To make scriptwriting faster…

1. Write hooks, setups and payoffs word-for-word (nothing else).
2. Increase or decrease the amount you script to make filming easier.
3. Use a simple hook formula (target, transformation, stakes // character, concept, stakes).
4. Write “Blob Scripts” to maintain momentum.
5. Templatize and reuse script segment structures.
6. Know your audience to prevent overthinking.
7. Set a timer so you have no excuses.

If you’re a busy bee, that’s all you need to know this week.

Or, read on for more detail…

Full Video Explainer (12 min)

I talk in detail about these strategies in a video I recently posted in my scriptwriting community:

Click To Watch

​
If you prefer to read the info, here’s an expanded summary of all 7 points:

1/ Write hooks, setups and payoffs word-for-word (but nothing else).

• Don’t feel obligated to script every word. Do always write hooks, setups, and payoffs in full (and use bullet points for the rest).
• The hook is important for obvious reasons (more on writing these below).
• Plot your payoffs first… then it’s easy to write your setups.
• See 4 examples of setups and payoffs in action here.

2/ Increase or decrease the amount you script to make filming easier.

• “Fully scripted” or “totally unscripted” are not your only two options.
• Treat your script like a dial - if 90% riffing felt too hard, dial the scripting up.
• If it felt stilted or “not how you’d really say it”, dial the scripting down.
• More time scripting will save you time when filming and editing... but it's a balance. If spending 10 hours scripting saves you 1 hour when filming... is it worth it?

3/ Use a simple hook formula.

• Write the components of your hook first... and only then try to combine them into a hook.

4/ Write “Blob Scripts” to maintain momentum.

• Don’t get stuck searching for the perfect word.
• Write a "blob script" instead (and fix it later):

5/ Templatize and reuse script segment structures.

• Once you've structured your script's first segment, re-use that structure across the entire video.
• Simple example of how easy + effective this is here.

6/ Know your audience.

• The #1 source of analysis paralysis is not knowing who you're talking to in your script.
• So get to know your audience... what they like, what they want to achieve, and why they watch you.
• Now, you’re no longer second-guessing every sentence.

• You already signed up to my YouTube Scriptwriter's Compass email course, so you're ahead of the game here 👊

7/ Set a timer.

• Ideally, do this with a buddy.
• Look each other dead in the eye and promise... "I WILL have written a YouTube script when this timer runs out."
• I do 2-hour sessions (with a 5 min break in the middle), but do whatever suits you.

That's all for this week.

Next week, I'm opening up about pricing, and the nuances of how much to charge/pay in different scenarios.

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

This week's newsletter was made possible by my favourite screen-recording app, Tella* 🥰

Hey,

Let’s talk about the most important retention lesson I’ve ever learned.

To do this, I’ll show you the retention graph I used to test potential scriptwriters when hiring for my agency (90% got it wrong).

By the end, you’ll understand the massive retention problem most YouTubers miss, and how to fix it at the scriptwriting stage.

For my full thoughts, check out this 12-minute video:

Click To Watch

​
If you prefer, here’s the lesson in just a few paragraphs:

Retention dips are often the symptom of an earlier mistake.

• When you see a dip, you probably assume that’s where you screwed up.
• But the real problem often happened earlier.
• Overpromising, under-delivering or failing to set audience expectations can cause them to lose patience later.
• So, to diagnose and address these issues, you must study the graph in its entirety.
• If you can't find the problem in the dip itself, two possible mistakes you made earlier in the video might have caused it...

First... a quick word on the app I used to record the video above:

Let me tell you something you might not wanna hear:

I love Tella.

There, I said it. I won't take it back. You simply can't make me.

I've tried a couple of different screen recording options over the last two years, and this has ended up being my favourite because of how flipping good the recordings look.

Check out this quick video if you wanna see all the cool stuff Tella can do 👇

The good news? Their affiliate program is offering new users 30% off forever when you sign up through my link.

You'll literally be paying less than I am to use it lol.

Highly recommend trying it out if you do a lot of screen recording 👇

Try Tella (1 week trial, then 30% off your first year).

*Because I'm an affiliate, signing up through this link will result in a small kickback for me at no extra cost to you :)

Now, where were we...?

