Create more engaging videos with simple, actionable scriptwriting tips.

After announcing my upcoming talk at VidSummit...

...I'm pleased to follow up with the news that I'll also be joining a panel called The Impacts of AI on Content Creation, alongside Roberto Blake, Matt Wolfe and Murray Frost.

With that said, I want to ask you something that might directly influence what I say on stage.

Because here's the truth:

Two years ago, I was still resisting AI.

But today, I use it daily, I sell an AI-based product, and I'm now going on stage (twice!) at the world's biggest YouTube conference as an "expert" on the topic 🤯

It got me thinking: it's amazing how much my attitude to AI has changed in a short span of time.

And I'll bet yours has too.

Maybe not in the same way, or at the same speed... but I'll bet it has.

And here's the coolest thing:

You and I are part of a pretty unique group, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE].

After all, the YouTube community is enormous...

...yet you, me, and 5700 other creators have specifically chosen to take scriptwriting more seriously.

And, as someone who made the investment in the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox, you're already thinking tactically about how to integrate AI into your scripts.

So, at a time when more and more people are asking questions like:

• Where should I use AI to make scripting easier?
• Can AI write whole scripts yet?
• How do I use AI without sucking the personality out of my channel?

Well... we're the people who are actually testing this stuff, figuring out how to integrate AI usefully into our workflow, and seeing what it's really capable of.

Which puts us in a pretty unique position.

So, with that in mind, I want to ask you 3 simple questions:

• How often do you use AI to help with scriptwriting?
• What do you use it for, specifically?
• When did you first start using it?

Click here to answer (takes 30s).

I'm putting everyone who answers into a hat and 2 random winners will get a prize:

• If you've never bought anything from me, you'll get lifetime access to the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox. (Value: $150)
• If you've bought the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox, you'll get lifetime access to the YouTube Scriptwriting Playbook (Essential tier). (Value: $397)
• If you're already a YTSP Essential member, you’ll get 6 months free Pro tier access (join the community). (Value: $599)
• If you're already a Pro tier member, you'll get a free 1-1 call. (Value: $1000)

I'm only invited to speak on a stage like this because of YOU!

So I want to get your voice heard while I'm up there:

Click here to answer (takes 30s).

That's all for this week.

Any questions? You can to reply to this email and I'll get back to you.

Speak soon,
George 👋

First up, a quick announcement I'm very excited to share:

🙏 Next month, I'm giving a talk at VidSummit 🙏

The talk is called: How to Script YouTube Videos Using AI (Without Losing Your Soul)

I've been thinking about this topic a lot since releasing the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox earlier this year.

To be given the chance to share my thoughts at the biggest industry event in the YouTube calendar is mad.

(And it's thanks to you reading my newsletter that I'm able to keep sharing what I learn with more and more folks, so thank you 🙏)

If you're heading out to Texas for the conference, I'd love to see you there! Either at the talk, or at the bar afterwards where I'll be "settling my post-talk nerves" 🍻

See the full speaker lineup here.

You're (probably) using YouTube "chapters" wrong - here's how to fix it:

When I started out as a YouTube scriptwriter in 2021, I thought chapters were supposed to make it as clear as possible what each part of the video was about.

And, in a way, that's true.

But there are some major caveats every YouTuber needs to keep in mind if you don't want your chapter titles to wreck your retention.

Because, honestly, I look back on chapter titles I wrote in 2021 and feel guilty that I inflicted stuff like this on one of my earliest clients:

So, here are the 4 rules of YouTube chapter titles...

#1 - Don't spoil the payoff.

In the example above, I literally give the audience everything they need to know about the video from the chapter titles.

"Why do sponsorships go wrong?", the viewer asks as they land on the video.

"Oh", they realise the instant they hover their mouse over the timeline and read the chapter titles. "I should remain calm, trust my gut, and make sure I follow up. Cool."

Of course, your video will go into more detail about each topic, but if the viewer thinks they've understood the gist, they'll leave.

Instead, to disguise the payoffs:

• Use simple chapter names, like: "Step 1, Step 2, Step 3"
• Create intriguing (but abstract) nicknames for each tactic, like: "Mind Mode", "The Gut Protocol" or "Simple Email Trick".

