Want to write YouTube Scripts 2x faster using AI? Get the ‘AI Scriptwriting Toolbox’ on July 25th - Join the Waitlist

Write On Time

Create more engaging videos with simple, actionable scriptwriting tips.

Join 5000+ scriptwriting nerds reading “Write On Time”. Insights from writing for multi-million subscriber YouTubers sent to your inbox every Friday.

"I started a Chess channel and applied some things from your newsletter. In the first month I'm doing over a million views on long form content and have 3 videos cracking the 100k views mark."

Chess Nuke

@chessnuke

30k+ Subcribers

Subscribers

Hey!

Writing scripts is super frustrating.

In fact, writing anything usually a ballache.

I’m not sure why anyone would choose it as a career 😜

Especially when it comes to the hook or the CTA, every word seems critical.

And it is.

But if there is no “right” way to write anything, where do you even begin?

Well… it all starts with acceptance.

Specifically, acknowledging and celebrating the fact that your first draft should suck.

Because what matters is how you adapt the rubbish on your second, third and fourth drafts.

So this week I wanna show you the evolution of a CTA I re-wrote 4 times this week.

Primarily, I hope this helps you write a better CTA.

(But, secretly, I hope this gives you permission to suck on your first try.)

1/ The Setup

This scriptwriting breakdown draws on two threads I wrote earlier this year.

You’ll still understand the rest of this email without them, but feel free to dig in for additional context.

1/ Original thread on writing a compelling CTA that gets people to watch your next video:

‍

2/ Original thread on the writing process I use that stops me feeling burned out but still delivers strong results:

‍

2/ Purpose

I’m a huge advocate of highlighting the purpose of certain parts of your script (e.g. payoffs) because it makes it easier to see whether you need to adapt your script’s structure.

These are the essential components I use in every end-of-video CTA.

In this breakdown, I’ve highlighted things in the following way:

🔴 – LINK to current video topic.

🟡 – CURIOSITY GAP created.

🟢 – PROMISE/CTA delivered.

Let’s get into it…

3/ The Script

The main aim of this CTA is to get as many viewers as possible to watch the next video.

Draft 1 – The Bare Bones.

We’ve got the LINK back to the current topic. Cool.

But the rest isn’t great.

The CURIOSITY GAP is surface-level, with only passing reference to “you could make more money”. Ideally, we want to be speaking to the deeper wants and desires of our audience. Why do they want to make more money? What does that unlock for their lives?

As for the CTA/PROMISE… it seems I only got as far as the CTA and gave up.

All in all, a classic first draft!

Draft 2 – Precision.

The LINK was fine before, but is now even more specific.

The CURIOSITY GAP is too. It now specifically mentions the thing that’s holding you back from monetising your channel are other “huge myths”.

There’s now a specific PROMISE of transformation too, e.g. what they’ll get by watching the next video. In this case, they’ll learn what the myths are, thereby helping them make more money.

But, although the promise is more specific than before, it’s too surface level…

Draft 3 – Overcorrection.

The LINK is re-written for personal taste.

But the CURIOSITY GAP is now way too bloated.

Just look at how wordy the middle is. I’m taking three sentences to say what I could have said in 1-2.

Somehow, the PROMISE got less specific as I tried to expand it. From “unlock even more potential revenue streams” to “make more money”.

Overcorrecting is such an easy tendency when you’re feeling like you haven’t hit the nail on the head. It can actually be useful though.

It’s better to have too much than not enough, as long as you know how to tidy it up…

Draft 4 – Success.

I made the LINK more succinct to allow more room for the…

CURIOSITY GAP, which now uses more direct language and piques further interest by suggesting these other myths are super common.

The PROMISE is super specific too, speaking to a deeper need beyond “more money”. Now, we’re promising to help them make more money without sacrificing work-life balance, which is a common objection.

Fourth time’s the charm!

4/ Takeaway

Key features of a strong CTA:

Succinct but clear LINK back to the topic of the current video.
CURIOSITY GAP that directly addresses the viewer and instils a sense of fear/FOMO.
Highly specific PROMISE that goes beyond surface level claims and taps into a deeper need your audience has.

But, remember:

You’re not trying to hit this on your first draft.

It can be bloated, inaccurate, wordy, unfunny, boring, stupid, or totally incomplete when you start out.

In fact, I’d encourage you to let it be all of these things.

It’s much easier to adapt a pile of crap than a blank page 😉

That’s all for now! Back to more retention reviews next week.

Let me know your thoughts on this, and how you approach the most important parts of your script!

Speak soon,

George 👋

‍

Scripting Frameworks

Retention

Storytelling

Payoff

Hook

Hey! Let's dive in...

‍

Video #1

Title: I Have 100 Days To Beat Explosive Primal Fear

Creator: NaturalCauzes

Average % viewed: 28.2%

What worked

(1/2) Hook

Breaks down his goal during the hook.

Not only does this make the idea more digestible (step 1, step 2, etc), but it also shows us clear payoffs to look forward to ahead of the finale.

(2/2) Context

After explaining the concept and getting into the action fairly quickly, the creator then zooms out a little to explain a little more context about the game (and the challenges to come).

Taking a moment like this to get everyone on the same page helps the audience feel “in the loop”.

Think of it like teaching someone a board game.

You might start by giving them a brief overview of what’s going to happen.