Mistake #1 - Payoff in previous segment damaged viewer trust.

• Failing to deliver a satisfying payoff in an earlier segment can cause viewers to disengage and stop watching during the current one.
• If your payoff was vague, misleading, or outright boring, the lack of closure breaks the trust you’ve built with your audience, making them less likely to stay for future segments.
• Clear, decisive payoffs make viewers feel rewarded for the time they gave you... so they're willing to give more.

Mistake #2 - Viewers MISSED your setup (because you didn’t explain it clearly).

• A clear setup for each new segment keeps viewers oriented within the structure of the video, while a vague or abrupt transition make the overall flow difficult to follow.
• When transitioning between segments, it’s crucial to communicate what’s coming next and why it matters.
• Otherwise, even if the segment itself is interesting, well-edited, and well-told... viewers will gradually stop caring because they've lost the overall thread of the video.
• Convey every segment’s purpose explicitly to help viewers stay oriented.

So, remember...

...although you might think the problem lies here…

…it could be a symptom of something you did here:

​
Any time you're struggling to diagnose a retention dip, go back and study the graph in its entirety.

And, once you've identified the problem, ensure your next script includes clear setups and satisfying payoffs.

That's all for this week.

Next week, I'm dropping my 7 favourite tips for writing scripts faster.

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

Hey!

Yesterday, I drove for an hour to ask a man in his 50s to insult the shape of my feet... on camera.

Because “YouTube”, ok?

Seeing as I’m finally making my own “scriptwriting advice” YouTube videos this year, I want to make sure they’re as fun to make as they will be to watch.

So I’m taking my time and going the extra mile for moments like this (which will probably only be in the video for around 3s).

But in the meantime, as I’m busy scripting and filming my 2025 content…

…it pays to keep an eye on what my scriptwriting peers are making, too 👀

So, in the spirit of making all our scriptwriting better this year, here are 3 videos from other creators whose content I think you’ll enjoy:

1. John Dorman - “killer youtube scripts, explained” - incredible advice + insane use of props and set design. A joy to watch!
2. Aprilynne Alter - “how to edit a killer youtube video (for the 2025 algorithm)” - technically about editing, but watch this (especially the first half) with your scriptwriting hat on and you’ll find a ton of stuff to apply.
3. Bryan Ng - “How To Script YouTube Videos 10x Faster (This Changed Everything)” - I’m all about making scriptwriting sustainable, and these 5 tips from Bryan will get you writing YouTube scripts way faster.

Don’t Get Left Behind

Yes, you’ve got to have your own style...

...but it’d be silly not to watch what your friends are doing and identify what’s working really well.

For this, and to find videos like the ones I linked above...

...I use a “channel tracker”:

This channel tracker is one of the most useful features inside 1of10.

In my case, I've created a specific tracker for “YouTube Scriptwriting”.

I add channels like the ones above, so whenever they upload a new video, it'll appear on my tracked list.

(But only if it's an outlier! So I’ll only see videos from those channels that are outperforming their recent channel average.)

This makes it incredibly easy to see the best-performing, new content from channels I admire... in a single place.

Before 1of10:

• Open 100 tabs for every channel I want to take inspiration from.
• Sort by “Most Viewed”.
• Manually review each video to check whether the “most viewed” videos are recent... or from 10 years ago.

With 1of10:

• Open one tab.
• Add inspirational channels to my channel tracker.
• See all their best-performing videos in one place.

You know I’ve been a huge fan of 1of10 for more than a year, so I’m super grateful to Richard and the team for partnering up with me these last few months.

You can get access to 1of10’s suite of tools with 50% off using the code "GEORGE50".

That's all for this week.

For now, I'm practising filming with my new 360⁰ camera for the video I'm working on right now 😆

Speak soon,
George 👋

This week’s tip in a nutshell:

Here’s a philosophy I want you to take into 2025:

“If you can dream it, you can write it. Once you write it, sh*t happens.”

How to ACTUALLY make the videos you want this year:

Last month, I wrote this line in a YouTube script:

“I may as well go the whole hog and paraglide off this mountain.”

The line came as a bit of an afterthought, to be honest. But sometimes it’s fun to ask yourself:

“If there were no barriers, what would be the coolest possible thing I could put in this video?”

