YouTube Shorts Script

Short-form is not chopped long-form. Every Short has to be scripted as its own unit — different hook architecture, different pacing budget, different payoff timing — even when the source idea came from a 15-minute video. Most repurposing attempts fail because the creator cuts a clip that worked in context and assumes context-free viewers will catch up. They won't; they'll scroll. This skill rebuilds the idea for the scroll feed from the first frame.

Every Short follows one of five proven structures — Hook-Proof, Story Loop, List Rush, Myth Bust, Tutorial Flash — and the skill picks the right one based on the content type. Tips and revelations use Hook-Proof. Transformations use Story Loop. Rankings and mistakes use List Rush. Counterintuitive takes use Myth Bust. How-tos use Tutorial Flash. First-time short-form creators get steered toward Hook-Proof and List Rush — the most forgiving formats — with Story Loop and Myth Bust saved for when they're comfortable with the pacing.

The hook is 80% of the battle. The first 1-2 seconds decide everything. No introductions, no "Hey", no "so today I want to talk about". The first word is startling, specific, or challenging — and if the hook works as a text overlay with no audio, it's strong. Every script ships with two layers: the spoken script and a separate on-screen text overlay script, because 85% of Shorts are watched without sound on first view. The two layers complement each other rather than duplicate.

Pace is engineered for the format. No pause longer than a second. Cuts every 3-5 seconds. One visual focus point because the frame is tall and narrow. And every Short is checked for loop potential — if the last frame connects back to the first, the algorithm replays, which is the single biggest Shorts boost signal. Output includes the 3-5 Shorts with both layers, a repurposing map (which source timestamps each Short used and what was changed), platform-specific notes for TikTok and Reels where the conventions diverge, and a CTA per Short tied to one outcome only — comments, follows, or a link to the long-form. The skill won't write 90-second "Shorts" — if a piece needs more time, you get told to split it.