Then it’s easiest to just start playing a bit so the words you’re saying actually mean something in context.

But NOW you can go back to explaining things again, only this time with a little more nuance and depth, because the person you’re talking to has a greater understanding than during your first explanation, having seen the game it in action.

What to improve

(1/2) Pattern Interrupt

Watch the first minute after the hook, and see if you can spot what’s missing.

*George waits*

Did you feel that?

After the initial tension built by the hook, the video falls into a pattern of “and then, and then, and then”.

In fact, the first “but” doesn’t come until 1:42 (I checked the transcript 😉).

This risks making the video a little boring because there’s nothing to re-engage our brains.

This issue popped up a few times, especially during S2 (where viewers are gradually falling away).

(2/2) Payoffs

The miniboss teased in the hook doesn’t appear until 10 minutes and, when it does, it’s not the one that was pictured.

For the next five minutes, I no longer knew what we were building towards.

Then, we finally see the creature that was teased in the hook… but it’s only to tease us again about its eventual appearance.

It started to feel like the BBC teasing Moriarty’s death – it ends up testing the audience’s patience.

Takeaway

Be conscious of how you set your audience’s expectations during the hook. You only have so many “fake-outs” (even if they’re accidental) before they’ll lose patience.

Video #2

Title: We Need To Talk About Envato Elements (2023 Updated)

Creator: Shaun Notcutt

Average % viewed: 32.8%

What worked

(1/2) Curiosity

Shaun speaks directly to the fears/desires of his audience during the hook. How?

By directly acknowledging the comments and questions left on a previous video.

This opens multiple curiosity gaps related exactly to the interests of his audience.

(2/2) Depth

Yes, this video is ultimately about promoting one website over the others.

But the amount of detail Shaun goes into about all three is immense. He’s spent time digging up about every stat you could want from a digital asset platform review, which avoids making it feel like a giant ad for one platform.

What to improve

(1/3) Fast cuts

The end of the first sentence is cut off. There’s also an unnatural-sounding cut at 0:16.

Your audience is looking for any reason to click away in the first and last 5% of your video. Choppy dialogue is easily on the list of reasons to go.

(2/3) Visuals

The comparison screens are pretty bland – a fully white screen with text and logos popping up. And this is on-screen for 4 uninterrupted minutes.

A more interesting way to display these stats: pick the most interesting takeaways in each category, and use B-Roll of the actual websites (or footage downloaded from those websites) while discussing them.

There’s a choice to be made here about being informative vs entertaining, but 4 minutes of seeing numbers read out on a white screen understandably loses people (see S3).

Perhaps the full comparison/breakdown could have been available in the description as a free download for anyone who wanted it.

(3/3) CTA

We find out which website is best (final payoff), but then the creator spends another minute talking about the winning choice.

To my mind, we should have understood why this one was best over the course of the video, rather than having it summarised (or new info added) at the eleventh hour.

Tied into this, we also get asked to comment, subscribe, watch the next video, and sign up to the product through an affiliate link.

Too many CTAs lead to decision fatigue, and we’re more likely to do nothing.

Takeaway

Don’t give heaps of new info after a conclusion/payoff. If it feels like you need to, I suggest going back through the video to thread those thoughts in throughout.

Video #3

Title: Quit Procrastinating with THIS 1 Technique (in 2 minutes)

Creator: Karl Avillo, MD

Average % viewed: 70.3%

What worked

(1/2) Subject Framing

Borrowing frameworks from other types of content and applying them to your niche is a great way to come up with new ideas.

Atomic Habits has oversaturated the productivity space in the last couple of years, so it’s nice to see Karl reframing the discussion in a two minute summary.

(2/2) Structure

He builds a nice new layer of curiosity into the video at the midpoint.

We learn the theory behind building habits, but then Karl implies that there’s even a way to make it easier (rather than giving us all that information out the gate).

What to improve

(1/2) Technical

Audio is out of sync from 1:10-1:30.

When you’ve been staring at your edit for hours, it’s easy to miss things like:

Audio/video sync
Multiple text/effects popping up out of time with each other.
Typos

No need to explain why this isn’t good. Give yourself a day away from the edit and look over it with a clear head (whether you’re editing it, or giving feedback to your editors).

(2/2) Concept

This video is one of the lowest performing on Karl’s channel from the last 6 months, and the minor technical issues aren’t to blame – the video looks great overall.

But, despite what I said about the framing, the problem is this – distilling the key lessons from Atomic Habits has been done to death.

Of course, it’s important to take inspiration from other channels when getting started, but a creator eventually needs to lean into their own style a little more. This video is too close to 2021 Ali Abdaal content to feel exciting in 2023.

Takeaway

You can (and should) take inspiration from others, but you eventually need to lean into your style/format/angle to stand out.

That’s all for now!

Speak soon,

George 👋

‍

Retention

Buckle up for 3 more reviews, Retentioneers…

Video #1

Title: SNEAKY MIX BUS TRICKS Pro Mixers Use To HOOK LISTENERS

Creator: Plugin Alley

Average % viewed: 56.9%

What worked

(1/2) Hook

The hook is sick (though the music drowns out the voice a little).

The creator puts himself in the audience’s shoes and precisely articulates the problems they’re facing (they’ve tried mimicing tutorials to a build mix bus, yet always find the result they never had the same energy).

