The structure: hook, body, close
- 1
Hook (first line)
A problem, a surprising claim or a promise that hits your audience directly. No greeting, no name.
- 2
Body (two to four points)
One sentence per point, plus at most one sentence of explanation or example. More points means two videos.
- 3
Close (one action)
What should the viewer do now? Save, follow, comment, click the link. One ask, not three.
Rules for writing words to be spoken
- Short sentences: anything you can't say in one breath gets split.
- Spoken words: “buy” instead of “purchase”, “but” instead of “however”.
- Talk to the viewer: “you”, never “one” or “users”.
- Concrete numbers: “three mistakes” instead of “some mistakes”, but only if there really are three.
- One thought per line: easier to read on camera and it makes clean captions.
- Read it aloud: any sentence you trip over gets rewritten.
A fill-in video script template
Hook: “[Your audience's problem]? It usually comes down to [cause].” Point one: “First: [point], because [short reason].” Point two: “Second: [point].” Point three: “And third: [point], for example [example].” Close: “Try [one thing] today, and [action, such as: save this video].”
The template fits tips, explainers and mistake lists. For a story, swap the body for situation, turning point and result.
Example script: 35 seconds for a bookkeeper
“Do you owe tax every single year and never know why? It usually comes down to three things. First: your estimated payments no longer match your income. Second: you throw receipts in a box all year and forget half of them. And third: you only report changes at filing time, like a new side job. Check your estimated payments today. And save this video for your next meeting with your accountant.”
A problem as the hook, three points of one sentence each, one concrete next step. The hook can also run as a headline on screen at the start.
Checking the length
The most reliable method is to read the script aloud and time it with a stopwatch. Word processors estimate reading time, not speaking time, and everyone talks at a different speed. Teleprompter Cut shows an estimated speaking time when you paste your script, which helps with the first round of cuts.
If the script runs long, cut the intro first (“Today I want to talk about …”), then repetition, then the weakest point. You rarely need to shorten a sentence. Usually one has to go entirely.
Mistakes that weaken a script
- The hook arrives in the third sentence: by then the viewer is gone.
- Too many topics: one video, one message.
- Blog or brochure language: reads well, sounds stiff out loud.
- No close: the video just stops and nobody knows what to do.
- AI text pasted in unchecked: a fine first draft, but it only sounds credible once it's in your words.