Scripts are heard, not read
A sentence that looks fine on the page can be exhausting to hear. Write the way you talk.
Rules for the ear
- Short sentences. One idea each. "Track your admin. For one month. Then price it in."
- Everyday words. "Use", not "utilize". "Help", not "facilitate".
- Contractions. "You're", "don't", "it's". Without them, you sound like a robot.
- Active voice. "Clients pay for what they can see", not "What is seen is paid for."
- Repeat the key phrase. On a page, repetition is sloppy. Out loud, it's how people remember.
- Signpost. "Here's the fix." "Step two." It helps viewers keep up.
Cut ruthlessly
For every line, ask: if I delete this, does the video get worse? If not, delete it. Common cuts:
- Restating the hook
- "So basically…", "Now, what's really interesting is…"
- A second example when one does the job
Show, don't say
If something can be shown on screen, it doesn't need to be said. "Here's the spreadsheet" plus showing the spreadsheet beats describing its columns.
Try it
Read your script out loud and record yourself on your phone. Listen back, and fix every spot where you stumbled or got bored.