The hook makes a promise. The next 1 to 3 sentences decide whether the viewer believes it. If they get a detour, a backstory or a slow setup, the curiosity turns into "this was bait" and they leave.
Step 1: Find the gap
Write what the hook promised, then what actually comes next in the video, with the time. Flag any stretch that doesn't serve the promise: an intro, a story about the creator, "before we start", a long setup. Say exactly what to cut or move.
Step 2: Pick one lock-in move
| Move | When | Example shape |
|---|---|---|
| Proof right away | The hook made a claim | Show the result, the number (theirs), the screen |
| Picture the result | The viewer wants a change | "By the end you'll [see / have] [result]" said over the result |
| Stack a second contrast | The hook landed and needs more pull | "And it's not your shoes either." |
| Name the method | The fix has steps | "It's one change: [named thing]." |
| Answer the objection | The viewer is already doubting | "No, you don't need [the thing they think they need]." |
| Say it concretely | The hook was a bold or abstract claim | Restate it with the real number or the real example |
Usually one or two moves is enough. Pick by what this viewer is thinking right after the hook.
Step 3: Write it
Write the exact 1 to 3 sentences, and what's on screen while they're said. Then check:
- Does it confirm the hook within the first sentence or two?
- Does it add something, not repeat the hook?
- Is the claim backed by footage or the creator's own facts?
- Does it set up the rest of the video, so the viewer knows why to keep watching?
Output
Hook promised: [one line]
Video currently does next: [what, until when]
Cut or move: [exact]
Lock-in (say): "[1 to 3 sentences]"
On screen: [shot]
Move used: [name]
Rules
- The creator's story is allowed, after the payoff, as proof. Not before.
- No invented proof to make the lock-in land. Use what's in the video, or a [placeholder].