#2 - "Chapter" does not equal "segment".

As you may know, I teach the "setup, tension, payoff" approach to script structure.

Each time you set up your next point, build tension as you explain it, and pay off that curiosity... that's a segment.

But that doesn't mean one segment = one chapter.

Some topics might take 5+ minutes to explore fully, which means you'll need to include more than one payoff in that time.

But... if it's still covering the same topic... it's probably only one chapter.

So don't get stuck thinking a longer chapter can only contain one payoff at the end.

You can put multiple segments in a single chapter.

#3 - Dont make chapters toooo long.

Despite what I said about rule #2... there is a limit.

If a viewer starts to get bored, they'll do one of two things:

1. Click away and watch something else. (Not a lot we can do.)
2. Skim ahead to a later point in the video they might still be interested in. (Here, we can help them.)

In scenario 2, we want it to be as easy as possible for them to hover over the timeline, check out a few chapter titles, and become re-intrigued by one of them.

But if your entire video is made up of just 2-3 MASSIVE chapters, it creates the impression that the video isn't structured intentionally, which makes it harder for the viewer to find a new jumping-on point.

Ergo, they're more likely to click away.

#4 - Test rapid-fire chapters (in some niches).

If your videos go in-depth about complex topics, or you know your audience watches your content to get a highly specific answer to a highly specific question...

...consider testing "rapid-fire" chapters.

These chapters might be as little as 15-20 seconds in length, depending on each topic.

If your channel matches the description I gave above, your viewers are more likely to appreciate being able to dip in and out of your content, get what they need, and leave again.

This might sound bad - people watching for less time?

But the long-term play is always viewer satisfaction.

And if your audience knows your videos always have the answers they're looking for and it's easy to navigate to those answers because of your rapid-fire chapters...

...they'll come back to your videos time and time again.

That's all for this week.

Any questions? You can to reply to this email and I'll get back to you.

Speak soon,
George 👋

This week, one of my students shared a hook he was working on for a new script.

Alongside it, he shared an AI rewrite of the same hook.

His question was simple: "Which do you prefer?"

A few of us debated this in the comments underneath, and something unexpected happened:

None of us agreed.

• I thought his version was significantly better.
• He thought AI's version was better than his own.
• Another student preferred elements of the AI's version, and elements of his.

This lack of consensus intrigued me, so I decided to discuss the topic on my podcast, Making It.

My co-hosts, Jamie and Gwilym, are two YouTube strategy people, and I wanted to know whether they'd be able to reach a consensus.

So I created a little game for them 😈

I broke down each version of the hook - the human version, and the AI version - into 7 key "moments".

My co-hosts had two tasks:

1. Guess which version was written by AI.
2. Decide which they preferred.

Their responses were... incredibly revealing 👀

• Firstly, they correctly identified the AI sentences in 7/7 scenarios.
• Secondly, they preferred the "human" sentences in 6/7 scenarios.

This was pretty much what I'd expected.

AI outputs have plenty of little "tells" that reveal a human didn't write it, so I wasn't surprised they'd correctly identified then.

But then something happened that I really didn't expect.

To finish the episode, we read both hooks, one after the other, in full.

And despite having overwhelmingly preferred the human writing in the individual sentences...

...when taken as a whole, they actually preferred the AI version.

Even though its its individual sentences felt clunky, the flow of the AI - the way it was structured - made it feel like a more complete package.

My takeaway:

• Use AI to help create structure. It’s good at turning a messy brainstorm into something that flows.
• Don't let AI write your scripts line-by-line. It constantly slipped into annoying jargon and buzzwords.
• Always do a "human pass" at the end. However and wherever you've used AI in the process - always do a final check. Read it aloud. Throw in your own turn of phrase. Make sure it's saying what you actually think, not a lesser version.

That's all for this week.

Although, I'm curious... from the example I shared, can you tell which is AI-written?

Hit reply and let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

I finally cracked a sustainable writing + filming system that allows me to write word-for-word scripts in under 90 minutes (consistently).

Below, you’ll find two screen recordings showing you the entire process.

