Stop trying to write perfect scripts

Last week, I released a video showcasing the most important retention graph lesson I've ever learned.

In a nutshell:

Big retention drop-offs are not always caused by something you did "wrong" during that moment.

In fact, they can sometimes be caused by something you did before the drop-off itself:

1. Hook didn't set clear structural expectations for the video.
2. Setup immediately before the drop-off wasn't curiosity-inducing.
3. Segment before the drop-off was poorly executed, creating loss of trust, and no desire to watch the next segment.

But a student in my community challenged me on this, pointing out that those dips could equally be caused by editing choices, like:

• Static talking-head framing = low energy.
• Shot length mismatches; either cutting too early or too soon.
• Misuse of audio - setting the wrong tone, no music "punch" during key reveals, etc.

To be honest... he's completely right!

And this illustrates the exact problem many of you expressed in response to last week's email, where I asked you to describe your #1 scriptwriting roadblock.

You said:

"There are so many things to focus on that it's hard to know where to start."

But throw in editing as well? And, hell, what about ideation? Not to mention thumbnail design?!

The truth is: being a YouTuber is overwhelming.

And that overwhelm can stop you from ever starting, or bring you to a jarring stop.

So here's my advice:

Pick one thing. And test ONLY that thing for 2-3 scripts.

Let me give you a real example:

Last year, I was diagnosing a client's retention graph, and noticed something:

Whenever we began a segment by explaining the wrong way to approach whatever sub-topic we were teaching...

...retention flattened out.

Almost like the viewers were captivated by seeing their current behaviour presented back to them.

So, on our next couple of videos, we tested it - deliberately beginning every segment by saying something like:

"So you've probably tried [X] before, because you thought the outcome would be [positive thing Y]. But in reality, you found yourself in [negative scenario Z]. Well, here's why..."

Consistently, retention flattened out during these moments, so we kept on doing it.

And here's the important point - this is now something I do without even thinking about it.

It's an experiment I ran once upon a time, which has now become part of my default writing mode.

So, in a moment, I'll share some quick ideas for little scriptwriting tests you could run.

But I want to hammer home this point:

You must accept that you're always going to be missing something.

And that's fine, because you can test that "something" the next time around.

This isn't a race. You've got the rest of your YouTube career to keep testing and keep finding answers to the mistakes you wish you could tackle today.

The key is to keep going; to NOT get snowed under by the number of things you could be doing better.

So for your next 2-3 scripts, why not try these small experiments?

For the "meta" of scriptwriting:

• Trial bullet point scripting instead of word-for-word (or vice versa) and see how it feels.
• Set a time limit to avoid scope creep.
• Test writing at different times of day to see how it affects your capabilities.

For specific script tests:

• Force yourself to halve the length of your normal hooks. Then, review first 30s retention and overall retention shape as a result.
• Practise adding audience-focused language to all your setups.
• Implement my end-screen CTA formula, if you haven't already.

That's all for this week!

Speak soon,
George 👋