The Reluctant Video Creator: Simple Steps for Writers Who Dread Being on Camera

Simple tactics and habits that helped me push aside my shyness and turn YouTube into my favorite content creation channel.

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I started my content creator career as a blogger in 2010. Back then, video was optional—not the near-requirement it is today.

I wrote dozens, maybe hundreds, of articles before recording my first video. I was excited about the topic, and people noticed it. The comments under my articles felt like a party.

Then I saw the opportunity on YouTube. Unfortunately, I was so scared of talking in front of a camera that I didn’t just come across as stiff—I was wooden as a plank.

Some harsh commenters on YouTube made sure to point it out and make me feel like shit. They could've spared it, but they were right. My voice was almost monotone, and I was talking too slowly, constantly hunting for words.

If you ever tried recording a video or talking in public and felt freezing fear, you know what I mean. You don't sound like yourself—the terror doesn't leave space for self-expression.

But I kept at it. Over the years, I published hundreds of videos on different channels about different topics, and now my viewers keep praising my clarity and tone of voice.

Now, my videos attract email subscribers and clients. My discovery calls with clients aren’t awkward anymore; they feel like chats with friends.

Video is not mandatory... but it helps a lot!

Most online audiences don’t just want your words. They want you. Your voice. Your face. Your awkward smiles, your pauses, your dad jokes.

Why? Because it makes you real. And real beats perfect.

If you’re a writer who’s never made a video, or you’ve tried once and swore never again, this guide is for you.

It won’t turn you into Mr. Beast. It won’t make you fall in love with video overnight. But it will help you go from blank stares and sweaty palms to something that feels doable. And maybe even a little enjoyable.

I’ll walk you through a step-by-step method to move from keyboard to lens without losing your voice (and your mind) in front of the camera. No fancy gear. No performance anxiety. Just simple, human communication.

Because if you can write clearly, you can speak clearly. You already have what it takes.

Let’s just make it visible.

Why you resist getting on camera

Writers collect fears. They’re not about grammar or story arcs. They’re about exposure.

Writing gives us a layer of protection. We can spend 12 hours on an 800-word article, tweaking and rewriting until it feels safely perfect.

But video? Well, we can still edit. But we can't replace every awkward pause or expression. Editing a 10-minute video would take dozens of hours. And in the beginning, we feel awkward a lot.

When we face a camera, it's like in our worst nightmares: for some reason we went to school in our underwear and everyone is staring at us.

But we can ignore these fears, until they become less loud.

Public speaking without the public

According to popular belief, public speaking is the greatest human fear. Talking to a camera may be even worse.

At least on a stage there's an audience in front of you. In your studio/office/home there's only a silent, unblinking piece of glass sternly judging you. There's no laughter or nodding to encourage you.

In that silence, your perfectionism is louder. It magnifies every tiny uncertainty and forces you to rerecord.

So, you end up recording a dozen takes of the same sentence. You stop not because you have the perfect take, but because you're exhausted and frustrated, there's no improvement. Been there, done that.

Two tricks got me over this hump:

• Setting a deadline for my videos, which forced me to leave imperfections in them and realize that the audience didn't care.

• Talking to a camera like a friend. Most of the time, I have a real person in mind, someone who'll benefit from my video. Or an avatar representing my target audience.

Tics in 4K

Ever watched yourself and thought, "Do I really frown that much? Why do my hands do that? Is that how my voice sounds?"

Video magnifies everything. Viewers WILL notice your quirks AND they will judge them.

But what you call "flaws" are often what make you human. They will make you unique in your audience's minds. They will recognize those flaws and remember them fondly, like when you recall the gestures and idiosyncrasies of your friends and loved ones.

Toxic comparison

You see a creator with perfect lighting, velvet voice, zero hesitation. And you think, "I’ll never get there."

But you’re comparing your video #1 to their video #500. You don’t see their bloopers. You see the highlight reel, the result of hours spent scripting, recording multiple takes, then painstakingly editing.

Here's the cure to toxic comparison: take your favorite successful creator, find their first videos, and see how bad they were in every aspect. That's your term of comparison.

I’m not a stage animal

I'm an extreme introvert. I'm quiet at parties (in the rare cases when I actually do go). I prefer listening to talking (unless it's a very exciting topic). According to headlines, most online writers are the same.

But video is a performance, isn't it? It's extrovert-land.

I learned that's not true. I tried to look like the TikTokers. It was hard, frustrating, and a total failure.

So I decided to be myself, to channel my thoughts and emotions, and amplify them slightly, because video doesn't capture everything the way face-to-face conversation does.

People started thanking me for that under my YouTube videos.

“Congratulations on the simple, measured, and friendly explanation.”

The thing is that even if you feel strange, there are many viewers out there who'll resonate with your true self. Actually, there are viewers who don't resonate with other creators and are just waiting for something like you.

My YouTube channel talks about automations for businesses. It's a hot topic right now, but most creators push too much on the hype. Every new tool or update is "mind-blowing", "life-changing" or "groundbreaking". My tone is more realistic, down-to-earth and personal. And my followers love it.

So, reach deep within yourself. Find your emotions, the reasons why you want to talk about something. Show up transparently and generously.

Engines that push past fear

There are more than 600 videos on my current YouTube channel. But before that, I had another channel with more than 100 videos. And I published multiple video courses.

Even with all that experience, I still feel resistance before hitting Record. If I'm not in the right headspace, I put it off for a few hours, sometimes for an entire day. Until a deadline forces my hand.

Sometimes my hands sweat. Sometimes I forget what I wanted to say. Sometimes I mumble the first five takes and consider going back to writing-only mode forever.

But then, it's game time. I'm totally engrossed by the performance, like when I play with my band in front of real humans instead of a camera.

And after recording a tutorial, I always feel excited. Even satisfied. "I should do this more often!", I think.

You can feel like this too. You might just need to find the switch.

You need to get the ball rolling, then keep the momentum going. The more you focus on creating and publishing, the less space you allow your fears to take up.

And every new video is a new data point. It shows you what works and, most importantly, it shows that the audience also likes your imperfect performances.

Here are the tricks that will help you get the ball rolling. Try them all, keep the ones that work best for you. Use them every time the resistance gets strong.