Mix this with the high energy performance, plenty of B-Roll, some humour, and I’m in.

But there’s an even cooler (and more subtle) trick he uses to bring us into the “story” of the hook…

Now, you might expect this from a sound engineer, but listen to how the music is timed to exaggerate key moments in the intro (e.g. he sits back in disappointment at 0:14, and a subtle, base-y “boom” can be heard). Most creators underutilise techniques like this.

(2/2) Editing

A lot of personality comes across in the edit (see funny B-Roll example at 0:22 and silly cutaway style at 5:06).

It’s full of highly intentional Ken Burns crops, zooms, SFX, incorporation of memes, etc.

Hayden Hillier-Smith often talks about showcasing your personality through editing, and this creator does it constantly.

What to improve

(1/2) Overexplaining

The dropoff during S3 can probably be explained by a little too much dry explanation.

I love that the creator is incorporating storytelling, but after the excellent use of B-Roll and cutaways up to this point, the pacing slows too much.

Always think: what is the next payoff my audience is expecting?

In this case, it takes 70 seconds to get from introducing the point to revealing the point. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but nothing really happens to re-engage the audience during that time – it starts with an amusing meme, but then transitions into a “and then, and then, and then” story about how this mastering trick was discovered.

(2/2) CTA

Last payoff happens at 5:58, but the video goes on for another 35s.

In this case, the CTA is too wordy and spends too long summarising the current video.

For a quick recap, here’s how I write a CTA.

In this case, the “link” (the bit that relates the CTA to the current video) goes on for too long:

(“I bet your mind is blown by all the tricks you just learned that the pro’s use to make their [etc etc]”)

It comes across like a summary, rather than a CTA. Your audience are 10x more likely to click away during these final moments, so you need to open a new curiosity gap right away.

Takeaway

Always think: what is the next payoff my audience is expecting? And is it clear that we’re constantly building towards it?

Video #2

Title: Why you might fail A-Level maths – and how to avoid it!

Creator: Kevin Olding – Mathsaurus

Average % viewed: 22%

What worked

(1/1) Relaxing

Kevin’s delivery style is relaxed and, in turn, relaxing!

Opening by acknowledging that A-Level maths is difficult instantly warms me to him, and I think it’d do the same for any students watching.

The type of camera presence required by you, as a YouTuber, will obviously vary based on your niche. But this calm style works perfectly here.

What to improve

(1/3) CTA

Way too many CTAs in the first minute:

Check out the link in the description
Like the video
Subscribe
Comment below

Front-loading all this before the video’s value has been delivered is unlikely to be effective, because it doesn’t feel like we “owe” you anything yet.

It’s also overwhelming to be asked to do too many things at once, so decision fatigue makes it likely we won’t do anything at all.

(2/3) Storytelling

The story about Newton and Hook was way too tangential to the topic at hand. A cursory reference to this at the start would have built sufficient intrigue, before explaining the relevance of the quote is about “building on what’s come before”.

Currently, the core idea is explained at the start, so hearing a 150 second anecdote about Newton now becomes frustrating, because I’ve already understood the lesson Kevin needs me to take from it.

The ultimate payoff from this video is about how to avoid failing maths, but so long is spent just setting up the reasons that it’s hard in the first place, I found myself desperate to start skipping ahead.

This was a common theme across the video – we needed to get to the point faster.

(3/3) Target Audience

From the title, this video seems to be aimed squarely at students.

But anecdotes like the one in the middle seemed more appropriate for teachers.

Overall, the video lacked focus – I wasn’t sure who the ideal viewer was. Students? Teachers? Parents? Parts of the video seemed to appeal to all three.

This is where drawing up an audience avatar comes in handy – figure out who you’re talking to, what drives them, what they fear, etc. It becomes far easier to tailor your script to that audience.

Takeaway

Don’t frontload your video with CTAs because it doesn’t feel like we “owe” you anything yet. Make sure you deliver at least a bit of what the audience has clicked for before making the ask.

Video #3

Title: Twitch is Worse Than You Can Imagine

Creator: Big Craig

Average % viewed: 61.2%

What worked

(1/2) Curiosity Gaps

People like me who haven’t used Twitch for a few years will be surprised to hear:

It’s now full of NSFW content.
It’s used to promote gambling.
It somehow resulted in someone’s death.

Craig deliberately contradicts viewer expectations right at the start.

(Worth noting that he also delivers on all these claims – it’s not clickbait).

(2/2) Storytelling

This storytelling method in this video is called “in medias res” and it’s fairly common on YouTube. Hook the audience with the most explosive points, then gradually join the dots to show how you got there.

After the arresting claims in the hook, we jump back to understand how Twitch started, and are shown the good things that came from it initially (community-building, people able to make a living, etc).

Then, gradually, we build towards the state of play we were shown at the start, with each issue (gambling, NSFW, fatality) first hinted at and then explained.

(Side note: music is used brilliantly to aid the storytelling too… see how the whole tone changes from 4:10 because of the music.)

What to improve

(1/1) Repetition

For the most part, the pacing is great.

But the dip during S3 coincides with a moment where a payoff is given too early, then B-Roll is used to simply repeat the point that was just made.

Specifically, Craig explains that a certain streamer was loaned $100,000, then B-Roll of the streamer revealing this info is played.

