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Learn the systemized approach to writing more engaging YouTube Scripts.
Start with a half-formed video idea. Leave with a retention optimized script that's ready to record.
My small, handpicked team will review your next script before you film it.
We'll help with the hook, structure, pacing, payoffs... and anything else your script needs! You'll get our detailed notes + recorded thoughts.
Trusted by 3000+ creators.
I'm giving away the templates I developed while writing for Ali Abdaal, Mike Shake, and many more. Scripts written on these templates have gained millions of views.
80+ retention graph reviews. 40+ niches. All in a single database.
Filter by niche, views, retention problem (etc), to find advice that applies directly to your content.
I know I'm technically supposed to be on a newsletter hiatus this month...
But I wanted to let you know about something cool.
The reason I'm taking a few weeks off is because I've been completely revamping my scriptwriting system, The YouTube Scriptwriter's Playbook.
Some of the new content in V2 will honestly be game-changing for how I write YouTube scripts... and I think it could be for you too.
With over 300 students inside the YouTube Scriptwriter's Playbook, I was absolutely spoiled when I asked for feedback on the course:
I had so much amazing feedback from everyone, and implementing it has been super exciting.
Overall, I had some big realisations about V1:
But this is just the beginning. I've made some huge changes to YTSP and I cannot wait to share it all soon!
Once you've made the investment in YTSP, any future updates are yours automatically.
More details to come, but I can confidently say now is the most cost-effective time to dive into my complete scriptwriting system, if it's something you've been considering - you can learn more about it here.
Then YTSP V2 will launch in July... so keep your eyes peeled 👀
That's all for now!
I'll be making some more noise about this in July, so remember to opt out of further YTSP updates if you'd rather not hear any more about it - you'll stay signed up to the newsletter.
Any questions, just let me know!
Speak soon,
George 👋
Recently, I broke down the subtle psychological tricks used in Ryan Trahan’s hooks.
You folks seemed to really enjoy that one…
…but I also got a lot of replies asking how to break down and analyse a script in that way.
And it’s a good question.
After almost 3 years in this industry, learning to analyse other videos is one of the most valuable skills I’ve learned.
Because once you understand why a video kept you watching…
…you can use the same techniques in your own scripts.
So… here’s how to analyse a successful script (so you can steal all the stuff that works).
If you’re spending time breaking a script down, you wanna make sure it’s actually worth your time.
So studying an “outlier video” is your best bet.
These are videos that are significantly outperforming a channel’s recent average.
These are easy to spot using 1of10’s free chrome plugin.
Let’s say I was on the GrowVeg YouTube channel:
Here, I might wanna check out “You Must Sow These Seeds in August”.
Because, thanks to the free 1of10 plugin, I can see this video is a 6.1x outlier.
Grab the free 1of10 Chrome Extension here ⚡️
So, whichever video you’re analysing, copy the transcript over from YouTube, and get ready to break it down.
If you saw my article from a few weeks back, I broke down the basic structure of most YouTube videos like this:
This is the first step of analysing any script.
It might be hard to spot in a fast-moving video - say, a tech breakdown from Mrwhosetheboss - but that structure is always there.
Split the transcript up into these components so you can clearly see how it all fits together.
There's a lot we can analyse from this point onwards...
But, today, we’ll stick with the hook.
Step 1 - Just Watch
In the case of Ryan’s video, I started by watching the hook several times.
It’s tempting to start analysing every sentence right away, but you’ll lose the overall context.
You need to see the entire hook, in full flow, before breaking it down.
Step 2 - Break It Down
Next, it’s time to break the hook into its components.
In Ryan’s case, I was literally looking for any time he introduced a new “idea”.
For example:
“This week I'm going to every single Disney World hotel to investigate. And guess who I'm bringing? A girl.”
There’s a clear distinction between ideas at this moment.
He goes from explaining the video’s structure to asking the audience a direct question.
So, break these different “ideas” up within the transcript.
Initially, you don’t need to figure out what’s happening.
Just break it down and notice when there’s an “idea change”.
Step 3 - Think
The next part relies on your intuition.
Review each of the hook's sentences and ask yourself questions like:
Especially with someone like Ryan, you know every sentence has a reason to be there.
And it’s your job to figure them out.
Step 4 - Create a Framework
Once I’ve spent time thinking about the questions in step 3, I love to distil my thoughts into a framework:
For example, after thinking about this sentence:
[B-Roll from Ryan's visit.] "Not only are the theme parks unbelievable but there are dozens of hotels at Disney that seem like fairy tales..."
The best way I could summarise what had been achieved by the sentence was:
“It proves that he really went to the place he’s describing.”
Ergo, step 2 of the framework became “proof”.
Not only does creating a framework make it easier to consolidate your thoughts and to visualise the flow of the hook…
It also makes it easier to do step 5…
Step 5 - Test
Now, it’s time to test this framework in your own content.
