YouTube - The Planet's Number One Visual Encyclopedia

YouTube can be utilised by writers in different and rewarding ways for example: learning, engaging and promoting. Sifting through the YouTube portal to find pots of gold is highly valuable for the writer. The internet is vast and infinite and YouTube is no different with the copious amounts of the video library at the writer's disposal.  YouTube serves as an aid for writers seeking to extract further knowledge and mastery of particular subject matters. The following are different categories within the YouTube sphere:

Learning Resources

YouTube is an exceptional teaching tool with the vast number of channels providing information on anything and everything. We can learn about many things for our writing e.g.  different cultures, different historical eras, famous people from history, places around the world, different food, scientific, political, philosophical and economic theories, art movements, the list is truly endless. It is good to be both broad and specific when it comes to using YouTube for your own writing research.

Here are some great examples of channels which cover a variety of topics which could be useful to writers:

• Biographics

• Ted-Ed

• Top Tenz

• National Geographic

• CrashCourse

• Weird History

• Watch Mojo

• Cogito

Video Essays

Video essays cover a variety of topics and themes relating to film and television, usually picking apart the way the film conveys its subject matter to the audience. Video essays not only focus on theory behind the workings of a subject matter but also on the application of storytelling devices and film-making techniques.

Examples of channels who produce great video essays include:

• The Closer Look

• Lessons from the Screenplay

• Sage's Rain

• Just Write

• Lindsay Ellis

BookTube

BookTube is the section of the YouTube community dedicated to all things bookish. In this community, channels share their love and hate for books, unboxing of books subscriptions (usually books and book collectibles like poster and bookmarks), bookshelf tours, books on the TBR (to be read) list, readalongs, interviews with authors and publishing professionals, fandoms, upcoming film/tv adaptions of books, everything is on the table for discussion. Watching these videos gives a taste of what people are discussing, new books to be released and those book favourites which live long in the minds and hearts of its readers.

Examples of great BookTube channels:

• Amerie

• Read with Cindy

• Books and quills

• Bookish Realm

• Jesse the reader

• Jean Bookishthoughts

• Ariel Bissett

• SavidgeReads

• rincey reads

• Rose Reads

• Francina Simone (Also does AuthorTube videos)

AuthorTube

AuthorTube is a part of the BookTube community which focuses on topics which are important to writers more than readers. In terms of writing tips such as plotting, characters and pace, how to get an agent, how to get published and the channel’s insights into the overall writing process and the road to publication. I’ve watched various videos from this community and I have found their takes on topics brilliant at breaking down things in an informative manner especially when I was getting started in this field.

Examples of great AuthorTube channels:

• iWriterly

• Alexa Donne

• Ellen Brock

• Vivien Reis

• Writing with Jenna Moreci

• ShaelinWrites

• The Life of a Writer

Originally Published on Writersphere (July 2020)