How to write a killer script in 10 sentences

Hey!

The prospect of writing an entire script is terrifying.

Especially when you're staring at a blank page.

But I’m about to show you how to write a ready-to-film script in as few as 10 sentences.

By the way, this is part of a short series I’m running about the 80/20 of scriptwriting.

That is, the 20% effort that’s gonna get you 80% of the results.

(Plus how to carry out these steps faster.)

You can check out last week’s edition on hooks here.

Now, let’s talk about the rest of the script…

There are literally only two types of sentences you need to write word-for-word.

• Setups.
• Payoffs.

Here's an example of each from this video by Brad Giannini:

Setup:

"The second [thing] is what really creates that movie magic. So... what is it?"

Payoff:

"You want [your audience] to feel like [the action] is organically happening, for the first time."

(See this article for more examples of setups and payoffs.)

Let's start with “payoffs”

Imagine your video broken up into “segments”.

Every segment should end with a payoff, where the audience learns something or feels something.

It’s much easier to figure out all your payoffs before trying to write any setups.

In the example I gave above, Brad is discussing how to create cinematic online content.

We experience a payoff when we learn that "making action feel organic" is super important.

So, for each segment:

Write your “payoff” sentence first.

Now, let's write your “setup”

The #1 place I see retention drop (except the hook) is in the brief moments between segments.

Because once you deliver a payoff, the audience needs to know where the video is going next.

So treat each setup like a tiny hook, making it clear what this next segment is building up to and why your audience should care.

In the Brad example, once the audience knows that "organic action" is key, he immediately says:

"Now, I'm clearly no thespian, but I've found the best way to do this is..."

Instantly, the next segment is set up with a clear expectation of the payoff we'll receive in the next 1-2 minutes.

It's literally that simple.

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

(Assuming your video has five segments, that’s ten sentences total. It could be more or less.)

If you’re super short of time, that’s all you need to do.

With a fully written hook and all your setups and payoffs plotted perfectly, you’ve got the structural guardrails that’ll allow you to riff the rest.

That being said...

…riffing is hard, so I encourage you to spend an extra 5-10 minutes plotting some brief bullet points that take you from setup to payoff in each segment.

So, in a nutshell:

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

That's all for now! Any questions, just let me know.

Next week, we'll finish this miniseries by discussing the end of your script.

Speak soon,
George 👋

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