How I write killer hooks in under 5 minutes

Hey everyone!

I’ve been helping YouTubers write better scripts for almost three years.

Something I hear all too often? “I don’t know where the heck to start.”

Maybe you’ve only got a couple of hours per week to write.

Or perhaps scriptwriting just feels like a drag.

So let’s talk about how to write highly engaging scripts when you’re time-short and stuck on what to prioritise.

The good news? There are literally only three things to focus on.

(And I'll cover them all over the next three weeks.)

Today, let’s focus on…

The Hook

If writing a hook is proving mind-boggling… then stop.

Instead, take a step back and write down the following components:

Education/edutainment channel:

1. Target: This is my target audience.
2. Transformation: This is their desired transformation.
3. Stakes: Here’s what’s at stake.

Entertainment channel:

1. Character: These are the characters.
2. Concept: This is the concept.
3. Stakes: Here’s what’s at stake.

Here’s an educational example from a video I’m working on:

Target

• Creators struggling with YouTube scriptwriting. They feel constantly overwhelmed and don't know many best practices. Their retention is usually pretty bad and they don't know why. Biggest fear - their channel will never grow.

Transformation

• They'll learn a systemised approach to scriptwriting that makes their scripts more engaging and faster to write. They'll have go-to frameworks they can use if they feel uninspired or overwhelmed.

Stakes

• If writing doesn't become easier and videos keep underperforming, they'll probably give up. Their dream of going full-time on YouTube will collapse.

Why is this useful?

Well... now the pressure's off.

You’re no longer trying to "write a banger hook". You’re just writing down some info you already know intuitively.

This short-circuits your brain’s tendency to overthink and waste time.

Without even trying, I’ve already got 70% of my hook by following this exercise.

I'm now working with all the building blocks I'll need, rather than a blank page.

Combining the components involves a bit of trial and error, but it'll be way easier now you've got those components.

My hook turned into this:

Writing YouTube scripts is hard. There are a million choices to make every minute, it takes flippin' ages, and at the end, your retention still looks like this [B-Roll: bad retention graph.]

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But I've seen what scriptwriting can do for channels time after time... [Supercut channel growth graphs.]

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...and the reason most YouTubers give up on it is because they overlook the actual thing that turns scriptwriting into a superpower. [Blurred out "system" graphic.]

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So let's talk about what it is, and how to use it to get retention graphs more like this [show amazing graph] so your dream of going full-time on YouTube becomes a reality.

Yes, the hook is super important.

But the best way to reduce the pressure and make fast progress is to break it down like this.

Wanna make this even easier?

I’ve created a custom GPT called “ScriptHook”.

Give it your the three core components, and it'll combine them into a finished hook.

It’s not perfect, but it can produce some pretty decent hooks.

Use ScriptHook - 100% Free

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If you do give it a try, send me your feedback so I can keep improving it!

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

Next week, we’ll cover the second part of scriptwriting to focus on if you don't have much time.

Speak soon,
George 👋

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