How To Write A YouTube Script in Under 10 Minutes

Not sure what to say in your YouTube videos, or how to build out a script? I walk you through my whole process for how to write a YouTube script in a few simple steps, using AI for the heavy lifting.

It starts with a title, uses NotebookLM to research what's already working, and finishes with Claude turning it into a script with a full hook and intro and a bullet-pointed main body, so you can still speak from the heart.

Key Takeaways

• Always start with your video title, and only then build the script around it.
• Use NotebookLM to pull the main points from the top-ranking videos on your topic, then choose the ones you'll cover in your own way.
• A good YouTube script has five parts: hook, intro, main content, a bonus near the end, and one clear call to action.

Step 1: Start With Your YouTube Video Title

Always, always start with the title. Before that comes the topic, which I cover in my post on finding YouTube video ideas. Once the title is nailed down, the script follows.

For this example, I'd already asked Claude for title ideas based on the keyword "YouTube video ideas". It gave me titles that match the search exactly and titles with an angle for my audience.

1. Pick the one you like most. I liked "YouTube video ideas: how I never run out (simple system)", because I'm all about systems.
2. Paste it back and ask: "Please use this title and create 10 more in the same style so I can choose the one I prefer."
3. Repeat until you have a winner. Mine became "YouTube Video Ideas: Why I Never Guess (Search Data Method)".

Step 2: Research the Top Videos With NotebookLM

Next, search your main keyword on YouTube to see what's already ranking. These are your competitors or potential collaborators. Pick five of the top videos.

I use NotebookLM for this step because it's a Google tool and works well with YouTube: it transcribes videos easily, while Claude struggles to read YouTube videos directly. Click Add sources, paste in the YouTube links and click Insert. It transcribes them and gives you an overview. More in my NotebookLM guide.

Then I asked it, using Wispr Flow to dictate, to pull out the main steps these creators use to find YouTube video ideas. It only works from the five videos you give it, so it doesn't wander off. It came back with:

• Analysing competitors and outliers
• Mining audience pain points and questions
• Search engine and data research
• Creative concepts and angles
• Personal experience and borrowed authority

Choose Your Main Points

Highlight the points you want to cover, typically three, five or seven, to form the main body of your video. You still need to create your own content and speak from the heart. Use these as a guide, not a copy.

Step 3: Turn Your Research Into a Script With Claude

Back in Claude, I pasted in three of the NotebookLM points and said: "This is the main body of my video. I want to talk about one, two and three." Then I asked for a script with my chosen title.

You can ask for a word-for-word script and a target length, such as 8 to 12 minutes. I prefer a handrail rather than something to read, so I asked for:

• Hook and intro: written out in full.
• Main body: bullet points only, so I can speak naturally.
• Ending: one single call to action, my YouTube Jump Start guide.

Claude gave me a script to download. I use the full hook and intro as inspiration and put my own spin on them, rather than reading anything verbatim. I cover how this fits into my wider process in my YouTube AI workflow.

The 5 Parts of a YouTube Script

This is the structure I teach, and it works for any length of video. The main content simply expands for longer videos and contracts for shorter ones.

1. Hook: draws people into the video.
2. Introduction: why they should watch and what the video covers.
3. Main content: your three, five or seven researched points.
4. Bonus: something near the end that keeps them watching to the finish.
5. One call to action: a single, logical next step.

If you're building a business off the back of your channel, that call to action should offer something free, like a guide or a download, in exchange for an email address. Then you can follow up and introduce your products and services over time. See how I do this with YouTube end screens.

Conclusion

Writing a YouTube script doesn't have to take hours. Start with a title, use NotebookLM to research what's already working, pick your main points, then let Claude build a script with a full hook and intro and a bulleted main body.

Make it your own, add value wherever you can, and finish every video with one relevant call to action.