For example, students in my community have started testing the Ryan Trahan framework in totally different niches:
This is the best way to find any imperfections in your analysis, too.
In an educational context (see above from Julian), we found the “Payoff” part of the framework was too repetitive.
So Julian re-wrote his hook with that in mind:
The fastest way to fine-tune your framework is to test it.
And that’s all there is to it, as far as the hook goes.
So we’ve covered the hook…
But there’s still a lot to analyse!
That's why the full process of how I break down and analyse YouTube scripts will be available in V2 of The YouTube Scriptwriter’s Playbook.
And, as an existing YTSP student, you'll of course get this for free when it launches in July.
Looking forward to sharing it with you! 🥹
That’s almost everything for this week!
But I have a quick announcement to make...
Nothing to worry about!
I'm doing this to get YTSP V2 finished sooner.
As you undoubtedly know from writing YouTube scripts...
Loss of momentum absolutely kills joy.
Sometimes you've gotta focus up and get sh*t done 🤓
So... thanks for your patience [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], and I'll see you in July!
Oh and don’t forget to download the free 1of10 Chrome plugin 🔌
No sign-ups, no cost, no catches. Don't like it? Delete it.
But I can confidently say it's the most useful YouTube plugin I've ever used... so I reckon you'll keep hold of it 😉
Grab the free 1of10 Chrome Extension here ⚡️
That's all for now! Any questions, just let me know - and I'll see you in July.
Speak soon,
George 👋
Quick one before we begin...!
If you've been following my podcast, Making It, we just finished off season 1 with a big ol' debrief.
We talk sponsorships, YouTube strategy and plans for the future - should be interesting if you're playing the long game on YouTube 👇
The main objections I get to writing word-for-word scripts are:
And you know what?
I've felt all three of these things.
And students inside my scriptwriting community have been asking:
"How much scripting should I do if I don't have much time?"
To answer this, I've written out the same segment of a script three times, from levels 1 to 3.
Level 1 requires the least effort, and level 3 is word-for-word scripted...
At the end, I'll reveal the minimum level you should aim for.
Especially if you don't have much time.
Ok, yes, there's a secret level 0:
Riffing the entire thing.
No scriptwriting required (yay!) but your video will be a mess (boo).
Even pro-riffers like Ali Abdaal write out some bullet points.
So, unless you're vlogging, avoid level 0 as it'll make both filming and editing more stressful.
In this made-up example, I'm writing a script about... how to write scripts faster 🤯
It's a bit meta, but go with me.
At level 1, all you need is a broad-strokes bullet point that describes what will happen during the segment.
Here's my "level 1" script extract:
That's it. Level 1 complete.
You'd write a bullet point like this for every segment, and riff on them.
At this level, we're still only using bullet points, but with a bit more detail.
Break your level 1 bullet point down into these key elements:
Here's my "level 2" script extract:
You'll notice I wrote the sentences word-for-word during the tension and payoff bullet points.
You'll probably find this happens naturally because you're thinking more consciously about how to introduce and conclude the segment.
But the tension bullet points are in note form, so you'll still riff the majority of the segment - albeit with a lot more structure.
This is word-for-word scripting.
I still think of each segment in terms of setup, tension and payoff, but now every sentence is written in full.
Additionally, I'm adding B-Roll as I go - fully envisioning how this video should look as I write...
Here's my "level 3" script extract:
Then, we'd transition into the SETUP for segment 2:
Of course, writing a level 3 script is ideal.
But, to make progress on YouTube, your process has to be sustainable.
So, if you're consistently short of time, level 2 will get you 70-80% of the way there.
I encourage you to write your setup and payoff sentence in full (as I did in my level 2 example), no matter what.
These transition moments between segments are where viewers are most likely to click away - so it's worth making those sentences hella convincing.
Otherwise, pick a level that's sustainable and run with it.
That's all for this week! Any questions, just let me know :)
Speak soon,
George 👋
I've written for 10+ channels, advised on content from 40+ niches, and consulted with 10,000,000+ subscriber creators.
People have said nice things!
Ali Abdaal
@aliabdaal
Justin Moore
@creatorwizard
Abi Connick
@abiconnick
Jake Thomas
@creatorhooks
Mike Shake
@mikeshake
Creator Booth
@creatorbooth
I started as a full-time scriptwriter for Ali Abdaal, and have since worked with creators between 30,000 subscribers, all the way up to 10,000,000.
I'm on a mission to educate both YouTubers and writers about the impact scriptwriting can have on a channel.
Whether your goal is to increase retention, target the “right” viewers, boost AVD, skyrocket end-screen CTR, or simply make the process of making a video less stressful…
I’ve gradually arrived at the conclusion that learning to script YouTube videos is essential.
Join 3,000+ scriptwriting nerds reading “Write On Time”. Insights from writing for multi-million subscriber YouTubers sent to your inbox every Friday.