---
title: 'How to Write Scripts for YouTube Videos'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=thhIUq_fevU'
video_id: 'thhIUq_fevU'
date: 2026-08-08
duration_sec: 489
---

# How to Write Scripts for YouTube Videos

> Source: [How to Write Scripts for YouTube Videos](https://youtube.com/watch?v=thhIUq_fevU)

## Summary

The video provides a practical, no-nonsense guide to writing high-quality YouTube video scripts quickly and without spending money. The creator, a freelance scriptwriter, shares personal strategies for structuring intros, outlining content, and leveraging AI tools, while emphasizing the importance of retention and viewer engagement.

### Key Points

- **Introduction and Credibility** [00:02] — The creator establishes credibility as a freelance scriptwriter with years of experience writing viral video scripts for themselves and other YouTubers, promising to share secrets for writing high-quality, retention-boosting scripts fast and for free.
- **Use Google Docs for Collaboration** [00:14] — Recommends using Google Docs because it's free and allows multiple people to collaborate on a script in real-time. Create a new document and start writing.
- **The Intro is Critical** [00:27] — The intro is the most important part because YouTube counts a view only after 30 seconds. Cut all fluff to prevent viewers from clicking off, especially for younger audiences with lower attention spans.
- **Avoid Generic Intros** [00:54] — Generic intros like 'Hey guys, welcome back...' are ineffective. The creator's intros are 1-2 sentences long, simple, and straight to the point, resulting in good retention.
- **Don't Ask for Likes Early** [01:22] — Don't ask viewers to like or subscribe at the start because they don't know you yet. Wait until they've watched most of the video and gained value.
- **Credibility Boosts Retention** [01:49] — Credibility is a huge contributor to retention. Example: 'I'm a 17-year-old YouTuber and professional video editor with millions of views' convinces viewers you know what you're talking about.
- **Avoid Swear Words Early** [02:29] — Keep swear words out of the first 30 seconds to avoid demonetization. Try to avoid them entirely if possible.
- **Outline the Rest of the Video** [02:43] — Outline the video sequentially to break up work and see progress. For educational content, split into headers like an article. For story-based content, use a story arc (exposition, rising action, climax, resolution).
- **Use AI for Ideas** [03:33] — Ask ChatGPT for topic suggestions or how to split up a script. It works well for generating content ideas, but write the script from scratch even if you change it later.
- **Just Start Writing** [03:59] — Don't overthink; having anything on paper is better than nothing. Revise and edit later. There's no excuse not to start.
- **AI-Generated Scripts Can Fail** [04:12] — A script generated by ChatGPT for a video about affiliate marketing had the worst retention on the channel, even after editing. The topic may have been less appealing, but the script quality was a factor.
- **VidIQ AI as a Better Tool** [04:51] — VidIQ's AI, trained on YouTube data with GPT-4, is more advanced and useful than ChatGPT for content creation. The creator uses it for various script-related tasks and wrote the intro for this video with it.
- **Know Your Audience and Tone** [05:29] — Match your tone to your audience. For younger adults, keep it informal and conversational. Small human errors create personability.
- **Use Transition Language** [05:57] — Use transition language between outline headers to make the script flow smoothly and sound natural.
- **Length Matters for Monetization** [06:10] — YouTube allows mid-roll ads on videos longer than 8 minutes, significantly increasing earnings per thousand views. One page of script (12pt font, double-spaced) equals about one minute of video.
- **Add Value, Not Fluff** [06:37] — If you need to lengthen the script, add more value (e.g., common mistakes, extra tips) instead of filler words. Don't pad like a school essay.
- **Keep Outros Short** [07:05] — Long outros cause retention to dip at the end. Keep them 1-2 seconds long or omit them entirely. Make a call to action at the very end, like asking to subscribe or click another video.

### Conclusion

The video delivers a practical, step-by-step approach to writing YouTube scripts, emphasizing concise intros, structured outlines, and value-driven content. It also highlights the potential and pitfalls of using AI, recommending VidIQ's AI as a superior tool for creators.

