Create more engaging videos with simple, actionable scriptwriting tips.

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:

1/ Set Constraints

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.

1. Pick a "safe" topic similar to a video you’ve made before.
2. Challenge yourself to a 10-minute brainstorm. In that time, create a super basic bullet point structure - maybe as few as 1 bullet point per segment.
3. Limit yourself to a 50-minute script editing session. Bulk out the most important parts first.

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.

2/ Do Something For You

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:

1. Found a hill.
2. Walked up it.
3. Recorded a guitar lesson in a field.

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.

3/ Take the Pressure Off

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:

1. Constrain the time you're allowed to spend scripting.
2. Film in a new location.
3. Experiment freely on a second channel.

​
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.

Scriptwriting is a weird part of YouTube.

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.

Times are changing

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.

So, you might have guessed by now, but this guy…

…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?)

Here's the twist!

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'.

Get 20% Off 1of10 Now

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…

Should I ask them to like and subscribe?!

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…

Why end-screen CTAs matter

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:

1/ Identify a video that goes deeper on a topic explored in the current video.

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…

2/ Follow my 3-step CTA formula:

1. Link - refer back to the chosen topic covered in the video.
2. Curiosity - open a new curiosity gap around that topic.
3. Promise/CTA - outline the transformation they’ll experience by clicking your next video.

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:

• 🎥 "Now, we've talked about how creators are using "Recommendations" to grow their email lists faster..."
• 🎥 "...but it's having an even bigger impact on some creators' revenue thanks to one critical part of their approach."
• 🎥 "So check out this video where we show you how you can actually get paid for your newsletter recommendations."

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.

• Setups.
• Payoffs.

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.)

Let's start with “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.

Now, let's write your “setup”

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.

It's literally that simple.

1. Open curiosity with your “setup”.
2. Resolve it with your “payoff”.

(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.

That being said...

…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.

So, in a nutshell:

1. Write payoff.
2. Write setup.
3. (Optional) Bullet point to get from setup to payoff.

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…

The Hook

If writing a hook is proving mind-boggling… then stop.

Instead, take a step back and write down the following components:

Education/edutainment channel:

1. Target: This is my target audience.
2. Transformation: This is their desired transformation.
3. Stakes: Here’s what’s at stake.

Entertainment channel:

1. Character: These are the characters.
2. Concept: This is the concept.
3. Stakes: Here’s what’s at stake.

Here’s an educational example from a video I’m working on:

Target

• Creators struggling with YouTube scriptwriting. They feel constantly overwhelmed and don't know many best practices. Their retention is usually pretty bad and they don't know why. Biggest fear - their channel will never grow.

Transformation

• They'll learn a systemised approach to scriptwriting that makes their scripts more engaging and faster to write. They'll have go-to frameworks they can use if they feel uninspired or overwhelmed.

Stakes

• If writing doesn't become easier and videos keep underperforming, they'll probably give up. Their dream of going full-time on YouTube will collapse.

Why is this useful?

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.

Wanna make this even easier?

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.

Use ScriptHook - 100% Free

​
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!

1/ My readers are incredible

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.

2/ People struggle with a teleprompter

This was a common topic 😆 If you can relate, you are so not alone.

My quick thoughts:

• If it ain't working, stick at it.
• If it still ain't working, try reverting to bullet points.

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).

3/ Phase in new video ideas

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.

4/ Commit

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.

5/ You're already ahead

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 👋

‍

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.

Here's what's coming...

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:

• I overintellectualized a lot of stuff - I thought making things "sound clever" was how I should create value 😆
  • So the focus of V2 is to simplify everything, use more visual aids, etc.

• I assumed everyone had TIME to write word-for-word scripts. But a lot of students asked for best practices when time is limited.
  • So V2 has a big focus on this (with a TONNE of new cheatsheets to make life 10x easier).

• Many lessons made sense "in theory", but were sometimes hard to apply.
  • In V2, I've added a bunch of practical exercises to help students hone specific skills (rather than having to apply EVERYTHING to a working script).

​
But this is just the beginning. I've made some huge changes to YTSP and I cannot wait to share it all soon!

Existing students get all this for free.

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).

1/ Find Outliers

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.

2/ Identify the Structure

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.

3/ Analyse 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:

• Why is this here?
• How did it make me feel?
• Why did it pique my curiosity?
• How does it work in relation to the sentences before and after?
• How does it contribute to the overall hook?

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.

But what about the rest of the script?

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...

I'm putting this newsletter on hiatus until the end of June.

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 👇

Watch Now

‍

The 3 Levels of YouTube Scriptwriting

The main objections I get to writing word-for-word scripts are:

• I don't have time.
• It's not always fun.
• After the "bullet point" stage, scriptwriting has diminishing returns.

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.

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Level 0

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.

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Level 1

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:

• Explain that, to get faster at scriptwriting, the viewer needs a system.

That's it. Level 1 complete.

You'd write a bullet point like this for every segment, and riff on them.

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Level 2

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:

1. Setup (explain why the segment is important).
2. Tension (gradually add information and build towards the reveal).
3. Payoff (reveal the exciting or important information).​

Here's my "level 2" script extract:

• Setup
  • "But first, we need to talk about the most important thing every YouTuber needs before they start writing."
• Tension
  • Metaphor about not having a system for something.
  • Possibly something about sports teams - they have systems of play which make outcomes more predictable.
  • Compare: trying to play elite-level sport without a system... to writing YouTube scripts without a system.
• Payoff
  • "And that’s the first principle you need to understand. Unless you have a scriptwriting system, the writing process will always feel unfocused and chaotic, making it impossible to get faster."

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.

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Level 3

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:

• Setup
  • But first, we need to talk about the most important thing every YouTuber needs before they start writing.
• Tension
  • And to understand what it is, we need to talk about David Beckham. [Harsh cut to close-up of Beckham B-Roll]
  • In his Netflix documentary, his teammates describe how it felt to play alongside him. And they all said the same thing. [B-Roll Gary Neville, quote appears beside him blurred out.]
  • They always knew where Becks was gonna be.
  • Without even looking, they could pass the ball up the right wing knowing he'd be there to collect it. [Supercut archive clips of this happening.]
  • But how was that possible?
  • Well, elite-level sports teams always have a system. [B-Roll famous managers in front of whiteboards.]
  • Players spend years drilling different scenarios so, when they have to act fast, they do it instinctively.
  • And while you can play team sports without a system, it makes it impossible to predict your own performance. [Possible B-Roll from Man Utd's 2023/4 season lol]
  • Trying to make an elite-level YouTube video is the same.
  • Without a system, you can't guarantee results.
• Payoff.
  • And that’s the first principle you need to understand.
  • Unless you have a scriptwriting system, the writing process will always feel unfocused and chaotic. [Text: You need a system.]
  • But once you have one, problems like writer's block will almost completely disappear, and you'll start to write better scripts, faster.

Then, we'd transition into the SETUP for segment 2:

• Which begs the question - how do we create a system for writing YouTube scripts...?

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Which level is right for me?

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 👋