A podcast roundtable where we share our experiences as YouTube producers, writers, thumbnail designers, and strategists working with a bunch of exciting YouTube channels.
Expect honest discussions about getting hired, growing channels, and finding work-life balance in this fast-paced industry.
Ali Abdaal
@aliabdaal
Join 2,200+ scriptwriting nerds reading “Write On Time”. Insights from writing for multi-million subscriber YouTubers sent to your inbox every Friday.
Hey!
“Good packaging” is often given credit for making videos go viral.
But that begs the question:
Why do two videos with almost identical packaging perform so differently?
Of course, there are many factors that influence video performance.
But there are always clues the script.
And the easiest place to start is the hook.
That's all for this week!
If you want to join me and 1000s of YouTubers using 1of10 to make coming up with video ideas (and packaging them!) easier...
Use "GEORGE50" to get your subscription with 50% off.
If you have any questions about analysing hooks, outliers, or anything else, just hit reply and let me know!
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey
This is probably the most "real talk" newsletter I've written for months.
It started out as me journalling to myself, but the more I wrote, the more I realised I wanted to share this...
Especially as a “freelance scriptwriter”, you’re basically “subbed in” to keep an existing train rolling.
You’re not really expected to grow the channel.
Good scriptwriting is necessary to grow a channel faster, but it’s not sufficient.
This has pros and cons:
On the plus side, if a video completely bombs, it’s probably an issue with the core idea, how it’s framed, or how it’s packaged.
It’s rare that you can point to the script and say “this is the main reason the video failed”.
On the flip side, just as you can’t really be blamed for a video flopping, you can’t really take credit for a video going viral either 😂
You occupy a weird middle ground where your value is probably quantified more by your ability to free up your client’s time than it is by your ability to write “viral scripts”.
This is why I get a bit uncomfortable when I’m introduced on podcasts as “the writer behind 25,000,000 views!”
Like, sure, it’s not a “lie”. But it’s not nuanced either.
I mean, who could have guessed that my time working with viral video machine Mike Shake would suddenly add another 10m views to “my” view counter?
It comes down to this:
Your reputation is more important than anything else, especially if “proving your value” isn’t completely straightforward.
Your “view count” (which is often misleading) is way less influential than what influential people say about you.
I still have relationships with creator teams I worked with literally once, even if the script went kinda badly.
Yes, good work is important, but how you conduct yourself both during the relationship AND in the aftermath (on Twitter, podcasts, etc) has a longer-term impact than anything.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t shout about how many views you’ve contributed to.
But don’t use it as a crutch.
And definitely don’t inflate the number of videos you say you’ve worked on just to sound more impressive.
Back yourself as a person and as a creative to do good work - your reputation will carry you forward.
That's all for this week!
I definitely owe a few of you replies from the last couple of emails.
I'll get back to those - and any thoughts you have on this one - next week ✌️
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey!
I run a community of 150+ scriptwriting-focused YouTubers, and it should come as no surprise:
The thing we spend the most time workshopping is hooks.
I’ve been so impressed by the quality of feedback my students offer each other.
So, I’ve collated (and anonymised) some hooks my students have shared, and the feedback we’ve offered to help improve them.
These are the 4 most common hook-writing problems I see every month.
The last thing we want is an ultra-general hook that doesn’t give the viewer clarity about how you’re going to tackle their problem.
So always be precise when you’re outlining the video’s structure to make it feel more digestible.
Before:
"I've uncovered a few key insights that will help you lose body fat."
After:
I've uncovered five simple, science-backed strategies that will help you lose body fat.
“A few key insights” might sound ok at first.
But the community raised concerns that this phrase was too vague to be engaging.
Instead, be specific about the structure (”five”) and emphasise why the audience should care (”science-backed strategy”).
The big question:
What is at stake in your video? What does your audience (or the character in the video) stand to lose?
Playing on these emotions is critical to keep viewers watching.
In the community, we’ve noticed a tendency to imply the negative implications of not doing X, Y or Z, without calling out the target audience's fears directly.
Before:
You definitely don't want to mess this cake up, so pay close attention to every step.
After:
Until you learn to follow these steps, your cake will taste dry and bland, or worse - it’ll just collapse completely.
Make it easy for your viewer to picture what’s at cake.
(Ok, I’ll leave.)
But of course, it's only worth perfecting your hook if the idea itself is clickable...
Find viral video ideas in seconds.
Get 50% Off 1of10 (forever)
Every single week, I use 1of10 to find high-performing ideas for channels I work with.
Check out this 8min video showing exactly how I do it.
They recently added an AI thumbnail generator too (and it's surprisingly good).