Yet three weeks later… I’ve booked it!

And I’m allowed to take my new 360 camera 😆

​
It's easy to get bogged down by imaginary constraints when you've got a hundred ideas bustling around in your head.

But the moment something goes down on the page, it becomes more real.

Writing is powerful.

Of course, you may not need to do something as OTT as flinging yourself off a mountain.

For example, I once put an incredibly niche joke about UK-based sofa company, DFS, into a Creator Booth video:

I also made Justin Moore film himself hiding behind the bushes in his front yard just because I thought it’d be funny.

I even made Ali Abdaal talk about “owning a bin” in a list of his top productivity hacks. (Joke, that wasn’t me. He just loves talking about bins and nobody has figured out how to stop him yet.)

The point is:

“If you can dream it, you can write it. Once you write it, sh*t happens.”

In that vein, and to leave you on a note of inspiration, huge props to one of my community members who recently wrote a script about a pretty weird anime…

…threw it over to my students for some feedback…

…and it absolutely blew up over the holidays!

He dreamed it. He wrote it. Sh*t happened.

So… wishing you all the best with your channel this year, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]! Don’t let any imaginary limits get in the way of making the videos you want.

Last thing before you go...

YouTube Strategy Q&A

If you didn't know, I co-host a YouTube strategy podcast called "Making It"

This week we sat down to answer a bunch of your questions, including:

• Which metrics to focus on in your YouTube studio.
• How to change your packaging based on the type of viewers you’re trying to reach.
• Which of us would survive the longest in a zombie apocalypse (London vs Cambridge vs just outside London).

Watch It Here!

That's all for this week.

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

‍

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This week, I'd love to recommend my favourite video ideation tool, 1of10. You can use my affiliate link here or head direct to their website. More info mid-way through the article!

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‍

This week, I recorded myself writing an entire YouTube script from start to finish.

And honestly? It was brutal.

It took 2hrs and 39 minutes, including time spent brainstorming the content, packaging it, and structuring + writing the whole thing almost word-for-word.

(Btw, I’m uploading the full recording to the YTSP Bonus Module next week! I'll ping you when it's ready.)

Writing a whole script in one sitting was like a crash course in the biggest scriptwriting lessons I’ve learned over the last 3 years.

So, with that in mind, here’s how to write a killer YouTube script in 2025:

1/ Set a timer

I have been meaning to write my own YouTube content for months.

But it never happened.

Until, this week, I put a two-hour block in my calendar.

I set a timer… and wrote.

Technically, I failed - I had to give myself an extra 30 mins at the end to make edits.

But the time pressure forced a script out of me.

If scriptwriting felt like something you didn’t have time for in 2024…

…it will feel the same in 2025.

That is... until you make time for it.

2/ Use frameworks

Writing is hard, but YouTube scriptwriting is even harder.

So much of what you were taught in school is not applicable.

Writing for YouTube means learning entirely new habits.

So, to make the process less overwhelming, use proven structures and frameworks.

The problem is, if you spend time on social media, you’re barraged with endless advice from… well, people like me.

The best advice I can give is to use other people’s frameworks that resonate… but in the meantime, keep studying.

I took a huge amount of inspiration from Ed (Creator Booth / Film Booth) when learning how to write better scripts (and had the privilege of writing a few videos on his CB channel).

But having spent 3 years studying retention graphs, writing for different niches, and meeting hundreds of new creators in my course/community… my own frameworks have developed.

Now, I have frameworks for:

• ​Hooks​
• ​Setups & Payoffs​
• ​Idea framing​
• ​CTAs​
• Script editing (inside YTSP)

…and many more.

I couldn’t have written a fully word-for-word script in two hours without them.

3/ Lean on AI

I’m not an avid AI user, but here’s what I used during my 2.5hr scriptwriting session:

ChatGPT

Good for brainstorming video ideas, script contents and titles.

Let’s take titles:

Feed ChatGPT a bunch of proven title formats, e.g. “What your [XYZ] means for [thing you care about]”.

Then, describe the video you’re working on and ask ChatGPT to brainstorm titles for that video in the style of the proven formats.

You can also use my free GPT “ScriptHook” to make hook writing easier.