But let me quickly break down the steps here so you can understand what’s going on.

Using a table-format script, this is the rinse-and-repeat system I use every week.

1. Write payoffs (word for word).
2. Write setups (word for word).
3. Write tension (bullet points).

The result? A script that looks something like this:

But this only works under two conditions.

1. Create accountability - I schedule weekly group scriptwriting sessions inside my scriptwriting community. Feel free to join us here, or simply arrange a time with a friend to write together.
2. Block time - that two hour block in my calendar is immovable, because I know my students might turn up. What’s more, I also schedule 1 hour filming the day after.

One important thing I learned from Ali Abdaal (not that this was the lesson he was trying to teach us), is that your excitement for an idea rapidly depletes after the initial moment of inspiration.

So it’s important that filming happens no more than 48 hours after the scripting is done.

With that being said, here are the screen recordings of two recent writing sessions.

There’s no commentary (I was in the zone!) and no editing.

Watch on 2x speed, skip around a bit, and notice whether watching this approach helps you overthink scripting a little less.

Writing Session 1:

Watch Here

• Writing Time: 65 minutes.
• Length: 1350 words, Level 2.5.
• Estimated video duration: 6-8mins
• GPTs used: CTA Writer​

Notice how, by plotting the payoffs first, I end up with a clear script skeleton. This makes it much easier to spot structural problems early.

Writing Session 2:

Watch Here

• Writing Time: 75 minutes.
• Length: 2500 words, Level 3.
• Estimated video duration: 12-15mins.
• GPTs used: ScriptHook; CTA Writer​

Here, I converted a newsletter into a script. I highly recommend this approach - if you’ve written about a topic before, in a newsletter, blog post, or even just a tweet… save yourself some brain power!

Foundations of Creation Podcast

I recently sat down with a student of mine, Ethan, to discuss how a background in comedy helped me grow my business - check it out!

Watch the episode!

That's all for this week.

Any questions? You can to reply to this email and I'll get back to you.

Speak soon,
George 👋

I’ve spent a lot of time writing word-for-word scripts.

• For past clients.
• For my own videos.
• Heck, even for my 30,000+ word YouTube course.

Theoretically, the reason I wrote word-for-word was to make filming easier and to create sharper, more engaging videos.

But, this week, I realised I’d been wasting my time.

And it's explains why I look so miserable in videos like this:

Ok, hear me out...

Have you ever recorded a video where you…

1. Had the script open just off camera.
2. Memorised the paragraph you were about to deliver.
3. Delivered the paragraph as best you could.
4. Realised you'd forgotten half of it, or riffed your way into a weird tangent.
5. Re-memorised the paragraph, and repeated steps 3 and 4 until you eventually got it right.

This is how I had always recorded videos.

But the fact was, no matter how closely I squeezed my laptop to the underside of my camera’s lens…

…I wasn’t “reading” the script.

I was memorising it in tiny chunks.

No wonder recording always felt so stressful.

But since using a teleprompter… I love recording.

No memorisation. No guesswork. No risk that I miss a crucial detail I deliberately included in the script.

Quick caveat:

I’m not about to say you have to buy a teleprompter.

But here’s what I realised:

If you don’t have a teleprompter, there is very little point writing a word-for-word script.

The value of putting that extra time into nailing every last word is that you unlock a degree of precision and accuracy that bullet point riffing doesn’t allow.

But if you’re not actually reading the script, you will stray from it. You will go on tangents. You will riff.

And riffing is ok!

But trust me… riffing off a series of bullet points feels so much more natural.

It allows you to properly relax into it, and speak from the heart.

It’s intentional riffing.

But riffing unintentionally, because you tried and failed to memorise your script in chunks… that doesn’t feel very good at all.

And the resulting video will almost certainly be worse, because viewers will read the stress in your body language.

Here's me, about 20,000 words into recording my course - sweaty, stressed, and mentally exhausted from all that "chunk memorisation"...

But here's me earlier this week, happily reading every. single. delicious. word.

(From a teleprompter.)