So if you struggle with finding new ideas for your channel, 1of10 will make your life 10x easier.
Just use the discount code 'GEORGE50'.
It goes without saying - when writing a hook, we have a matter of seconds to entice the audience to keep watching.
So always ask yourself:
Does every sentence need to be there? Is it obvious why I mentioned [X]?
Here’s an example where a couple of sentences felt a bit out of place:
Before:
I recently listened to a podcast with [figure of authority] - she wrote [impressive book].
She has spent years speaking on how to build and maintain powerful professional relationships.
My goal for the next 3 months is to build stronger professional relationships here is how I’m going to do it.
After:
[Show clip of [figure of authority] offering a nugget of wisdom - enough to pique curiosity.]
This is [figure of authority] - she wrote [impressive book].
Her business does over $10,000,000 in revenue each year, which she attributes to the strength of her network.
So my plan is simple…
Over the next 90 days, I'm going to follow [figure of authority]’s advice to strengthen and expand my network - and I’ll reveal whether this actually generates additional revenue for my business.”
So what changed here?
Well, one of my community members gave this sage advice:
“Don’t add details unless it’s clear why they’re necessary.”
Before, it wasn’t obvious why the hook began by referencing that particular figure of authority.
Yes, they were related to the topic.
But you could just as easily have started the hook without the first two sentences and it would have made no difference.
In the rewrite, we circle back to that figure of authority at the end of the hook, which makes it clear that her specific advice will play an integral role in the video.
Promising a solution to a particular problem?
You’ve got to ask yourself why should the audience listen to you specifically.
(Especially if you’re competing in a saturated niche.)
But how do you do this if you’re worried your experience doesn’t sound impressive enough?
For example, one of my community members is a fantastic music tutor, but because he only likes to work with a limited number of students at once, he was concerned that saying “I’ve coached [X] students…” would sound a bit lame.
So let’s workshop some alternatives if you’re in a similar position:
Before:
“I’ve coached more than 50 pianists…”
After:
You can always get creative with how you “prove” your expertise during the hook.
That's all for this week!
Don't forget to use "GEORGE50" if you decide to join me and thousands of fellow YouTubers using 1of10!
And let me know... which problems have you noticed in your hooks (and how did you fix them?)
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey,
Ever been stuck in a YouTube scriptwriting rut?
Where each paragraph feels completely soul-sucking and the result is a hot mess?
Me too.
So here are three tried-and-tested ways to get out of a YouTube funk:
One of my students, Martin, had become frustrated that he would always get "carried away" with the script.
I can't seem to find a good way of doing a simple [script] outline... I end up coming up with good hooks, sentences that flow well and since I'll never remember them when I riff… it becomes easier to script the whole thing. - Martin
But this was making the process unsustainable.
Not only was this taking way more time, but he actually felt constrained by the word-for-word scripts he’d end up with.
So here's a quick exercise to force you to write scripts faster.
From here, yes - you can spend more time on the script.
But by acting as though you only have 60 minutes in total, you’ll be surprised how much LESS you overthink.
The priority is getting draft 1 finished without pausing to perfect each sentence.
Once you’ve practised this with your “safe” topics, you’ll find it easier to repeat with any video.
Meet another student of mine, Jeff.
An uber-talented guitar teacher, Jeff was looking for ways to inject new forms of creativity into his videos to prevent the process from becoming "stale".
So he:
There's plenty of evidence to show that changing environment contributes to improved mental well-being, and studies suggest a positive correlation between well-being and productivity.
Plus, ‘Attention Restoration Theory’ tells us that natural environments are amazing for replenishing cognitive function and reducing brain fog.
Now that's how you put the ‘content’ back into ‘content’. (This joke works better out loud.)
So, if you can - why not film your next video somewhere totally different?
By the way, if you’re interested in joining Martin, Jeff and 150+ scriptwriting-focused YouTubers inside my scriptwriting community, you can learn more about YTSP Pro here.
Let's end on this quick nugget of wisdom from O.G. YouTube strategist, Denver Moore:
As he puts it, every YouTuber should "have a channel where you don’t have to care what people think."
It goes without saying: give your audience what they want on your main channel.
Meanwhile, test crazy strategies and experiment creatively on your second channel - without giving a *cough* about what people think.
The only rule?
Just have fun with it.
Matt D’Avella recently started a second channel here for exactly this reason.
This comes shortly after the release of this video, where he explains the dwindling creativity and diminished passion that comes with scaling a YouTube channel.
Remove the stakes, and you’ll remove the stress!
So there it is - your blueprint to revitalised YouTube zest:
Anyway, that's all for this week!
