How to outline a script for your YouTube video

Authors increase revenue by selling m... Self-doubt about your talent? Has cr...

How to outline a script for your YouTube video

Once you��ve brainstormed and selected the topic for your YouTube video, the next step is to outline a script.

You never want to begin shooting until you have a script. If you wing it, your video will look unprofessional, you��ll miss out on telling readers important information that would convince them you��re the expert whose books or services are worth buying, and you��ll end up spending more time (and probably money) than you should on reshooting to get it right.

Before writing a script, ask yourself several important questions:
�� What are your goals? This will give your video direction. Your goal may be to inform the audience of something �� who you are, about how you wrote your books, of some writing tip. Or it may be the persuade the audience to take some action �� buy your books, purchase your services, to write a novel themselves.
�� Who is your audience? Recognizing that you are making your video for a specific age group, gender, economic class, geographic region, interests or a combination of these will help shape your word choice, the script��s tone, and any humor you include.
�� What is your specific topic? Don��t be too general. If you say your topic is skiing, that��s too vague. A more specific and focused video would be ��How to put on your skis,�� Five great ski trails in Utah�� or ��What��s the best ski pole for going downhill?��
�� What will you say? Everything you write should focus on key takeaways, that is what you want your viewers to learn. What you want them to learn should match your goals. So if your goal is to get readers to learn about Utah��s five ski trails, you shouldn��t write about any other topic, like why you think Utah��s ski trails are better than Colorado��s.
�� What will be your call-to-action? You always want viewers to do something, related to your goals, when they��ve finished watching your video. It might be buy your book or to contract your services or to simply subscribe to your site. The text of your video subtly suggests that they need to act on your call when the video is done.
�� What will be the visuals that accompany what you will say? Find or make images and graphics that give examples of or emphasize your key takeaways. If writing about ski trails, you may want footage of skiers going down the specific trails you��re discussing.
�� What will be the music and any special effects? These items will accompany what you say and your visuals. They can subtly guide viewers�� emotional reactions to your points.

Once you��ve determined the answers to those questions, you��re ready to start writing. As penning your script, keep the following in mind:
�� Remain conversational �� Write in a friendly tone, as if your viewer were sitting in a comfortable chair right across from you. Use short, crisp sentences.
�� Be complete �� Script every word. Don��t be satisfied with an outline, or you��ll meander or spend too much time on one point but not another. Also include info on where shots change (like to close-up shot of your book), on scene changes, and on any wardrobe changes. Note the spots for your B-Roll (extra footage you cut away to while you��re speaking), text overlays, and voiceovers. Free script templates are available online to help guide you.
�� Keep the script to 1-2 pages �� That may not sound like a lot, but just a couple of pages will result in a 3-6 minute video. Remember that shorter is better. Besides, you want to keep your first few videos simple, and as you feel more comfortable with the process ramp up the sophistication.
�� Write several drafts �� The first draft of a script isn��t the best version. Read the script aloud and look for ways to shorten sentences and to be more conversational. Fine tune the script three or four times before going on to your next step, which is a run-through of it on camera.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

<A HREF=��http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widg... Widgets</A>