help. B. The simplest solution might be the strongest. C. You don’t have to know how to do it before you begin. D. Knowing your audience is a skill. E. You can care deeply about the story and still revise it. F. Keep your voice. Look honestly at the craft note. G. Your influences are a starting point, not a verdict on your originality. H. Give the characters room to change the route.

Page 8 of 8

8. Your book or script is finished. What are you proudest of?

Choose the answer that sounds most like you in practice, even if another sounds like the writer you’d like to be.

A. I saw it through. B. I found a way to make an ambitious idea work. C. I grew into the writer this story needed. D. I know exactly who it’s for. E. I said something I believe. F. It sounds unmistakably like me. G. I made the sort of story I once loved finding. H. I took readers or viewers on one hell of a journey.

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