I wanna know - have you tried any of these strategies before? Hit reply and let me know!
Next week, I'm diving into the most common hook problems students from my scriptwriting community have experienced (and how we fixed them)!
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey!
Why have I never heard of this scriptwriter before?
I’m pretty aware of the YouTube scriptwriting scene, ya know?
And if this guy has recently "transformed" his scriptwriting career, I feel like I ought to have heard of him by now.
So how come he's only just appeared on my radar?
And, come to think of it, why does he seem bizarrely similar to this guy talking about software?
(Someone needs to spend more time thinking about his audience avatar, amiright? 😏)
But before I get into what’s going on here, I wanna address something that’s been bothering me about scriptwriting for the last three years.
Especially as a “freelance scriptwriter”, you’re basically “subbed in” to keep an existing train rolling.
You’re not really expected to grow the channel.
Good scriptwriting is necessary to grow a channel faster, but it’s not sufficient.
A video with an awesome script still falls to pieces if the idea sucks and the packaging is bad.
But that makes proving your value kinda hard.
Candidly, I’ve always struggled with the question:
“How much of a video’s success is really… me?”
So it’s time for a pivot.
The next phase of my business is going to focus on actively growing channels (and how scriptwriting contributes to this).
Because you and I both know… succeeding on YouTube doesn’t boil down to getting really good at just one skill.
Of course, scriptwriting will always be my #1.
But these YouTube skills aren’t siloed off - they’re connected.
That's why I'm starting to focus way more on ideation (and you should too).
And, after an entire year using 1of10’s ideation tool, I’m excited to have partnered up with them again to help me do this.
Here’s how title and thumbnail ideation just got 10x easier.
…this apparent scriptwriting savant that you’ve probably never heard of before…
...well, he doesn't exist.
In fact, both of these title/thumbnail combos were created by 1of10’s new “Idea Generator”, based on this Alex Hormozi video.
(AI really latched onto the beard, huh?)
The exact moment this email lands in your inbox, I'll literally be on a Zoom call pitching a YouTube channel about working closely with them on their overall strategy (scriptwriting and ideation).
They actually read this newsletter too, so I have nowhere to hide hahaha 😎
Candidly, I wouldn't have had the confidence to pitch them on the ideation side of things before I started using 1of10 a year ago.
And its ability to generate 90% usable thumbnail concepts in seconds has played a big part in that.
Seriously, the quality of these thumbnail suggestions is absolutely incredible:
(I'll be honest, the titles still need a little work. But we’re writers, right? 👊)
So, if you find coming up with ideas just as hard as scriptwriting, I can't recommend 1of10 enough.
As I move into the next phase of my business, it continues to be one of the few tools I literally need lol.
And this brand new idea generation feature is just one part of what makes it my go-to - check out this short video I made showing you how to ideate viral ideas using 1of10.
Now don't worry - this isn't suddenly going to become an "ideation" newsletter 🫣
But it's important to think about how these different skills tie together as you continue to grow on YouTube.
Find viral video ideas in seconds.
Get 20% Off 1of10 (forever)
Every single week, I use 1of10 to find high-performing ideas for channels I work with.
And, since we last partnered up, they've added a bunch of new features.
(The AI thumbnail generator is only the tip of the iceberg.)
So if you struggle with finding new ideas for your channel, 1of10 will make your life 10x easier.
Just use the discount code 'GEORGEBLACKMAN'.
That's all for this week!
If you have any questions about 1of10 (or ideation in general) just let me know.
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey!
Forget everything else:
Your end-screen call-to-action is the most important CTA of all.
Even if you only have one hour to spend on a script, writing this CTA word-for-word will boost your channel watch time and generate more views.
But only if you do it right.
So let’s talk about how to pull this off with almost 0 effort.
By the way, this is part of a short series I’m running about the 80/20 of scriptwriting.
That is, the 20% effort that’s gonna get you 80% of the results.
(Plus how to carry out these steps faster.)
Feel free to check out #1 (hooks) and #2 (payoffs).
Now, let’s finish the series by talking CTAs…
Everyone worries about this.
But in my opinion, you shouldn't.
Honestly, it’s way harder to psychologically influence a viewer to "hit the like button" than to click an end-screen.
When you tell the viewer to "like" your video…
…you’re asking them to do YOU a favour.
But when you show them another video and provide a compelling reason to click…
…you’re offering THEM something.
(Which also happens to benefit your channel 😇)
So, sure, ask for a “like” or a “subscribe” - but if you’re spending any mental energy worrying about how to say it or where to put it in the video… STOP.
