8.1 Favorite videos
There are a million zillion videos on YouTube about writing fiction, screenplays, memoirs, and nonfiction. I’m listing here a few of my favorites that you might not know about.
Steven Kotler
Kotler is a prolific writer of nonfiction books and a top expert on the psychological state we call flow.
I’m posting this first video because between minute 33 and minute 43, Kotler talks about turning work into play in your writing, and it’s a remarkable ten minutes.
Here’s a 3–minute video about using flow to beat writer’s block.
Next is a fast-paced 30–minute orientation to how flow increases productivity.
Here’s a longer video about flow, with a focus for a few minutes on beating writer’s block.
Corey Mandell
This guy is an extraordinary screenwriting teacher. Over 3,000 of his students now have careers in the film industry.
The secret to his success is that he teaches creative integration, which means developing intuitive and conceptual writing skills to the max.
His program is quite a workout that involves hours of work each day over a period of months. Doesn’t sound like fun, does it?
So why am I including it in a site about primal play? Because it works really, really well, and that is fun.
This video is a long interview by Film Courage, but the first 22 minutes is where Mandell talks about creative integration.
This next video is called “Escaping Outlining Prison.” It an interesting way to look at finding the heart of your story without plotting or pantsing.
Next up is a video about the importance of knowing what your story is really about. Really, really.
What about getting our characters to help you write your story?
Mark Travis
Travis teaches film directors. He has a brilliant strategy. He says, “Direct the characters not the actors.” And he uses what he calls “interrogation.”
First, here’s an introduction to the technique.
Now here’s Travis actually demonstrating the technique:
Andy Guerdat
Guerdat has been a professional writer of TV shows and movies for 45 years. I like the down-to-earth way he describes the process of creating story. Here’s the first in his series, which right now includes 15 episodes, with more to come:
Next I want to highlight Episode 13, “How Women Created Hollywood.” In our lifetimes women have had to fight to make a place for themselves in the film industry. But that’s not how it was when Hollywood first began.
the episode on women in the early days of the film industry
Abbie Emmons
Emmons has produced a couple hundred videos on how to write novels and stories. What I like best about her is how she puts her focus first, last, and always on the inner conflict of the character.
Tim Grahl
Grahl used to be a book launcher for national bestsellers, but now he is teaching writing using the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne.
Here’s a fun video about Stephen King and why beginning writers shouldn’t follow his advice.
Neil Gaiman
Here’s something just for the crazy fun of it.