So take this as your permission to do one of two things:

1. If you have the means and are serious about incorporating scriptwriting into your YouTube workflow... invest in a teleprompter.
2. If not, or if you simply prefer to be a little more off the cuff… script less, and enjoy the feedom of riffing from well-structured bullet points.

That's pretty much it for this week! Glad to be back after a lovely vacation.

That's all for this week.

Any questions? You can to reply to this email and I'll get back to you.

Speak soon,
George 👋

This week, a client taught me one of the most powerful techniques I've ever come across for radically improving your next video before you publish it.

Next time you sit down to review a finished script, do this 👇

Here's the problem:

Every month, my client and I would sit down to analyse our retention.

And these retention graph reviews? They were brutal.

Not "brutal" because the graphs were terrible.

But "brutal" because we seemed much more willing to call out bad stuff when doing the post-publish review.

Now, sure, hindsight is 20/20, and there are always great lessons to learn from reviewing content once it goes live.

But we noticed something important.

The way our brains operated during a retention graph review after publishing always felt different from when we were doing the final script review before publishing.

It was like, all of a sudden, we were allowing ourselves to be way more brutal with our feedback:

• "Retention dipped at 6mins? Well duh, we totally gave the payoff too early."
• "Dang, no wonder people got bored here... I kinda got bored listening back to it."
• "I knew we should have cut this bit, not sure why I didn't mention it earlier."

So... my client had an idea:

What if we changed our mindset on the final review (i.e. final pass at the script, or final pass giving notes to the editor).

What if, instead of treating this like a video we were about to publish...

...we instead treated it like a retention graph review for a video we already published?

Crucially... we would imagine that the video totally flopped.

Mindset Shift

I cannot overstate how much that mindset shift changed things.

Having already reviewed our upcoming video multiple times, given feedback to the editor, and having thought the video was pretty tight...

...I suddenly found 2+ minutes of footage I wanted to cut.

It was like I'd unlocked a new part of my brain 🧠

It turned out I'd not been entirely honest with myself in my previous feedback sessions.

But I'd been liberated by this new way of thinking.

So, when taking a final pass at your next video (at either the scripting or editing stage)...

...imagine you're reviewing the video after you published it... and it totally flopped!

(And notice yourself become a little more brutal with your feedback 😉)

Huge shoutout to Andra from Efficient App (my wonderful client!) for this awesome mindset shift! 🙏

That's all for this week.

After a busy month, I've decided to go totally offline for the next 10 days (first time in over a year!)

So... no newsletters for the next 2 weeks!

Appreciate your patience, grateful for your support... and wishing you all the best for now ☕️

Speak soon,
George 👋

Brought to you by:
​The AI Scriptwriting Toolbox

Want to write YouTube scripts 2x faster (without sacrificing creativity)?

Skip repetitive scriptwriting tasks and upload more consistently with these easy-to-use AI tools, designed specifically for YouTubers.

Get the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox

I used to find YouTube scriptwriting incredibly stressful.

Yup, me, a YouTube scriptwriter 😅

Despite working on videos that have gained 40m+ views, the "blank page" was always a major source of stress.

Every time I sat down to write, I worried that I wouldn't be able to replicate past successes.

And overthinking would turn into complete inertia.

That is, until I discovered...

The beauty of repeatable systems 😇

*cue angelic choir*

Thankfully, I spent a lot of time developing systems and frameworks to combat those feelings.

That way, when I sat down, I had a repeatable system that I could use every single time.

In 2023, I released that system: The YouTube Scriptwriting Playbook.

I still use it to this day... literally every time I sit down to write.

But, of course, a LOT has changed since then.

With the rise of AI over the last two years, simply creating systems isn't enough anymore.

It's about how to implement them faster.

That's where the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox comes in 🤖

These are the tools that 2023 George WISHES he'd had.

I've spent months wrestling with ChatGPT to teach it how to transform a simple idea into a fully written, word-for-word script, complete with B-Roll suggestions... without batting an eyelid.

And... I think I've cracked it.

I already feel like I need these tools in my workflow, and... I'm pretty sure you'll find it useful for yours too.

​So, if you're ready to skip repetitive scriptwriting tasks and upload more consistently with these easy-to-use AI tools...