Focus on your end-screen CTA…
Fun fact: Folks who click on your end-screen typically watch your next video for wayyy longer.
So, when executed properly, a compelling end-screen CTA will have a non-trivial impact on the watch time of the video you link to.
Which in turn makes that video more likely to get pushed by the algorithm.
And, if you’re doing this consistently across every video, your channel is going to start growing faster.
Check out the below from Jay Clouse which shows this in action:
The best part?
End-screen CTAs are quick and easy to execute in two simple steps:
Take this example my team worked on for ConvertKit:
The topic of “newsletter recommendations” came up, but the scope of the video didn’t allow us to cover it extensively.
So we found this older video on their channel about monetizing newsletter recommendations.
We figured this was aligned with the interests of the folks who watched the video we were writing.
Now, we just needed to convey why viewers would also find this video interesting.
Which brings me to step 2…
In a nutshell:
Get the viewer excited about going deeper on a topic you covered during the current video by outlining how they’ll be “transformed” by learning about it.
So, with the ConvertKit script, we said:
The result?
5x their channel’s average end-screen CTR.
Oh and btw, the Jay Clouse example above? Guess whose formula they were using! 😋
Of everything we’ve discussed in this 3-part newsletter series, this tactic probably has the biggest imbalance between time-input and potential upside.
It takes 2 minutes to write a CTA, but could generate thousands of additional watch time minutes.
Don’t overlook it.
So, now that we’ve reduced scriptwriting to its bare necessities, go forth and save heaps of time, energy and mind-fog!
That's all for now! Any questions, just let me know.
And I’d love to know - which of these simplifying hacks did you find most useful?
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey!
The prospect of writing an entire script is terrifying.
Especially when you're staring at a blank page.
But I’m about to show you how to write a ready-to-film script in as few as 10 sentences.
By the way, this is part of a short series I’m running about the 80/20 of scriptwriting.
That is, the 20% effort that’s gonna get you 80% of the results.
(Plus how to carry out these steps faster.)
You can check out last week’s edition on hooks here.
Now, let’s talk about the rest of the script…
There are literally only two types of sentences you need to write word-for-word.
Here's an example of each from this video by Brad Giannini:
Setup:
"The second [thing] is what really creates that movie magic. So... what is it?"
Payoff:
"You want [your audience] to feel like [the action] is organically happening, for the first time."
(See this article for more examples of setups and payoffs.)
Imagine your video broken up into “segments”.
Every segment should end with a payoff, where the audience learns something or feels something.
It’s much easier to figure out all your payoffs before trying to write any setups.
In the example I gave above, Brad is discussing how to create cinematic online content.
We experience a payoff when we learn that "making action feel organic" is super important.
So, for each segment:
Write your “payoff” sentence first.
The #1 place I see retention drop (except the hook) is in the brief moments between segments.
Because once you deliver a payoff, the audience needs to know where the video is going next.
So treat each setup like a tiny hook, making it clear what this next segment is building up to and why your audience should care.
In the Brad example, once the audience knows that "organic action" is key, he immediately says:
"Now, I'm clearly no thespian, but I've found the best way to do this is..."
Instantly, the next segment is set up with a clear expectation of the payoff we'll receive in the next 1-2 minutes.
(Assuming your video has five segments, that’s ten sentences total. It could be more or less.)
If you’re super short of time, that’s all you need to do.
With a fully written hook and all your setups and payoffs plotted perfectly, you’ve got the structural guardrails that’ll allow you to riff the rest.
…riffing is hard, so I encourage you to spend an extra 5-10 minutes plotting some brief bullet points that take you from setup to payoff in each segment.
That's all for now! Any questions, just let me know.
Next week, we'll finish this miniseries by discussing the end of your script.
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey everyone!
I’ve been helping YouTubers write better scripts for almost three years.
Something I hear all too often? “I don’t know where the heck to start.”
Maybe you’ve only got a couple of hours per week to write.
Or perhaps scriptwriting just feels like a drag.
So let’s talk about how to write highly engaging scripts when you’re time-short and stuck on what to prioritise.
The good news? There are literally only three things to focus on.
(And I'll cover them all over the next three weeks.)
Today, let’s focus on…
If writing a hook is proving mind-boggling… then stop.
Instead, take a step back and write down the following components:
Education/edutainment channel:
Entertainment channel:
Target
Transformation
Stakes
Well... now the pressure's off.
You’re no longer trying to "write a banger hook". You’re just writing down some info you already know intuitively.
This short-circuits your brain’s tendency to overthink and waste time.
Without even trying, I’ve already got 70% of my hook by following this exercise.