But given we already know the amount, we’re not learning anything new. The B-Roll also drags a little, with the streamer stumbling over his words a bit. So for 25ish seconds, we’re basically discussing a payoff that already happened.

Craig could have hinted at “a massive loan” the creator was given, then show the B-Roll (trimmed) which reveals the amount.

Takeaway

Classic storytelling techniques like ‘in medias res’ are just as effective on YouTube when done well. Reveal one of the most explosive points at the start, then gradually help the audience join the dots to see how we got there.

That’s all for now!

Speak soon,

George 👋

‍

Storytelling

Business of Scriptwriting

Hey there,

Before we get started, I thought you might find this useful…

How I write a hook

I’ve been working with Ed for the last 6 months, writing material for his new channel, Creator Booth.

It finally launched this week, so I decided to break down the process I used to write the hook for this video…

I hope that gives you some insight! Alrighty, let’s get into it…

Video #1

Title: Will property prices keep falling?

Creator: Property Hub

Average % viewed: 68.5%

What worked

(1/2) Hook

One of the many lessons I’ve learned from Jake Thomas: negativity is a powerful attention-grabber.

(That sounds like an insult – but I’m not talking about his personality 😅)

This video opens with: negativity x broad appeal… because, whether you’re a homeowner or a tenant, house prices affect you.

Worrying stats are given instant crediblity with screenshots from financial reports.

And a Christopher Nolan-esque score sets the mood. I’M IN!

(2/2) CTA

This video’s CTA follows my formula from last week! (Not claiming credit of course – he made this video months ago!)

Links back to current video (housing market is bad)
Opens a curiosity gap (this could actually be good news for you, but only if you take advantage in the next 3-6 months)
Delivers a CTA/Promise (click this video and I’ll tell you how to take advantage)

And… just look at that end screen CTR 😍

What to improve

(1/1) Rapid-fire jargon

This video is mostly accessible for anyone, but there’s a gradual decline during S4.

Remember, some people watching this video simply want to know:

Whether the value of their house will go down, or…
Whether house prices will go low enough for them to get on the ladder.

But suddenly being hit with “interest rates”, then “mortgage rates”, then “inflation”, then drawing a hypothesis from this about how this will affect the bank of England setting interest rates… it’s just a lot in 10 seconds.

While I’m still piecing this together, other stats and percentages are already flying my way. The result?

I’ve lost the plot 🤣

For as long as your viewer feels smart, you’ve got them hooked. But once they feel outside the loop… it’s hard to get them back in.

Takeaway

Your content can absolutely be aimed at non-beginners, but the target audience should be consistent.

If an otherwise beginner-friendly video suddenly goes jargon-heavy, retention will suffer.

Video #2

Title: We Played A MARIO KART KNOCKOFF!

Creator: Hulagh

Average % viewed: 43.1%

What worked

(1/1) Comedy

These two have really good chemistry and I found Hulagh’s increasing frustration hilarious, especially juxtaposed with his friend’s calm tone.

It got me thinking more broadly… why not try filming a video with a friend just to see how you vibe? Could be an interesting experiment.

What to improve

(1/2) Stakes

There’s nothing specific to keep us watching, other than seeing them race again and again.

It’s funny throughout, but nothing new is added.

The stakes need to be elevated in some way, beyond simply wondering who’s going to win.

Maybe it’s a best of 5 and the loser has a forefeit.

Or whoever wins the race gets a handicap in the next one.

Obviously, there’s no obligation to do this, but if we’re talking retention, continuous gameplay with nothing else underlying will graudally lose viewers.

(2/2) Clarity

Retention takes a bit of a dive in S2.

I felt that after 1min, we’d only seen about 10s of gameplay, and either side of that there was a little too much of the players talking over each other.

In conjunction with my first point about stakes, I basically wasn’t sure where the video was going or who I was about to spend the next 7 minutes with.

I would have liked to have been properly introduced to the additional player who pops up, and to have it made clearer what the end-goal of the video was. As it is, I felt a little outside the joke.

Takeaway

Even when a video is funny, the viewer needs to have a sense of where it’s going to stay fully engaged.

25% OFF The Retention Hub

The Retention Hub

Spring Sale [30% OFF]

See all my reviews in one place.

Filter 70+ breakdowns by niche, views, retention problem, average view duration (%) and more.

A much faster way to learn better storytelling, create more engaging content and grow your channel faster.

Get 30% OFF using the code SPRING30.

Learn More

Video #3

Title: The Tragic Downfall of Demi Lovato (What Went Wrong)

Creator: K-Jams

Average % viewed: 42.0%

What worked

(1/2) Pacing

This video is efficient in its information delivery and we don’t spend too long indulging in any one segment of Demi’s life.

But that’s not to say it’s all fast cuts and rushing. The video alternates between rapid-fire info, and slowing down to show interview clips/quotes, etc.

(2/2) Editing

B-Roll is often enhanced to amplify what’s going on in a given moment (TV static filter on news reports, etc).

This keeps the visuals varied and interesting.

What to improve

(1/2) Hook

The video opens with a little too much “telling”, rather than “showing”.

Although we see plenty of B-Roll as K-Jams lists Demi’s accolades, we rely on the voiceover to get a picture of what’s going on.

Compare this to one of Dodford’s documentaries…

The opening B-Roll is constructed in a way that gives us a vivid emotional picture, without the creator having to say a word.