...check out the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox 👇

Get the AI Scriptwriting Toolbox

That's all for this week.

Any questions about any of the GPTs? You can to reply to this email and I'll get back to you.

Back to our regular emails from next week!

Speak soon,
George 👋

I used to spend hours trying to make ChatGPT write scripts for me.

(Then watch in dismay as it would churn out the same terrible hook in ten different ways.)

So… I gave it (angry) feedback 👿

I’d explain my thought process in as much detail as possible; I’d even “yell” in frustrated all-caps if the AI just really wasn’t getting it.

It was kinda soul destroying 😆

I knew people were using AI to do cool stuff, but it wasn’t clicking for me.

And, all the while, I kept hearing this advice:

“You just need to know how to prompt it correctly. It’s sort of like learning a new language.”

But here’s the thing… I’m already learning a new language.

(It’s French btw, merci for asking 🇫🇷)

I believed AI was a magic wand you could wave to do pretty much anything. But now I have to learn it like a new language?!

That, plus trying to run my business? Nah.

So I decided to carry on writing scripts the “old way”… using my big ol’ brain just like I always had.

But there was a problem…

I was falling behind.

The more I saw other YouTubers using AI to increase the efficiency of their businesses, to help with creative brainstorming, and to repurpose their work across multiple platforms with significantly less effort…

…I realised I had to find a way to start using AI properly.

So I took it back to basics.

Rather than treating AI like a foreigner whose language I needed to learn…

…I started to think of it as a business coach who I could talk to in natural language.

I told it how bad the results had been when I used it to write hooks, and asked how we could work together to improve the outputs.

Gradually, it helped me understand how to prompt it more effectively.

It showed me how to “train it” on the exact principles and frameworks I used to get my clients 40m+ views.

And I started experimenting with “Custom GPTs” - basically conversation windows that have been “pre-loaded” with a bunch of context so you don’t have to prompt it from scratch.

We kept “talking”. I kept tinkering. And, finally...

In mid-2024, I released "ScriptHook".

A free, “custom GPT”, trained on my hook-writing methods.

12 months later - it’s been used 5k+ times 👀

That’s five thousand YouTube hooks written using this tool.

If you’re among the many who tried it out… thanks! I hope it’s simplified your life as a YouTuber as much as it has mine.

But the truth is… ScriptHook was just the start.

This year, I built an arsenal of custom GPTs, all trained on my scriptwriting system.

I identified the most difficult, frustrating and time-consuming parts of the scriptwriting process, with one clear goal:

Could I halve the time it takes to write a YouTube script?

3 months later - I’m close to achieving that goal.

Because now, when I sit down to write a script, I’m not doing it “alone”.

I’ve got 12 AI specialists working for me to make every script feel like a breeze.

They can:

• Turn a messy brainstorm into a first draft (bullet point or word-for-word).
• Write hooks, CTAs, and B-Roll suggestions without thinking.
• Analyse your entire script and “predict” where retention will dip.
• And much, much more.

The best part?

They’re ALL trained on my tried-and-tested scriptwriting system trusted by 600+ YouTubers. I’ve basically uploaded my entire brain to these GPTs 😆🫠

Every output is first checked against 30,000+ words of scriptwriting context.

Prompting an AI from scratch can’t produce outputs with the same level of nuance.

So… what do you say?

These tools drop on July 25th - grab them here!

Any questions? You can to reply to this email and I'll get back to you!

Speak soon,
George 👋

3 years ago, I left Ali Abdaal's team and started my own business.

Today, I'm taking a moment to reflect on what I've learned, including.

• Why most YouTubers should NOT outsource scriptwriting.
• The mental ups and downs of making a lot of money and then suddenly making a lot less.
• How I still, to this day, have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.

Ngl... this is probably the most honest I've been about a lot of topics I haven't spoken about before.

But first...

SHOUTOUT

Go from "idea" to "published" in less than 1 hour!

Now I finally have WiFi, it's sooo nice to be able to...

• Flick the camera on.
• Mock up some basic slides.
• Record myself + my screen.