​

1of10

I’ve been using 1of10 for over a year, and am now proud to be partnered up with them.

They have a free Chrome extension to help you spot “outlier” videos on YouTube itself, and a paid tool (see below) where you can search for specific, high-performing videos in your niche.

(It also has AI features that will generate titles and thumbnails for your channel specifically, based on the inspiration you feed it.)

I use 1of10 for literally every idea, every script and every packaging brainstorm… and I highly recommend arming yourself with it in 2025.

You can grab it here (affiliate link!) or head direct to 1of10's website.

4/ Write Blob Scripts

Don’t lose momentum trying to find the “perfect word”.

Instead, write “blob scripts”.

Put simply, once you start writing and get into a flow state, allow yourself to skip certain words.

If pausing to think of a "fancy adjective" or the "perfect verb" is going to ruin your flow, then it's not worth it.

If you’ve got momentum, don’t lose it.

Instead, write "X" or "Y" or "[thing]" and keep writing.

Real example from a script I worked on this month:

You can always come back to those tiny gaps later.

5/ Take a break

After 60 minutes of writing, I took 10 minutes away and made myself a cup of tea.

I won’t bang on about this… you know taking breaks is essential.

Writing is mentally exhausting, so don’t push it.

Break at least once in a 2-hour stint, and come back at least 12 hours later to edit your script further.

6/ Be vulnerable… ask for feedback

The moment my script was written, I threw my hook over to my scriptwriting community.

Ngl… I was apprehensive about opening up the comments this morning.

But that’s the feeling you have to sit with and get used to.

Yes, it’s scary… but feedback is a gift 🎁😆

Whether they’re in your niche (or not); whether they have more subscribers than you (or fewer)… getting feedback is the fastest way to find your blind spots.

Combine a 12-hour break + feedback from peers… and your final draft will improve radically.

[As you know, you’re always welcome to share what you’re working on inside the YTSP community.]

[You can join 160+ YouTubers inside my community here, or simply find a group of peers who are willing to give honest feedback.]

It’s a superpower ✨

7/ Know your audience

This is at the heart of every YouTube script.

Second-guessing every sentence often comes from a lack of clarity about who you’re “speaking to”.

If you haven't already, you can sign up to my free 5-day audience avatar building email course here.

My 2.5 hour scripting session would have taken twice as long had I not known the problems and desires of my audience.

8/ Make it sustainable

We end with the most important point:

You do not have to write word-for-word scripts.

If doing so will kill your love for YouTube, don’t do it.

There are only three things you ought to write WFW:

1. Hooks
2. Setups
3. Payoffs

Beyond that, you can use bullet points.

Yes, riffing is harder than most people expect.

And, the less written your script is, the harder it might be to film/edit.

But think of it like a dial:

• Your last video was barely scripted and a pain to film? Dial up your scripting.
• Your last video felt stunted and awkward because it was written WFW? Dial down your scripting.

Take this with a pinch of salt... your first time reading from a teleprompter or riffing will be weird and difficult (so don't give up on either approach right away).

But over time, with practice and iteration, you'll find the approach that's right for you.

YouTube is a long game, and if you want to create content consistently in 2025, you must make the process sustainable.

That's all for this... year!

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season (if that's your thing), and I'll see you in 2025 🤩

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

This week’s tip in a nutshell:

When you write the first segment of your script, templatize it, then re-use the format throughout the script.

For more detail + examples, read on…

Context: check out this newsletter where I explain what I mean by script “segments”.

So, when I say “templatize” a script segment, what does this look like?

Well, I frequently talk about this 3-part segment structure:

1. Setup
2. Tension
3. Payoff.

Every segment should follow this structure.

But templatizing a segment means identifying more clearly what setup, tension, payoff looks like for the script you’re working on.

Example!

Let’s say I’m working on a video about how to build a treehouse.

Each segment of the script would probably cover a different part of the treehouse structure (wood, ropes, bolts, etc).

So let’s imagine that, in segment 1, we’re talking about “bolts”.