This video about Donald Glover also uses another incredibly effective technique to heighten the emotion and capture our interest, that could elevate K-Jams’s content even further…

(2/2) Music

The music is currently incidental to the video… it’s there because it’s better than silence.

Most videos I review use music passively – that is, without any specific purpose.

But there’s a reason most great movies also have incredible scores. Music’s ability to heighen our emotions and reactions should never be understated, even on YouTube.

Key moments in this video could have been accentuated with a more deliberate use of music.

Takeaway

Most creators use music passively. Try using it with purpose to accentuate key moments of the video.

That’s all for this week!

Speak soon,

George 👋

‍

Storytelling

No results found.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

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 👋

Today, I filmed 2 videos.

Video 1: Word-for-word; 2-3 hours spent scripting.
Video 2: Bullet point; 30 minutes spent scripting; converted from a newsletter, and mostly riffed based on the original copy.

Today, I'm sharing some quick reflections on both experiences to help you refine your own writing/filming workflow.

(And to help you feel less alone in the endlessly weird life of a YouTuber! 😆)

But first...

WORK WITH ME

Limited Coaching Spots Now Available!

It's been 18 months since I last offered coaching.

From August, I'm reopening a limited number of spots.

Apply if you're interested in:

1-1 Coaching
Script Reviews
Retention Analysis

I have no plans to open additional spots in the near future, and I'll be selecting channels based on a combo of how much I think I can help + first-come-first-served.

So, if you'd like to apply, click here:

Learn More

Ok, back to it...

Biggest Reflection from the Filming Session

It was really flippin' hard:

Despite working with YouTubers for 4 years, appearing on loads of podcasts and generally being confident in front of a crowd... actually turning the camera on changes something.
I recorded an entire script and started again because I felt so wooden.

Reflections on Word-for-Word scripting:

Without a teleprompter, word-for-word scripts are semi-useless.

Glancing back and forth at a word-for-word script and trying to remember the line before delivering it feels almost no different to using bullet points.
If you don't have a teleprompter, it's probably not worth writing word-for-word.

Pressure felt way higher.

Because I'd honed the script to try and make it awesome, I felt pressure to deliver every line perfectly.
Unlike bullet point scripting (where my delivery could elevate the script), delivering word-for-word lines felt like I had more to lose!

I felt in control.

All that being said, I turned the camera off feeling confident in how the final product will turn out.
I don't have the same level of certainty with my bullet point video - even though (as we'll see) I had more fun making it.

Reflections on Bullet Point scripting:

Don't try to be word-perfect.

You're not livestreaming - you can cut things! I know this goes against my usual advice of "don't rely on the edit to save you".
But if you are recording a bullet point script, it's better to let your thoughts flow (knowing you can trim them down) than to overthink every sentence and make 0 progress.

I had way more fun.

Eeeek. Business model imploding. Scripting is... less fun?? Well... kinda. For context, I would have been lost without the structure (which looked like this...)

But the actual process of delivery was a lot more enjoyable. Without the structure, however, I'm not sure I'd have had so much fun.

I forgot what I'd said a lot (which was stressful).

For all that I said about having more fun, I had several moments where I was 30 seconds into a riff, messed it up, then couldn't remember where to restart my spiel.
Practice makes perfect, but... this is the reality of riffing. It's a sign that my "perfect" level of scripting is slightly higher than pure bullets, but still not word-for-word.

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 👋

An engaging YouTube video doesn't have a single "payoff" at the end.

It has payoffs every 90-120 seconds:

But many YouTubers struggle to apply this to their niche.

So today, I'll show you exactly what "setup + tension + payoff" looks like across 4 totally different niches (so you can steal it).

But first...

NEW AI TOOL IN PROGRESS

🤖 “Predict” retention BEFORE you upload?

I appreciate you joining the AI Scriptwriting GPT Waitlist!

Excited to share a preview of my new favourite tool...

Introducing: The “Retention Predictor”

Analyses your entire script.
Scores your retention /10
Tells you where viewers are likely to stop watching (so you can fix it before you film).

I'll be sharing an early demo of this in our podcast next week 👇

This is still being refined, but my course and community students will be the first to access it the moment it's ready for testing

If you'd like to join them and get EARLY access to these 12 GPTs...

I share them with my students for testing the moment each is ready. 7/12 are already finished!
Course/community students who join BEFORE the official AI launch date retain access afterwards... so you essentially get the GPTs for free if you join the course now. Just sayin' 👀

Join YTSP (access each GPT the moment they're ready)

In the meantime, I'll keep you updated about the GPTs I'm working on next!

✍️ Setup + Tension + Payoff (4 actual examples)

#1 - Listicle:

e.g. "17 cheap purchases that save me time"

Setup: “Next, I wanna talk about one of the biggest productivity-killers that everyone suffers from, but nobody talks about."

Tension: Now, whether we’ve got old piles of paper lying around on our desks or even just a banana skin that we’re too lazy to go to the kitchen and throw away, it’s super easy to end up with a messy desk when we’re busy. The huge problem this causes for our productivity is [insert productivity fact about having a messy workspace].

Payoff: That’s why item number three is having a rubbish bin in every room. It’ll save you time, make each room tidier, and stop your productivity from halving.”

