Your Scriptwriting Partner

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.

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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.

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”.

The fact that you’ve already enrolled on my free avatar-building email course puts you in a good position 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 👋

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