Instinctively, I’d think about setup, tension, payoff like this:

1. Setup - “Bolts are the most important part of your build. Doesn’t matter how strong the wood is if your bolts don’t hold it together. Yet my clients usually make the same mistake when attaching their first five bolts… which leads to a treehouse that could literally collapse at any moment.
2. *Tension - [Explain what the mistake is. Identify why this causes a problem. Guide the viewer towards the proper technique for attaching bolts.]
3. Payoff - “So that’s why it’s absolutely critical to attach your bolts like this, not like THIS.”

*This is written in a “draft” state. Of course, in the full script, this would be expanded.

So, that's segment 1.

But now I’ve put all this mental energy into establishing a segment format I like, it’s easy for me to reverse-engineer what I’ve done and create a template I can re-use throughout the video.

Create the Template

^In this case, if I break down the format I just created, it’d look like this:

1. Setup - highlight common technique problem and establish stakes.
2. Tension - Explain what the mistake is. Identify why this causes a problem. Guide the viewer towards the proper technique.
3. Payoff - Show the right + wrong techniques side by side.

Now, I can lean on this template for each segment (if I want to).

To be clear, we don’t want the script to be dull.

Pattern interrupt is a huge part of keeping people watching, and it might seem like repeating the same format for every segment is a recipe for boredom.

But there are two reasons why this is not a problem:

1. You don’t have to use the template in literally every segment; it’s there to help if you’re staring at a blank page and struggling to make progress.
2. You can easily disguise the template.

Disguise the Template

Let’s quickly imagine segment 2, where we’re now talking about “ropes”.

While still relying on the templatized version of my setup ("highlight common technique problem and establish stakes"), here’s how I can easily present it in a different way:

1. Setup - “So let’s talk about ropes. First, look at how I’ve tied this knot and decide whether you think this would hold someone’s weight. [Pause. B-Roll, me stepping on the rope - it gives way!] Ok, so why didn’t it?

We’ve created the same effect...

...except now we’re opening with a direct question, then showing the stakes instead of simply explaining them.

It's the same template, but we've disguised it - and created pattern interrupt in the process!

My old headmaster used to bang on about working "smarter, not harder".

He was a bit of a [REDACTED], but that advice was solid.

Little shortcuts like this will make the scriptwriting process feel way easier over time.

YouTube Strategists Reveal: How to Grow Your Channel in 2025

Scriptwriting is intrinsically tied to every other aspect of YouTube - ideation, packaging, editing, etc.

That’s why I’m delving deeper into YouTube strategy at the moment.

(I got some worried emails last time I mentioned this btw - super kind of you, but don’t worry; my focus will always be scriptwriting.)

In any case, I quizzed my strategist friends on the most important tips for growing a channel faster.

Gwilym has been Bryan Johnson's head of YouTube for ~2yrs, and Jamie has produced for Ali Abdaal and Gordon Ramsay.

Check out the conversation:

🎥 Watch It Here 🎙️

​
​That's all for this week.

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

Hey!

Newsletters are great, but they're forgettable.

Most weeks, I skim through even my favourite newsletters on the train...

...but rarely make notes or commit to taking action on them.

So today, I've combined a bunch of content from previous weeks.

That way, you don't need to scroll through tonnes of newsletters to get the full picture - instead, you can bookmark a single resource and see it build up over time.

Hopefully that makes this week's edition feel less disposable than your average newsletter 🤞

So.. here's my approach to ideation, selection, packaging and scriptwriting (in 4 steps) so you can steal it.

I use 1of10 to make this process faster, but you can follow a similar approach without it if you prefer!

1/ Find good ideas

• Initially, these are just ideas that have the potential to do well. I made a 7-minute video showing you how.
• It doesn't necessarily mean you'll want to make them. That, you'll decide in step 2...

2/ Select ideas YOU love

• Use my S.E.V. framework (Subject, Expertise, Views) to narrow down ideas.
• Only move forward with concepts that satisfy this framework.

3/ Package the idea

• First, brainstorm these freely, without thinking about other "outlier" titles or thumbnails. It'll help you be creative.
• Next, do brainstorm using outliers. You'll see me doing this for titles at 3:58 in this video and for thumbnails in this article.

4/ Write the script

• Compare videos with similar packaging, but where one is performing poorly vs another performing well.
• Look for clues in the script - particularly in the hook. What are they doing differently? How will you approach your script as a result?
• I demonstrate the technique in this short video.

Ultimately, all of this is possible without 1of10... it'll just take a lot longer.

If you're still making your first 10-20 videos, you probably don't need 1of10 yet.

But when you're ready to take channel strategy more seriously and find inventive ways to improve your scriptwriting...

...I can't recommend it enough ✨

To see all the resources I mentioned above in one place, click here.

Remember, you can get 1of10 with 50% off by using "GEORGE50"

⚡️To get 1of10, click here ⚡️

​That's all for this week.

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

‍

It’s hard being so smart, isn’t it?

When writing about their specialist subject, I often see YouTubers struggling to decide what information is actually important for the script.

After all, you’re an expert in whatever you’re talking about. You know there’s a tonne of nuance you could put into in every video.

I’ve struggled with this feeling, too. Staring at a script, thinking:

“I can’t trim this more than I already have. Every piece of information is completely essential.”

But 99% of the time, if you feel like this… you’re wrong.

”Forced Prioritization”

The feeling is summed up in this quote:

“Forced prioritization is really painful. Smart people recognize the value of all the material.

They see nuance, multiple perspectives - and because they fully appreciate the complexities of a situation, they're often tempted to linger there.

The tendency to gravitate towards complexity is perpetually at war with the need to prioritize.”

This is from Made to Stick, a book recommended to me by my friend Gil Hildebrand.

Never has a quote (that's NOT written about YouTube scripts) so perfectly summed up the struggle of writing YouTube scripts 😂

I often see students and clients get in their heads about some imagined critic complaining about their scripts:

“Erm, excuse me, you didn’t caveat [point X] with [point Y]!”

Gradually, they start to second-guess everything they’re writing.

And this slows their writing speed to a crawl.

But remember - you’re writing a YouTube script, not a college essay.

Yes, you should strive for accuracy and fairness in your videos.

But there will be times when certain nuances or tangents must be consciously ignored.

Made to Stick argues that we must learn to tell the difference between “critical” and “beneficial” information.

The goal is not to remove nuance completely.

It’s to accept that some level of nuance will usually need to be sacrificed, which might mean not all “beneficial” information will make the cut.

Let's look at the difference between "critical" and "beneficial" information using a practical example.

But first!

Find viral video ideas in seconds.

Get 50% Off 1of10 (forever)

Every single week, I use 1of10 to find high-performing ideas for channels I work with.

Check out this 8min video showing exactly how.

They recently added an AI thumbnail generator too (and it's surprisingly good).

So if you struggle with finding new ideas for your channel, 1of10 will make your life 10x easier.

Just use the discount code 'GEORGE50'.

Get 50% Off 1of10 Now

Critical vs Beneficial

To identify the difference, you need to have a clear picture of your audience avatar.

I’m still ruminating on the best way to define each term, but right now I think of it like this:

• “Critical” information is highly likely to convince your target audience to keep watching.
• “Beneficial” information is something which they might find interesting, but which won’t specifically cause them to keep watching.

Example - Strong Coffee Lovers

So, let’s look at “critical” and “beneficial” information in action.

Imagine an audience of coffee lovers whose primary desire to to brew strong coffee.

• They’re not fussed about diverse flavours - they just want something that’s gonna give them a kick up the butt.
• They already have a basic home setup, but prefer not to spend more money on additional gear.
• Speed is important to them - they don’t have time to learn any complex new brewing techniques.

I’ve just written a hook for an imaginary video, but have deliberately included “beneficial” information in red.

Notice how this information still fits pretty nicely in the hook, but doesn’t appeal directly to my audience avatar:

Version 1 - with "beneficial" information left in.

Why is it so hard to brew the perfect filter coffee?​

You’ve probably tried everything in the book - changing the grind size, cleaning your conical burrs and watching every James Hoffman video under the sun - but each cup still comes out weak and you can’t detect any of the interesting flavours they mentioned on the bag.

So in this video, I’m going to show you how changing the way you prep your tap water will completely alter the strength and flavour of your coffee.

It’ll take you five minutes, you won’t have to spend a penny, and you’ll be shocked that you didn’t think to try this sooner. Prepare to start making cafe-grade coffee from the comfort of your own home.

Compare this to the below rewrite where “beneficial” info is removed.

Now, the focus is on the strength of coffee, saving money and speed.

Version 2 - focused on "critical" information.

Why is it so hard to brew strong filter coffee?

You’ve probably tried everything in the book - changing the grind size, cleaning your conical burrs and watching every James Hoffman video under the sun - but each cup still comes out weak.

So in this video, I’m going to show you how changing the way you prep your tap water will completely alter the strength of your coffee - it’ll take you five minutes, you won’t have to spend a penny, and you’ll be drinking cafe-grade coffee at home for the rest of your life.

Both hooks are pretty similar, and it’s not as though the first one includes any irrelevant information.

But the key is identifying and prioritizing the “critical” information.

Action Point

The one thing I want you to take away from this week’s newsletter?

Next time you realise you need to delete some “beneficial” information from your script, say to yourself:

“I am consciously removing this piece of information, and that’s alright.”

You must accept that removing a caveat here or a piece of nuance there is not only “ok”, but necessary to write a better script.

You can't go down every rabbit hole.

Focus on what your audience cares about, and prioritise creating a more memorable experience for them.

As they say in Made to Stick:

A common mistake […] is that they get so steeped in the details that they fail to see the message’s core - what readers will find important or interesting.

I’m finding this book unbelievably useful for YouTube scriptwriting and highly recommend you give it a read.

If you want to grab a copy, feel free to use my affiliate link!

That's all for this week!

But if you're locking in for a scriptwriting-centric Friday, you can also check out the latest episode of my podcast, Making It.

Watch Now
‍

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

‍

Hey!

In recent months, the best lesson I've learned about writing YouTube scripts came from watching a band I love write music.

This slightly weird tactic will help you write hooks more easily.

You'll stop overthinking every single word and will create the hook structure much faster.

Find the melody

Ok... I’m not a musician.

So I instinctively assumed the lyrics would always be the first thing a musician came up with when writing a song.

Which is why I found it fascinating to learn that musicians often create the melody first.

When watching behind-the-scenes footage, you'll see bands improvise their way to a sound that feels good - one that conveys the emotion they're trying to express.

Then, afterwards, they create lyrics to match the melody.

It's such an interesting process to watch - particularly when you see footage of a band creating a song you know incredibly well...

...back when they had 0 lyrics and were just "feeling out" the sound.

They hum along, occasionally throwing in a phrase that you know will eventually become "that famous part" of the chorus... but their priority is nailing the melody.

Without meaning to, this is how I have started approaching YouTube scripts.

🛠️ Tool Shoutout

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I switched to Tella over a year ago and have used it to record over 200 videos:

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Ok, let's get back to it...

Blob scripts

Because YouTube is such a visual medium, I can often see a kind of "blob" version of a video in my mind before I know exactly what I want to say.

It probably comes from having watched a LOT of YouTube… but I can almost visualise the ebb and flow of the hook before I’ve thought about the words.

Imagine I’m writing a script about a 5-step system to help students pass their exams.

Immediately, my brain starts to imagine something like this:

“Dum dah, dum dah, dum system.”

“A system that’s gonna blah.”

“And once you dee dee dee dee doo”

“Your grades are gonna dum dum dee!”

This might sound a bit mad.

But remember, as viewers, we rarely remember a video because of the words alone - we remember the pacing, the visuals, the sounds... all the stuff that comes together to create a video's "melody".

And considering you’ve probably watched a lot of YouTube [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], you’ll have an intuitive sense of how hooks often flow.

But how does this makes writing easier?

Quite simply, once I start writing and get into a flow state, I allow myself to "skip" certain words.

If pausing to think of a "fancy adjective" or the "perfect verb" is going to ruin my flow, then it's not worth it.

If I've got momentum, I don't want to lose it.

I'll write "X" or "Y" or "[thing]" or whatever I need to breeze over if it'll keep my flow state going.

I can always come back to those tiny gaps later.

My priority is nailing the script's "melody".

Here’s an extract from an actual hook I wrote a few weeks back… the first time I tried to “sound out” how it would flow:

Not only does this approach generate faster progress…

…but it also gives you a better chance of writing a video that looks and feels like you dreamed it would when the idea first came to mind.

Rather than a video that has perfect verbiage but no soul.

Give this a try and let me know how you get on.

That's all for this week!

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋

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