## Transcript

and freelance scriptwriter with years of experience writing viral video scripts for myself and other YouTubers here are my secrets to writing high quality retention boosting video scripts as fast as possible without spending any money
you're actually going to write your script I personally use Google Docs because it's free and allows multiple people to collaborate on a script at the guess then when you're ready to start create a new document and start writing
your intro the intro is by far the most important part of your script because for YouTube to count somebody watching your video as a view they must watch at this means that it's essential to cut out all of the fluff in your intros and
your viewers don't get bored and click off this is especially important if your because they tend to have lower attention spans than older people many videos especially educational videos like I make start off with something
like hey guys welcome back to killer videos where we teach you about making money on YouTube tube the killer way in this video we're going to show you how to make killer editing and guess what nobody cares my intros are usually about
one to two sentences long simple and straight to the point and as a result the retention in my intros is really good literally just take a quick second include something to hook the viewer and or give you credibility then just get
straight into the video and please please please don't tell people to like that for the end because if a viewer's never seen your content before then they credible or actually know what you're talking about so why would they
subscribe or buy your course or whatever you're asking them however if you've gotten your viewer to watch most or all of the video then they've likely learned then will subscribe or like your video or buy your course or whatever the type
of content that I make credibility is another huge contributor to having a my video is called how to edit viral videos I need some credibility to convince the viewer that I actually know I'm talking about and can teach them how
to edit viral video so for example in this intro I'm a 17 year old YouTuber and professional video editor with millions of views and years of that I was a 17 year old professional video editor that knows how to make
my previous videos this gave me credibility because it shows my viewers that I'm for one a professional and two know what I'm doing and have the results provides the video with a bit of a hook if viewers are impressed that I'm so
gotten to this point also in general just make sure you keep swear words out of the first 30 seconds of your video to avoid possible demonetization you really edit but honestly just try not to include them if possible next once
outline the rest of your video I find this way easier and less overwhelming sequentially because it allows me to break up my work and see how much stuff I have left to write at any given moment which is a great strategy honestly for
writing video scripts for educational content literally just split up your video into headers like you would in for example an article or an essay and just go from there here's an example from my last video about recording high quality
voiceovers for YouTube for other types of content like entertainment videos based on a story think of a simple story arc with an exposition rising action Climax and resolution and just outline your video from that that all sounded
familiar with basic story structure literally just Google what is the story arc and you'll be in light it's a really useful thing to know if you get stuck it's also really easy just to ask chat GPT what should I talk about in a video
educational video I do this all the time when I need more content or just don't know how to split up my script and it works pretty well however on the topic it to write your script from scratch even if you change a lot of it after the
your outline's finished you'll be ready to add content to your script there's unfortunately no set formula to running the actual content of your script you sort of just have to you know write really try not to overthink this because
having like anything on the paper is so much better than having nothing so just always revise and edit later if you need to so you don't really have an excuse not to start right now like I said before chat GPT is a really useful tool
experience creating a ton of viral videos across a few different channels scriptwriting I had chat GPT generate a script for my video about affiliate market and even after changing a considerable amount of it later it has
by far the worst retention of any video on my channel and the editing is is good it's also my worst performing video by far although part of this is the fact that the topic probably just isn't as appealing to my audience but in general
through my experience I found that just the script was not that good and I was however this doesn't mean that I don't use AI to help me write out the content of my scripts vid IQ a company I'm now partnering with long term has just come
out with this super cool AI tailor to your channel trained on a bunch of YouTube data with the help of gpt4 making it so much more advanced and useful than chat GPT for Content creation I personally use the AI for all
sorts of things but in this case it's really useful if I want for example help part of the video or literally anything related to my scripts to be honest in fact I wrote the intro for this video with vid iq's Ai and it's so good the
up for their boost plan that includes the AI with my link in the description I've used vid IQ every single day since I started this Channel and that was even before I partnered with regardless of if you're writing a script with AI or just
you'll want to keep in mind actually scratch that there are a few things that process this is where I can't really help you and you have to know your contrast if your videos are like mine and meant to appeal to a younger adult
demographic then you'll want to keep it pretty informal and conversational and General I tend to think a conversational tone is best for most types of content as small human errors in your speech and grammar creates a level of personability
another thing to consider is the transition language that you use utilize transition language between your outlines headers to script flowing smoothly or it's just not going to sound natural length is another important
you really can't take this is because YouTube allows creators to place mid-roll ads on videos longer than 8 minutes which has a significant impact amount of money that you earn per thousand views on your videos with a 12
point font and double spacing one page of a script usually ends up to last give or take a little bit once you've written out your entire script you may obviously means that you'll have to add more to it however this doesn't mean you
school and they have to hit a word limit I'm talking about that what's up YouTube today we'll be reviewing the brand new iPhone 16 and I really really really really really really really really really really really really like this
iPhone instead of just adding more words to your script add more value instead if it's educational content simply teach the viewer more things than you would in some like common mistakes or things that they shouldn't possibilities are endless
you're finished with the main body of your script it's time to script your outro thanks guys for tuning in to this killer video in the next killer video I might continue working on this killer project but if I don't keep working on
project but if I don't keep working on this killer project then next week there this killer project then next week there might not be a killer video but I might actually publish a killer video because I'm going on vacation which leads to a
retention graph that dips off a lot at the end which in turn is harmful to your videos keep your outro one to two seconds long or just don't include one at all so the very end of your video is the time where you should make a call to
action for example asking your viewers to subscribe personally though I like to asking my viewers to like And subscribe I'll say something like congratulations on finishing your first video script now all you need is a high quality voiceover
interested in learning how to do that from a professional YouTuber and voice over artist then click this video see what I did there that's actually also what I did there that's actually also the outro of this video