Framework:

Setup: “Next, let's talk about [{thing that matters} in relation to {overall video goal}]."
Tension: [Provide context on why it matters, and how getting it wrong would impact the viewer.]
Payoff: "That’s why item number three is [reveal item, briefly conclude how this solves {thing that matters}]."

#2 - Tutorial

e.g. How to build a website using Figma

Setup: "Step 1 is preparing your project area. This is gonna allow us to keep track of the many different assets we're about to create.

Tension: In a tutorial, "tension" is literally just showing the audience the step-by-step process.

Payoff: "So, now we have our project area set up, that's gonna stop us getting overwhelmed as we build our website."

Framework:

Setup: "Step 1 is [X]. This is gonna allow us to [do thing audience wants / thing that relates to goal of tutorial]."
Tension: [Show the step-by-step process.]
Payoff: "So, now we've [achieved X], that's gonna [help achieve thing audience wants / avoid negative consequences]."

#3 - Vlog

e.g. We visited Kyoto's most expensive restaurant

Setup: "As we touched down in Kyoto, I could never have guessed where I'd be sitting just 2 hours later."

Tension: In a vlog, use plenty of voiceover and carefully selected footage from the trip to reveal events gradually. In this example, we want to keep the viewer guessing about where the YouTuber will be in 2 hours.

Payoff: "It turned out... my partner had arranged a private chef for our first night in the city." [Then, the next setup might be about the incredible dessert they had at the end of the night.]

Framework:

Setup: [Hint at X exciting/interesting thing in the location you're arriving at.]
Tension: [Show events building up to X using plenty of voiceover and carefully selected footage.]
Payoff: [Reveal X.]

#4 - Video Essay

e.g. How much protein do you ACTUALLY need to build muscle?

Setup: "But a new paper from the university of Kent might have revealed something that changes the debate completely."Tension: [Explore this paper and why it adds credence to the opinion that you need less protein.]Payoff: "So it's definitely not as straightforward as Arnie would lead us to believe."

Framework:

Setup: "But [something intriguing] has [changed/happened] which could [impact the topic in an unexpected way]."
Tension: [Explore the topic to drive tension.]
Payoff: "So it turns out that [topic] [is/isn't affected by] [something intriguing] in [specific way].

NEW INSTAGRAM POST

Bullet points? Or word for word...? 😬

This is still the most common question I get after almost 4 years as a YouTube scriptwriter.

But what if... you don’t have to decide between the two?

Check out this recent video I made to learn more:

‍Watch Now

‍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 👋

There's something super sneaky you should probably cut out of your next hook.

This won't take long to explain, and you might not be doing it!

But it's easy to miss, so worth a check...

✂️ Cut this from your hook...

At the end of most educational hooks, you have a value proposition.

That's the part where you explain exactly what your video covers.

Something like:

"So in this video we're going to rank the top 10 value-for-money Pokémon cards, and exactly where to buy them."

This is a great value proposition.

On the other hand, here's a value proposition that's too long:

❌ “In this video I'll show you how you can achieve [X]. To do that, I'm going to tell you a story— a story that will reveal the three main mistakes you're probably making, how to avoid making those mistakes, and the simple strategy I used to [overcome them].”

After reviewing a couple of videos I worked on, plus some of my students' graphs, I saw that value proposition sentences like this negatively impacted retention.

Let's look at the problems:

Repetition - the first and last highlighted sentences achieve the same thing. We explain, twice, that "I'm going to show you how to achieve X". Cut one.
The "How" - we explain the meta of how the information will be delivered ("I'm going to tell you a story"), rather than simply... telling the story.

This second point is the most important, and the sneaky thing that can hide in your hook.

So, here's that same value prop, re-written with repetition removed, and the "How" reframed:

✅ “In this video, I'll reveal the three main mistakes you're probably making, and the simple strategy I used to [overcome them]. To explain the first mistake, I have to tell you about a make-or-break moment in my career, when I almost [caused disaster]…”

Rather than explaining that we're going to tell a story soon, we deliver the value prop and then just tell the story.

I realise... this can get confusing, because we do want to make it crystal clear how our video is going to be structured so the audience feels oriented.

So, here's the simplest way to think about it:

DO outline your video's structure:

✅ "...using my 3-step system..."
✅ "...with these 5 tips..."
✅ "...by ranking the top 10..."

DON'T explain the "how":

❌ "...I'm going to tell you a story..." (just start telling the story!)
❌ "...I'm going to give you some background, and then we'll get into it..." (just give the background... you don't have to justify yourself!)
❌ "...we're gonna break this down over the course of this video..." (just break it down then, no need to warn us first!)

So, on your next hook... watch out for these!

NEW INSTAGRAM REEL

📉 Don’t make this retention mistake!

In my ongoing crusade against Ali Abdaal's bin*, I made a new IG Reel I think you'll like.

It showcases a quick hack to make your content way less boring by changing just one thing in your next script.

Watch Now

*For context, you'll have to watch! 👆

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 👋

What if you could hand your next script to an AI co-writer that understands your voice, your audience, and your YouTube goals?

That’s exactly what I’ve been building - and you can be first in line to try it... 🤖

⚡️ 12 Custom GPTs, Designed for YouTubers

Over the last month, I’ve been building 12 custom GPTs specifically for YouTubers who script their content.

Each one speeds up a job that normally clogs your writing workflow.

