Help me take the step!

[Madman Starryteller]

I want to recite a story of mine and upload it somewhere like Youtube. Been wanting to do that forever now. And it should lead to me uploading a ton of stories.

But I get picky. The beginning of something can be perilous and I've nearly convinced myself that my first story has to fill certain checkmarks. Such as introducing my whole world and its current state, be interesting and easy to follow, be action-packed. It's a hard ask for a short story.

This has made me go back and forth between wanting to write an epic intro, to just reciting one of my old shorts and have that be the first thing I upload.

So now I'm stuck with nothing recorded and no steps taken on this journey.

With these things in consideration, what would you do? Go for an epic intro, or just upload something old to get started? Or do you have any other ideas on getting started?

 

[Naomasa298]

Go for an epic intro

For a short story? No. Cut it out.

Then read through the story again. Ask yourself if that intro actually made any difference by being there.

Then fill in only the details that are needed, as and when they are needed.

 

[Madman Starryteller]

For a short story? No. Cut it out.

Then read through the story again. Ask yourself if that intro actually made any difference by being there.

Then fill in only the details that are needed, as and when they are needed.

Sorry, I think I should have been more clear. I meant epic intro story. That the whole first short story that I upload serves as a sort of epic introduction to my universe.

I'm going back and forth between wanting to do just that, or simply upload a refined older short story that is more standalone.

 

[Catrin Lewis]

Not a bad idea, in general, except that YouTube has a mind of its own when it comes to surfacing creators' videos. There's a good likelihood your intro story will get lost in the ether. Whether it does or not, you have to accept the fact that any story you post could be a viewer's first introduction to your work.

I guess you could put a link to the official intro story in the More.... description of every video . . . and give it a distinctive thumbnail . . . But I'd avoid telling people, "Watch this first!" More like, "If you enjoyed this tale, here's where you'll hear all about my world."

For myself, I probably wouldn't do it, not unless the ur-story is one that's fascinating in itself.

 

[Madman Starryteller]

That's a good point, @Catrin Lewis that my first upload may not be the first thing people see. I actually planned to publish a series on Youtube or some such. So that is something I need to consider.

Thanks!