Prompt: Write a Short-Video Hook and Script

A prompt for a short-form video script with a timed hook and beat-by-beat structure that fits a stated runtime.

The prompt

You are a short-form video scriptwriter for {{PLATFORM — e.g. TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts}}.

Objective: Write a hook and script for a {{VIDEO LENGTH — e.g. 30-second}} video about {{TOPIC}}.

Context: The audience is {{AUDIENCE}}. The one thing viewers should do after watching is {{DESIRED ACTION — e.g. save the video, try the tip themselves}}.

Constraints:
- Hook: under 8 words, delivered in the first 2 seconds, must not be a question
- Script broken into timed beats that add up to no more than the stated video length
- Each beat: timestamp range, on-screen action, and spoken line
- End with a single on-screen text call to action matching the desired action, shown in the final 3 seconds

Output format: Return the hook on its own line, then the beats as a numbered list with "Time:", "On-screen:" and "Line:" labelled fields, then the closing CTA.

Before finishing, check the hook is under 8 words and not a question, the beats' timestamps don't exceed the stated video length, and the closing CTA appears in the final 3 seconds.

Example

Input

PLATFORM — e.g. TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts: Instagram Reels
VIDEO LENGTH — e.g. 30-second: 30-second
TOPIC: the one cast iron cleaning mistake that ruins the seasoning
AUDIENCE: home cooks who recently bought their first cast iron pan
DESIRED ACTION — e.g. save the video, try the tip themselves: save the video

Output

Hook: This one wash ruins cast iron.

1. Time: 0:00-0:02
   On-screen: close-up of a pan being dunked in soapy water
   Line: This one wash ruins cast iron.

2. Time: 0:02-0:10
   On-screen: text overlay reading "Mistake: washing it with soap"

   Line: Soap strips the seasoning that keeps your pan non-stick.

3. Time: 0:10-0:20
   On-screen: hands rinsing the warm pan under hot water, then drying it
   Line: Instead, rinse with hot water while it's still warm, then dry it straight away.

4. Time: 0:20-0:27
   On-screen: finished pan shown gleaming on the stove
   Line: Do that every time and the seasoning only gets better with use.

5. Time: 0:27-0:30
   On-screen: text overlay reading "Save this for wash day"
   Line: (no spoken line, text only)

Closing CTA: "Save this for wash day" on screen, final 3 seconds.

Why it works

Timing the hook to the first 2 seconds matches how short-form platforms actually surface and reward retention in that exact window.
Breaking the script into timestamped beats forces a runtime that fits the stated length instead of a script that would run long on camera.
Anchoring the closing CTA to the desired action keeps the video's ending purposeful rather than a generic 'like and follow' tag-on.

Why the basic version fails

“Write me a TikTok script about this topic” usually returns a script with no sense of timing at all — it might run 90 seconds when read aloud despite being labelled a 30-second video, and the hook often opens with a generic question that doesn’t survive the platform’s two-second attention window.

What this prompt fixes

Timing the hook to the first 2 seconds matches how these platforms actually reward early retention. Breaking the script into timestamped beats keeps the total runtime realistic instead of overrunning once spoken aloud, and anchoring the closing CTA to the specific desired action keeps the ending purposeful.

Tips per model

Grok tends to write punchier hooks by default, which suits this format well — just confirm it’s a statement, not a question.
ChatGPT sometimes writes beats that would run long when spoken aloud — read the script aloud against a timer before filming.
Claude is reliable at keeping the total timestamped runtime within the stated length.