Two of these are already live (and free):

✅ ScriptHook – writes your hook for you; recently fine-tuned even further; used 1000+ times.
✅ StakeBake – identifies what's at stake so you can convince viewers to keep watching; used 900+ times.

But here are 3 upcoming GPTs I'm most excited about:

⚙️ Retention Predictor - feed it your script, and it warns you where retention is likely to dip.
⚙️ Structure Coach - takes your brainstorm and automatically structures the setups and payoffs in a logical order.
🚀 End-screen CTA Writer - feed it your script + the transcript of the video you're linking to, and it writes the end-screen CTA for you.

The end-screen CTA writer is already finished (and being tested by my community students).

I asked it to link two random Ali Abdaal videos...

...and here's what it came out with:

To join the waitlist and to be the first to get acess, click here!

‍

NEW PODCAST:

🎧 YouTube Strategist Reveals: How To Get 1M+ View Video Ideas

Yesterday I listened to my own podcast like a regular fan - because I wasn’t on the mic!

Jamie grilled Gwilym on the exact framework he used to come up with multiple 1m+ view videos for a new client.

It's the most practical, in-depth episode we've ever released... and we've got more case studies like this coming up 👀

Watch the Episode

🤳 On Instagram: Experienced YouTubers vs New YouTubers

My latest reel breaks down the one habit experienced YouTubers get right (which new YouTubers often get wrong) when inspiration hits.

Let me know... which of these two are you? 👇👀

Watch the Reel

Make sure to drop me a follow while you're there :)

This week, I discovered a simple retention "trick" you can write into your next script regardless of your niche.

Even cooler, this "trick" will:

Make your viewers watch longer.
Increase your video's runtime (good for audience watch time + ad revenue).
Increase your authority and highlight your personality.

Ready? Let's goooo...

The Problem:

I talk a lot about setup + tension + payoff.

Think of your scripts as a series of "segments" (e.g. topics), where each segment is broken into those three parts:

But the question I get asked constantly is:

"How do I delay the payoff without my audience getting annoyed?"

In other words, what does "tension" actually look like in a script?

Well, the retention "trick" I noticed this week helps explain this.

Example:

Let's imagine we're writing a script about making amazing pour-over coffee.

Segment 1 might be about the gear you'll need to achieve this.

So let's think about setup + tension + payoff for this segment...

Setup: "First, let's cover the exact coffee-making gear you'll need to make a delicious pourover coffee..."
Tension: ???
Payoff: [Reveal the exact gear required.]

For a segment like this, it feels quite hard to delay the payoff, right?

We start by saying they'll need specific gear. We finish by telling them what that gear is.

So... what else is there to say in between?

The retention "trick":

Over the last 2 weeks, I've reviewed a bunch of retention graphs for clients, students and even a friend from Twitter.

They're all in different niches, but I noticed retenton was flat whenever any of them used this "trick".

In a nutshell:

✅ Spend more time showing your expertise, even if it means delaying the payoff for an uncomfortable length of time.

That means, if you have particular insider knowledge about a specific topic, you must learn to be comfortable spending more time talking about it.

With our coffee video, here's the difference:

❌ "I don't recommend [gear X] or [gear Y]. Instead, you should buy [gear A] and [gear B].
- This way is more "efficient" and with a faster payoff. But it's not memorable, and the viewer won't gain a deeper understanding.
✅ "Most baristas would recommend [gear X] and [gear Y], but here's exactly what happened when we tested this across more than 100 cups of coffee..."

The second way delays the payoff, but allows the viewer to deepen their knowledge, get excited about the payoff, and see you as more of an expert.

"Flexing your expertise" through storytelling.

It's not just about saying, "this really popular coffee grinder is actually bad!!!"

It's about deliberately spending more time "behind the scenes", flexing your expertise, and drilling down into why you hold your opinion.

What this looks like in other niches:

Giving interview advice:

❌ "When an interviewer asks you to 'describe yourself', don't say [X], say [Y]!
✅ "If you say [X] to an interviewer, let me tell you exactly what the recruitment team will say about you after you leave..."

Reviewing iPhone apps:

❌ "We don't recommend [app A], but we do recommend [app B]."
✅ "Most people would recommend [app A], but here's exactly what happened when we tested it in [specific scenario]."

Solving a math problem:

❌ "Most students try to solve it like [this], but it's easier to solve it like [that]."
✅ When you try to solve it like [this], not only will it not work, but you're actually building a habit that's going to make it harder to solve other equations too. Let me explain..."

Don't be afraid to linger on your expertise.

It might feel uncomfortable, but it's highly likely your viewers will actually appreciate it... meaning more watch time + increased authority.

(Not to mention longer videos, and therefore increased potential for ad revenue.)

IN OTHER NEWS:

I met the CEO of Kit yesterday!

After 2+ years sending emails through Kit, I saw their CEO, Nathan Barry, was doing a casual meetup in London...

Such a pleasure to meet both Nathan and Creator Partnerships Manager, Haley!

In the last year, I've attended VidSummit and Sponsor Games, and I'm 100% sold on the power of in-person meetups.

Take the opportunity when you can!

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 👋

On Monday, I ran a guest session inside the Part Time YouTuber Academy to 100+ creators.