...knowing that, when I'm done, Tella has already made my video look incredibly beautiful 🤩

Plus, they just shipped a new feature called "Auto-Layouts", which literally edits the camera/screen combo for you.

It made this newsletter 10x easier to pull off - so I thought I'd shout them out and share my affiliate link!

Give Tella a try here:

Yes, I want beautiful screen recordings!

🧠 3 years building a YouTube scriptwriting business - reflections:

‍

Watch the full video here!

Or, if video ain't your thing, here's everything I covered in my ramble...

Full list of reflections:

Ignore well-meaning people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

• When I applied to work for Ali Abdaal, I had a normal job in London. I lost count of the number of my colleagues who said “Err you’re doing what? Be careful!”
• Even after getting the job with Ali, I had some beers with some old colleagues, and they said “unless you’re making 6 figures, you should probably come back to work here cos it’s safer.”
• Well-meaning friends can, unfortunately, completely f with your mind and make things worse.

Some YouTubers are control freaks who should not hire a scriptwriter. (I am one of those people!)

• In fact, most YouTubers shouldn’t hire a scriptwriter tbh.

Throwing money at expensive coaches and courses is not a shortcut to winning YouTube if you can’t commit any time to it yourself.

• I’ve had people spend $5k+ on my services, redeem 0 of the deliverables, and not grow.
• If you absolutely want to outsource, find your voice first, then be willing to spend at least 3mo working closely with your writer to get them on track.

Sometimes a great client and a great writer just don’t mesh.

• ~30% of my past clients fired me or I fired myself after only 1-2 scripts.
• We should normalise this!

I miss Twitter.

• If you know, you know.

I have no idea what I’m doing.

• I forgot to turn up to my Business Insider interview.
• I didn’t turn my mic on for my Jay Clouse interview.
• I accidentally set the price of my flagship course to $9.99 right before funnelling Ali’s entire community to the checkout.

Committing to writing a newsletter with no idea how to monetize it was the most valuable decision I’ve ever made.

• It brought us together, no?

There’s a fundamental misconception about the “risk” of this type of work.

• I used to buy the messaging that working in YouTube is way riskier than a normal job. But having seen several of my friends in full-time work regrettably lose theirs, effectively going from 1 to 0 overnight, the increasingly aware of how lucky I am to run my own business
• I’ve had clients and income streams dip numerous times over the last 3 years, but I was never reliant on any of them for my entire income.

I wasn’t prepared for the wild mental swings tied directly to my finances.

• I felt financially free in 2024 due to an $80k course launch.
• But felt financially stressed for the first half of 2025 after my expenses ballooned and sales struggled to keep up.
• The “trick” is figuring out how to stay the course throughout all of these moments.

Businesses go through seasons and I didn’t sufficiently prepare for the reality of that.

• I was irresponsible with money after launching my course because I tricked myself into thinking I’d “done the hard work” and the rest would be upside.
• But after running at a loss for a few months earlier this year, reducing my expenses, pivoting my business, and getting back on track… I’m very aware that right now is the moment to steel myself against future downturns.
• When I was making stupid money, I was wrong to think it wouldn’t end. When I was running at a loss, I was also wrong to think it wouldn’t end.

I underestimated the value of in-person events until I started doing them.

• If you get the chance to go to a free in-person event in your industry, do it.
• If it's paid, weigh it up (and probably still do it).

I already regret not being more “present”.

• I game out disastrous scenarios in my head constantly... and noticed that I've been doing it ever since starting out 3 years ago.
• This occasionally means I'll go into my head when I wish I was present. It's very annoying and I aim to get better at that.

“Once I round that corner, my schedule will calm down a bit” is the biggest lie I continue to tell myself.

• I am yet to figure this out. Am I supposed to “lock in” or “clock off early”? I have no idea.

Creating a course is the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done.

• I have no idea how people make several per year.

I am very lucky.

• On a stressful day, it’s very easy to overlook how fortunate I am. Especially when we’re constantly faced with how well other people are doing.
• “She’s doing $20k p/m!” “He lives in California!” “She drives a BMW!”
• Must remember to be more present

That's all for this week.

Any questions? You can to reply to this email and I'll get back to you.

Speak soon,
George 👋