youtube-script-writer

---
name: youtube-script-writer
description: Write a tight, retention-focused YouTube script from a topic, outline, or research brief. Use when the user asks for a video script, wants to turn notes or research into a YouTube video, needs a hook/intro rewritten, or wants to plan a video end-to-end with pacing, visual beats, and CTAs.
---

# YouTube Script Writer

Turn a topic, outline, or research dump into a YouTube script that holds attention from second 0 through the CTA.

## When to use

- "Write a YouTube script about X"
- "Turn this research into a video"
- "Draft an intro / hook for a video on Y"
- "Plan out a 5-minute video about Z"

## When NOT to use

- Long-form blog posts or articles (different pacing rules — don't force them into this template)
- Podcast outlines (conversational, not scripted)
- Shorts under 60s (different structure — lead with the payoff, no setup)

## Inputs to gather first

Before writing, confirm (ask if missing):

1. **Topic / angle** — what is the one idea the viewer walks away with?
2. **Target length** — under 3 min, 3–8 min, or 10+ min? Pacing changes.
3. **Audience** — beginners, experts, or mixed? Sets vocabulary floor.
4. **Research or source material** — any facts, stats, quotes, URLs to include?
5. **Tone** — casual/educational, docu-style, chaotic/entertainment?

If the user didn't supply research and the topic needs facts, use WebSearch / WebFetch BEFORE writing. Never invent stats or quotes.

## Script structure (standard 5–8 min video)

Write the script in these labeled sections. Don't skip any.

### 1. Hook — first 5 seconds

- One sentence that promises a payoff or opens a loop.
- No "hey guys welcome back." No throat-clearing.
- Patterns that work:
  - **Curiosity gap** — "Everyone gets X wrong. Here's what actually works."
  - **Bold claim** — "You can do X in 10 minutes. I'll prove it."
  - **Pattern interrupt** — visual or verbal surprise.
- End with an implicit "keep watching to find out."

### 2. Setup — seconds 5–20

- Context: why does this matter NOW, for THIS viewer?
- Credibility beat (one sentence max): who you are / why listen.
- Restate the promise in sharper form. No long preamble.

### 3. Body — main content

- Break into 2–4 clearly-labeled sections/chapters.
- **Retention rule:** every 30–45 seconds, re-hook. Tease what's coming ("but here's the twist…"), change visual pattern, or drop a memorable line.
- One idea per section. Don't stack.
- Concrete > abstract. Examples, numbers, screenshots, demos.
- If you have research: cite specifically (brand, study, date). No vague "studies show."

### 4. Payoff — deliver on the hook

- Close the loop opened in the hook.
- Summarize the one takeaway in one sentence. Viewer should be able to repeat it.

### 5. CTA — final 15 seconds

- ONE ask. Not three. Pick: subscribe, comment prompt, link in description, or watch-next video.
- Make it natural, tied to the content. "If this saved you X, subscribe" beats "smash that like button."
- End on a strong visual beat, not a fade.

## Format the output

Deliver the script as:

```
TITLE: <working title, clickable but honest>

THUMBNAIL IDEA: <1 sentence, what's on screen>

---

[0:00] HOOK
<exact words to say>

[0:05] SETUP
<exact words>

[0:20] SECTION 1 — <name>
<exact words>
[VISUAL: brief note on B-roll / cut / graphic]

[...continue...]

[X:XX] CTA
<exact words>
```

Rules for the script body:
- Write the **spoken words**, not stage directions, as the main text.
- Put visual/cut notes in `[VISUAL: …]` tags inline, indented under the spoken line they belong to.
- Use short sentences. Read it aloud in your head — if a sentence is hard to say, rewrite it.
- Contractions always (don't → that's how people talk).
- No jargon without a one-line definition.

## After the script

Close with:

- **Estimated runtime** — rough estimate based on ~150 wpm spoken pace.
- **Open questions** — anything you had to guess at (e.g. target audience assumed to be X; pick a different tone if wrong).
- **Variants to consider** — one alt hook and one alt CTA, one line each. Gives the user pivot options.

## Retention checklist (self-review before delivering)

- [ ] Hook is under 10 seconds and makes a clear promise
- [ ] Setup ends in under 30 seconds total
- [ ] A re-hook or pattern break every 30–45 seconds of body
- [ ] Every claim has a source or is clearly framed as opinion
- [ ] Exactly one CTA
- [ ] Body reads aloud cleanly — no tongue-twisters, no buried verbs
- [ ] Sources section follows (if WebSearch/WebFetch was used)