I'm now working with all the building blocks I'll need, rather than a blank page.
Combining the components involves a bit of trial and error, but it'll be way easier now you've got those components.
My hook turned into this:
Writing YouTube scripts is hard. There are a million choices to make every minute, it takes flippin' ages, and at the end, your retention still looks like this [B-Roll: bad retention graph.]
But I've seen what scriptwriting can do for channels time after time... [Supercut channel growth graphs.]
...and the reason most YouTubers give up on it is because they overlook the actual thing that turns scriptwriting into a superpower. [Blurred out "system" graphic.]
So let's talk about what it is, and how to use it to get retention graphs more like this [show amazing graph] so your dream of going full-time on YouTube becomes a reality.
Yes, the hook is super important.
But the best way to reduce the pressure and make fast progress is to break it down like this.
I’ve created a custom GPT called “ScriptHook”.
Give it your the three core components, and it'll combine them into a finished hook.
It’s not perfect, but it can produce some pretty decent hooks.
If you do give it a try, send me your feedback so I can keep improving it!
That's all for now! Any questions, just let me know.
Next week, we’ll cover the second part of scriptwriting to focus on if you don't have much time.
Speak soon,
George 👋
Hey!
It's great to be back! Thanks for your patience while my 3-week hiatus became... *ahem*... 3 months :P
But I've got some super exciting newsletters coming in the next few weeks, so I hope it'll have been worth the wait.
First, though, I just spent three days at VidSummit - and I've gotta share my raw, unfiltered thoughts before I hop on my next plane.
As a scriptwriting nerd, I think you'll find this interesting!
An unbelievable number of folks came over to talk about this newsletter.
My VidSummit experience was 10x'd by the conversations I had with my readers. I'm thrilled that this old rag actually has an impact on your YouTube channels.
You and I spend our lives behind a screen, so the opportunity to physically meet people who take value from what we do - there's nothing quite like it.
If you ever get the chance to meet your viewers - DO IT.
This was a common topic 😆 If you can relate, you are so not alone.
My quick thoughts:
One bullet at a time, peek at the sentence, then turn to camera and riff.
As long as you're guided by the structure, it's ok to ease off on scripting and talk naturally.
My next three newsletters will go into more detail on the non-negotiables of scriptwriting (if you don't wanna script word-for-word).
If you're not enjoying your content or are in a views slump, I saw some great advice from Hopescope in her keynote.
You can "phase in" new types of 'experimental' content, gradually.
Initially, make an "experimental" video... 1 video in every 4.
Identify which experimental videos land with your core viewers.
Then, increase the cadence of this new, experimental video type to to 2 in 4, etc.
Many of your core audience will go with you if you do this gradually.
This approach applies to scriptwriting too.
If you're not enjoying the process of writing scripts, phase in something new.
Doing WFW? Try bullet points.
Bullet points still feel constraining? Try 90% riffing.
It's a combo of: what feels good x what your audience enjoys.
Review the data. Decided you wanna maintain your new writing process and, therefore, a slightly new video style?
Phase it in, initially in 1 video every 4, then 2 in every 4, etc.
Some creators I spoke to said they try to avoid scripting where possible because it's hard and takes longer.
Yet most creators I spoke to about scripting said they experience a strong positive correlation between spending more time on scripting and video performance.
My takeaway - creators who are willing to put the time in (again, not necessarily WFW, maybe just spending more time thinking about their audience + video structure) are more likely to succeed.
If you put in 20% more effort here than others in your niche, the compounding effect on your channel will become significant.
As you'd expect at a conference, the networking was the best part.
I met hundreds of people who, until this week, I've only ever seen on a screen.
(Ok fine quick hightlights...)
Candidly, many of the actual talks were a little surface-level, because they were designed to appeal to the average creator.
It made me realise how far ahead of the game you are simply by being here and taking every element of your channel seriously.
We're thinking deeply about an part of YouTube that, I promise you, the majority of creators are still barely aware of.
So, even if you land a 10/10 next video, head up.
You're more equipped than most to bounce back and make something awesome next time around.
Alright, I had to draft this on my phone en route to the airport, so I hope you'll forgive me that it's a little brief.
My brain is bursting and I wanted to get some thoughts down while I've got momentum.
Over the next three weeks, I've got a 3-part series on the 80/20 of scriptwriting.
That is, the 20% effort that’s gonna get you 80% of the results.
(Plus how to carry out these steps faster.)
So excited to be back! I hope you're doing well.
Headed to NYC for a vacation now - if you have any questions or thoughts you'd like to share, I'll get back to ya when I return!
Speak soon,
George 👋
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