The students asked a lot of great questions, so today I'll reveal how I answered these 4:

How do I make boring topics interesting?
How do I script for challenge videos?
How do I use AI to make scriptwriting faster?
How do I make scripts interesting if the "big reveal" only happens at the end?

But first, I'm super excited to announce...

I'm now posting content on Instagram! 🤳

If you want more bite-sized scriptwriting advice - you'll enjoy the skits we've got coming!

My first proper reel is about "blob scripts" - my unusual method for writing a V1 hook without getting overwhelmed! 👇

I'd be over the moon if you could show it some love!

You can follow @GeorgeBlackmanYT for more:

Follow me on Instagram!

So, onto the questions that came up at my guest session...

How do you keep boring topics interesting? 😆

The person asking this was making a video called "5 worst cars to buy in 2025".

In any sort of listicle (or any "dry" topic), I'm always looking for the drama.

Sure, droning on about the specs of the cars might be boring:

"Moving on to car number 3. It goes 0-60 in 8.5s, and it's got a 7 inch long handbreak. Despite its German manufacturer's reputation for excellence, I don't like the angle of the windshield..." 😴

But finding the worst or weirdest or most expensive thing and using that as the curiosity-inducing crux is not:

"Moving on to number 3 - and this car did something so bizarre during my test drive that I will never get in a Mercedes again."

How do you script for challenge or vlog-style videos? 📸

Unlike educational scripting, a lot of entertainment scripting happens after filming.

I worked with Mike Shake back in 2023 - before filming, they wouldn't plan much more than locations and "props".

Then, they'd shoot for 2-3 days.

After that, it was my job as the scriptwriter to review that footage and help them create the story by:

Deciding which footage should be cut.
Writing voiceover to convey Mike's emotions, tease upcoming moments, and tie everything together.

You're not trying to fake anything... you're just being brutal about what footage your audience will actually care about.

They were some of the most fun scripts I ever got to work on 😆

How do you use AI to speed up or templatise scripts?

Right now, it's mostly focussed on hooks.

If you haven't already, check out:

ScriptHook - writes 70% usable hooks.
StakeBake - helps you hone in on the "stakes" that will keep viewers watching.

But I have so much more I want to do. I'm currently working on GPTs that:

Generate an audience avatar you can feed to other scriptwriting GPTs.
"Predict" your retention before you film by reviewing your script.

How do you apply the "setup, tension, payoff" structure when the "big reveal" is at the end (like in a video essay), and you don't want to give it away too early?

This question assumes the most exciting thing has to happen at the end, which is rarely the case.

For video essays or educational content answering a single question, the audience might not understand the "main question: until the end...

...but the individual (smaller) questions posed throughout the video can be equally exciting.

Imagine a video essay exposing a famous con-artist.

The "big reveal" might be the moment they finally get exposed.

But there's a TONNE of drama in the build up - examples of the different cons they've pulled, maybe a story from their childhood that explains their current behaviour, perhaps an occasion they were nearly caught, etc.

Or, take a dry example like "how I built my new shed" (bad title, don't steal it).

The big reveal is... the finished shed.

But the 10 steps it took to build it - including the delays, weather problems and an accidentally stubbed toe - they're all interesting moments in the build up to that final reveal.

It's about finding the drama and story (yes, story - even in the dryest educational topics) during the small moments, not thinking you have to make the final moment the most exciting.

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 👋

Create more engaging videos with simple, actionable scriptwriting tips.

Join 5,000+ scriptwriting nerds reading “Write On Time”. Insights from writing for multi-million subscriber YouTubers sent to your inbox every Friday.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Create more engaging videos with simple, actionable scriptwriting tips.

30k+ Subcribers

Latest Issues

How to write a killer CTA in every YouTube video

1/ The Setup

2/ Purpose

3/ The Script

4/ Takeaway

This writing technique stops viewers skipping ahead

Video #1

Video #2

Video #3

Upload alert!

Answering your 25 scriptwriting questions (Q&A)

Scriptwriting Q&A (Answered!)

Upload Alert!

Do this before your “Grand Payoff”

Scriptwriting tip of the week

Video #1

Make your next edit less painful 😫

Video #2

Video #3

The hook writing technique most creators ignore

Scriptwriting tip

Video #1

Video #2

Video #3

How to give "context" in a YouTube script

Video #1

What worked

(1/2) Hook

(2/2) Context

What to improve

(1/2) Pattern Interrupt

(2/2) Payoffs

Takeaway

Video #2

What worked

(1/2) Curiosity

(2/2) Depth

What to improve

(1/3) Fast cuts

(2/3) Visuals

(3/3) CTA

Takeaway

Video #3

What worked

(1/2) Subject Framing

(2/2) Structure

What to improve

(1/2) Technical

(2/2) Concept

Takeaway

This traditional storytelling technique is perfect for YouTube

Video #1

What worked

(1/2) Hook

(2/2) Editing

What to improve

(1/2) Overexplaining

(2/2) CTA

Takeaway

Video #2

What worked

(1/1) Relaxing

What to improve

(1/3) CTA

(2/3) Storytelling

(3/3) Target Audience

Takeaway

Video #3

What worked

(1/2) Curiosity Gaps

(2/2) Storytelling

What to improve

(1/1) Repetition

Takeaway

Let’s get candid about burnout :)

My Best Advice…

How to use music to elevate your YouTube scripts