A Tale of Two YouTube Channels

I have been doing research on starting a YouTube channel of my own for the better part of the last 6 weeks. I know, that's probably not a whole lot of time in the grand scheme of things, but when you take into account the HOURS of videos I've watched on the subject from channels like Think Media, Ali Abdaal, and countless others, I think that 6 weeks, for me, feels more like 6 months worth of consumption. Not to mention all of the notes I've taken. Suffice it to say, I want to give it a try. So, here I am, diving into a world I only know from the comfort of the YouTube personalities I love to watch and who have been doing this "YouTube thing" for years if not over a decade! Don't worry, I already know the old adage of, "it's never too late to start." I need no pep-talk in that department.

In fact, I did upload my first ever "INTRO" to my YouTube channel video. Not my best work, but then again it's not supposed to be. My first 100 videos are likely going to suck. Going into it with that mindset doesn't make the idea of starting a YouTube channel any easier, but I can visualize how it fits into what I hope to accomplish with my writing career. So, I'll share with you my first video, with the caveat that I know it's not very good. My personality is "lacking" and my energy is almost non-existent. I am, as they say, a work-in-progress here.

I'd love for you to SMASH THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON as I've heard many YouTube channel personalities say at the beginning, or middle, or end of all of their videos. But, before you do, I want to point out the entire reason for this post to begin with! I realized in my research that I made a bit of a boo-boo. Let me explain:

I have multiple things that I do for my author brand/career. I have a newsletter, a blog, a patreon that I update, short stories I'm currently writing, and more. Each thing that I do might not appeal to everyone who finds me. It is by this realization that I needed to split my YouTube channel two ways.

1. Storytelling w/E.L. Drayton - I stream Live four days a week on YouTube and on Twitch. This channel is where you can watch me writing anything I choose to write. That could be my Friday Fiction stories, novels, and more. I look on it as a record of my writing journey. How long it took me to complete a story and how many hours I spent. It also serves as a form of accountability. Not just for myself but for other writing streamers as well, who choose to write while streaming because it keeps us all honest. If I'm on stream and writing I'm less likely to scroll Twitter or procrastinate by binging a show on Netflix.

2. Storywriting w/E.L. Drayton - This channel is just getting off the ground. It's where I hope to expand my desire to teach all that I have learned over the last 2.5 decades of writing and entering the world of being a self-published author with others. I want this channel to be filled with helpful tips and step-by-step guides to not only writing a story, but formatting it, publishing it and sharing my pitfalls along the way so that others may avoid them.

If you fit into either of these categories or would be interested in seeing my journey with these two channels, please so click on either image below and be sure to subscribe! It would mean a lot. I realize watching YouTube videos isn't for everyone but trust me, where I intend to take both of these channels in the future, doing things outside of YouTube to diversify my career, will be well worth the time I put into them.