Why Shorts Are Different
Long-form YouTube rewards patience. Shorts punish it. You have 2 seconds before the swipe. Everything about Shorts scripting is built around that constraint.
The 3-Part Shorts Formula
Part 1: The Hook (0–3 seconds)
Lead with the payoff, the conflict, or the most shocking moment.
"I gained 10,000 subscribers in 7 days — here's the exact method."
"Most people get this completely wrong."
"POV: you just discovered the productivity trick nobody talks about."
Part 2: The Rapid Payoff (3–45 seconds)
Deliver the value immediately. No backstory, no throat-clearing. Use:
- •Lists ("3 things that changed everything...")
- •Before/after ("I used to do X. Now I do Y. Here's why.")
- •Mini-story (hook → struggle → resolution in 30 seconds)
Part 3: The Loop or CTA (45–60 seconds)
Either loop back to the hook (encourages replay = algorithm boost) or give a single clear CTA.
"Follow for one tip like this every day."
10 Fill-in-the-Blank Shorts Templates
- •"Nobody talks about [topic] but it changed my [result]."
- •"[Number] signs you're [negative state] — and how to fix it."
- •"POV: You finally [positive outcome]."
- •"Stop doing [common thing]. Do [alternative] instead."
- •"The [adjective] truth about [topic]."
- •"I tried [thing] for [duration]. Here's what happened."
- •"[Question]? Here's the answer nobody gives you."
- •"Things I wish I knew before [experience]."
- •"[Number] [items] that take under 2 minutes."
- •"Watch this if you [audience pain point]."
What Makes Shorts Go Viral
- •Completion rate is the #1 signal. Every word must earn its place.
- •Loops — end where you began. Algorithm rewards replays.
- •Captions — 85% of Shorts are watched without sound.
- •No intros — your name, your channel, your story — cut it all.
Generate Your Shorts Script
Scriva has a dedicated Shorts mode — 60-second max output, hook-first structure, loop ending built in.