How to Write a Youtube Script

Just like mentioned in the last post, very few are successful by looking into a camera and becoming Youtube famous. It takes careful and deliberate work with some planning. After deciding what topic to cover (and there should be a focus), the next step is writing a script. Both stories and documentaries require writing down what words will be used to convey a message. Despite what might be believed, even "reality shows" are carefully crafted for maximum entertainment possibility. At the least there should be an outline to shape what goes into a video.

There might be a question of why a script needs to be written instead of staring into a camera and saying what is on your mind. It is assumed all this will be edited, cut down, clips added, and all will be fine. For a daily life "vlog" this might be acceptable, but it is also time consuming. Putting down what will be said saves a lot of time in the post-production stage. Why go through hours of tape when less can mean more time for other final touches? Having pre-made scripts can also sharpen the message by thinking about what is really essential. It smooths the edges, streamlines the presentation, and shapes into a story structure.

Start by making an outline of the topic or write down some questions that will be answered. At this point you are trying to create a focus. What exactly do you want to talk about? How are you going to present the information on video to the desired audience? How much do you actually know or might need to research some more? It is better to have everything mapped out rather than discover serious problems later. Casual video making is the only exception to this step. A serious Youtuber will not allow chance and hope for the best.

There are at least four parts to a good video script, similar to the five part paragraph taught in school when writing papers:

The Hook: This is where you attract attention and get people watching. It might start with bringing up a question needing an answer. There might be a shocking or startling revelation about you or your topic. A joke gets laughs that make a positive connection. Be sure the hook is equal to the whole presentation or the audience might feel cheated.

The Introduction: Some Youtubers have one and others don't, but if chosen it acts as a type of branding. Use it to tell your name, the company affiliation, the general channel topic, and any call to action such as subscribe. Most importantly is to keep it short. Even a majority of modern television shows barely use this anymore.

Body: Here is where the meat of the video comes in, of course. Take the outline or list of questions and expand on them. Keep the words at a minimum, saying only what is needed to avoid boring the viewers with rambling. Don't forget this is a visual medium. Storyboard what will be seen and edited in with or without using pictures. Think of it as a play with stage directions; something like exists and entrances, and scene changes.

Finale: This is the wrap up. Give final thoughts. Remind the viewers of the main points. Have a "call to action" inviting the audience to do something: subscribe, buy, comment below, etc. For an ongoing series, tease the next video by explaining what to expect.

Once finished, put the words in a teleprompter format to read off  into the camera. Maintain a consistent voice throughout the whole script. A serious topic might require maturity, but that is not a requirement. The script, however, should not sound serious one half and filled with jokes during other parts. Remain true to the created persona. Whatever choices are made, be conversational. Viewers want to feel that the video presentation is talking directly to them. The more that is accomplished in the script, the better a response by those watching.

As a reminder, NDM Writing Service can help polish the script before recording the video. Please leave a request if needing help.

How to Come Up With Story Ideas

Probably every successful writer gets the question from someone. The more creative the writer, the more insistent the question. Where does the idea(s) for a story originate? To those who don't write, it all seems like such a mystery. For them life is one day after another of the same boring experiences. They don't realize that story ideas can be found anywhere and in everyday circumstances. All it takes is putting unrelated things together to form a new combination. There are times when a concept doesn't work out and is abandoned, but when it does come together the results can be satisfying.

A fictionalized biography of J.K. Rowlings, Magic Beyond Words (2011), tried to portray the creative inspiration for her Harry Potter book. Despite an otherwise interesting movie, the situations that sparked her imagination felt false. The movie's representation of the creative process didn't come off as believable. Too many of the inspirations were over simplified coincidences. An object or person seen for the first time doesn't suddenly become a large part of the story, although they can have an impact. There is history behind creative ideas.

The truth is most creative ideas boil together and ferment over time, coalescing into a single narrative structure after lots of thought. Before that can happen, the writer must pay attention to their surroundings or look back on long lost memories. Consider that “creative work comes from noticing. You are being given a warning, an intimation of something, and that something is the creative urge, sometimes buried deep in your subconscious . . . material to uncover there, memories and associations to explore.” (Alice LaPlante, The Making of a Story. W.W. Norton & Co., 2007. pg 36). This can take conscious work. For instance, the movie scene where J.K. Rowling sits in a café with a writing pad presents too casual an instance of inspiration. She watches two people playing a chess match and then carefully writes a scene that would become famous. In real life she would feverishly be jotting down a spur of the moment idea. She wouldn't want to forget what came to mind, and it certainly wouldn't be seamlessly flowing from the previous text of the book on the same page.

More likely she remembered playing or watching others play chess over several years. Seeing two people playing the game while concentrating on the next story idea probably brought back memories that inspired her to incorporate into the book. There is also, for those who know the scene, a hint of Alice Through the Looking Glass that came to her while devising the living chess game. The importance of one chess game are exaggerated for story telling, but distorts true genius.

The history goes that J.K. Rowling was sitting in a commuter train gazing out of the window. She came up with the idea of Harry Potter while delayed for four hours returning to London from a trip. Apparently there are those who doubt the book idea came to her while on a train, although no other credible alternative is put forward. Her explanation of when and how the book idea came to her is realistic. To be sure, it didn't come all at the moment in full bloom. The kernel probably existed floating around since childhood. Whatever set the spark to set fire on the accumulated debris, there is no reason to disbelieve a train ride set the creative blood flowing and brought the book series to life. Stephen King, another bestselling author, wrote, “good story ideas seem to come seem to come literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky; two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn't to find those ideas but to recognize them when when they show up.” (Stephen King, On Writing. Pocket Books, 2001. pg. 37). It is often during moments of reflection and boredom that daydreams can become projects given the right circumstances.

There is a common saying told to budding writers to “write what you know” as if it was a truism that could bring success. Whoever says this is either lazy in answering the concerns of new writers or deliberately wanting to avoid a deeper discussion. To become a good writer, a person should write about what they don't know. This might sound counter-intuitive, because if a writer doesn't know the topic then how can the information be accurate. Better advise would be write what you are interested in, and study if the topic is unfamiliar. The idea of fiction, for instance, is writing about not only something that we don't actually know but that is not real. Research is the busy and time consuming companion for any creative process. To write is self discovery for charting the unknown made knowable. The best words for generating story ideas is “what if” and then seeking to answer that question.

Getting at the heart of where story ideas come from; there is no magic formula. They can come from other books a writer enjoys, a dream that cannot be left alone ( like the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer), a conversation, a person's life, an experience to remember or reinterpret, a challenge accepted, new knowledge expanding old, and the list continues. A better question to ask an author, because it means having actually taken time with their work, is where did “that idea” or “that scene” come from. They will more than likely be happy to answer more specifics. Chances are there is going to be an illuminating description of the back story to the text. Still, don't be upset if the author responds a few times with “I don't know.” They probably don't. Sometimes the subconscious is a powerful tool in generating story ideas. All an artist can do is go with the creative flow. For those who are trying to come up with a story idea, it is best to ask themselves for what reason they want to write. Examine the details of past and present. Work with whatever comes comes from the answer, because that probably is the future story.