Johnny Harris: Master Storytelling on YouTube | How I Write

In this episode, I sit down with YouTube storytelling master Johnny Harris to discover how he creates his videos. Johnny Harris has proven he can make pretty much anything go viral, from breakfast and lottery tickets to bread-making and extra virgin olive oil. We look at his entire creative process, breaking down exactly what makes his storytelling so addicting to watch. We cover the complete workflow: writing, drafting, editing, visual composition, and sound design. By the end of this video, you'll walk away with practical tools to become a better visual storyteller yourself. Enjoy!

Get 60 days free Readwise Reader at readwise.io/davidperell

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:35 The Video Process
00:09:18 How to Research for a Documentary
00:10:10 The Marketing for a Video
00:13:15 Scripted vs Unscripted Content
00:15:18 The only app I use to read articles [Readwise Reader]
00:16:44 Full Breakdown of Johnny Harris' 4M View Mormon Video
00:45:34 Balancing Personal Passion vs Views
00:50:27 Every Story is a Promise
00:51:47 Highlighting Paradoxes in Human Stories
00:58:56 The "There's More Going On" Approach
01:03:20 Vox vs Independent YouTube
01:04:26 Pillars of YouTube Writing
01:05:27 Dealing with the Details in Complex Stories
01:07:19 The Art of Surprising Viewers
01:11:33 Learning from The Economist
01:18:11 Human Stories
01:21:05 Craftsmanship in the AI Age
01:24:02 How Would Johnny Harris Teach a University Class

Johnny Harris
youtube.com/@johnnyharris
patreon.com/johnnyharris
instagram.com/johnny.harris

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: writingexamples.com

Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.

Follow me
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id17…
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
X: x.com/david_perell

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices