A lot of my readers ask questions like:

- How long does it take to write a script?
- Which scripting format works best?
- What do YOU do in a writing session?

So... here's what I actually achieved during a 100-minute scriptwriting session with my community members. (20 min) - Packaging Brainstorm

First, I brainstormed a bunch of title ideas:

I've got a super simple tweak for your next script.

But it's the kind of adjustment that could have a *big* impact on retention once you start doing it.

The bad news? You'll need to unlearn something you’ve been conditioned to do for years.

The good news? It’s not hard! Now before we start...

...BUY A BIN. LIKE, RIGHT NOW.

Ok, whoops, let's get some context.

Ali Abdaal loves talking about how useful bins are. We don't know why, but he does.

There's a rule I always follow when writing a YouTube hook:

"If in doubt, keep it simple."

But the best YouTubers always use a little extra *sauce* to keep us hooked.

So let's talk about Ryan Trahan's hook formula (so you can steal it) 👇 For this demo, we'll break down the hook of...

"I Stayed in Every Hotel at Disney World"

Curiosity gaps are what keep people watching your videos.

But most YouTubers don't use them correctly.

If that's you, you’re constantly at risk of viewers clicking away to watch something else.

So let’s talk about how to set up a curiosity gap that doesn’t make people leave... Read this paragraph and see if you can spot the problem:

2 years. Dozens of scripts. 1,000,000s of views.

Here are 10 scriptwriting fundamentals I stand by for almost any YouTube video 🧵: 1/ Hook

If you’re struggling to write a strong hook, simplify it 👇

https://twitter.com/GeorgeBlackman_/status/1651209523078795264

I've written scripts for these creators 👇

This is a mega-thread containing the best things I've learned, including:

1/ Constructing a hook
2/ Unusual storytelling
3/ The perfect CTA
4/ Retention killers
5/ Common retention shapes
6/ 22 graphs to learn from

YouTubers, welcome: 1/ Hook.

I don't need to explain why your hook is important.

Here's how I construct mine:

https://twitter.com/GeorgeBlackman_/status/1641386080309063683

The most effective CTA for growing your channel?

Getting the viewer to watch your next video.

The problem is... most creators don't know how to do this effectively.

Here's my 3-step formula for writing a killer CTA to keep people watching your content 🧵: I'm going to re-write one of your CTAs to illustrate this.

Here's the CTA for an excellent cooking video I'm reviewing this week.

But, if the aim is to convince the viewer to watch another video... we can make this 5x better...

The "shape" of your retention graph literally tells you how to fix your next video.

But only if you know how to "read" it.

I've studied 50+ retention graphs across 30+ niches.

Here are 5 common retention graph shapes, what they mean, and how to fix them 🧵: 1/ The Spikey

Retention line spikes (goes sharply up) repeatedly, usually correlated with each ‘chapter’ of your video.

This indicates people are consistently skipping ahead.

But why?

Want to make people watch your videos for longer?

In the last 3 months, I've studied 40+ retention curves from 30+ niches.

Here are 5 common myths about audience retention, debunked 🧵: 1/ "I need to make my point, then explain it."

I get it. This feels like the natural way to speak.

But presenting information in this order gives the audience permission to skip ahead.

They’ll usually understand the point, and have no need to stick around for the context.

Is it possible to fix retention after uploading?

How many fast-cuts is too many?

How important is audio when the content itself is good?

This week, I broke down 3 more of YOUR retention curves to answer these questions 🧵: 1/ Fast-cuts

During S1 (approx 40s), the fast-cuts come thick and fast.

The hook is actually pretty good. But then it becomes overwhelming.

Yes, you want to get to the point.

But there are 3 reasons why fast cuts aren't always the answer...

I've studied 40+ YouTube retention graphs since October.

The more data we have, the better our videos will become.

Use THESE 22 graphs to understand WHY people click away (and how to avoid it) 🧵: 1 - Hook, overwhelm, CTA...

Check out these 5 mistakes I've made in the past while writing for clients.

https://twitter.com/GeorgeBlackman_/status/1587051946799730689

I reviewed 5 of YOUR YouTube retention graphs to figure out why people clicked away.

Here's a summary of my findings 🧵: If you'd like to see the expanded breakdowns for each of these videos, sign up to 'Write On Time'.

Tonight's email will be sent out in 2 hours 🙌

georgeblackman.substack.com/s/write-on-time

You learn something from every single YouTube video you make.

I work with creators ranging from 37,000 subscribers to 3,000,000.

Here are 5 retention-killing traps I've fallen into as a scriptwriter over the last year 🧵: 1 - Overwhelm

This video had been cruising on 60% until the final segment when retention bombed.

But I couldn't figure it out.

The quality of information + editing + pacing was just as good as the rest of the video.

But then I noticed something important...

“I Spent 100 Days In Grand Theft Auto” is an absolute masterclass in storytelling.

And the wildest thing?

The story is not interesting at all.

Here are 13 storytelling techniques from @RyanTrahan which left me in awe 🧵:

[SPOILER ALERT] First off…

This video should NOT be interesting. Why?

1/ The game is nine years old.
2/ GTA content is oversaturated.
3/ The story is literally just "Ryan plays GTA, makes money, buys a condo".

Yet this video (and its ending) gave me chills.

Let’s break it down: