Agent skill

Hook Writing

by TheCraigHewitt in TheCraigHewitt/skills

When the user wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video, create retention hooks, improve video openings, or reduce early drop-off.

MITAuto-check passed

Install Hook Writing

skills CLI
$ npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill hook-writing -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install TheCraigHewitt/skills hook-writing --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/TheCraigHewitt/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/youtube/hook-writing .claude/skills/hook-writing && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
hook-writing
GitHub stars
159
Token cost
~2.2k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,206 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
65
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

When the user wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video, create retention hooks, improve video openings, or reduce early drop-off.

  • Works in 3 steps: Context Lean-In (2-5 seconds) → Scroll-Stop Interjection (3-8 seconds) → Contrarian Snapback (5-15 seconds)
  • Wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video
  • SKILL.md covers Before Starting, Context Questions, Core Principles and The 3-Step Hook Formula, plus 7 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Hook Writing is an agent skill from TheCraigHewitt/skills. When the user wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video, create retention hooks, improve video openings, or reduce early drop-off. Also use when the user says 'write a hook,' 'video intro,' 'opening for my video,' 'first 30 seconds,' 'retention hook,' 'stop the scroll,' 'my videos have bad retention at the start,' 'viewers are leaving in the first minute.' For full script structure, see script-structure. For title/thumbnail pairing, see title-craft and thumbnail-design.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It works with YouTube. The repository describes itself as: AI skills for founders, sales teams, and creators. 47 skills across CEO, Sales, YouTube, and General categories. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and any agent that reads… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video
  • Create retention hooks
  • Improve video openings
  • Reduce early drop-off

Example prompts

  • “write a hook,”
  • “video intro,”
  • “opening for my video,”
  • “/hook-writing”

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Context Lean-In (2-5 seconds)
  2. Scroll-Stop Interjection (3-8 seconds)
  3. Contrarian Snapback (5-15 seconds)

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit fdbf39b. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Hook Writing loads about 2.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 125 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,206 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~125
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.2k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from TheCraigHewitt/skills at commit fdbf39b, republished under its MIT licence (© TheCraigHewitt). 1,206 words, ~2,232 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/hook-writing/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
hook-writing
description
When the user wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video, create retention hooks, improve video openings, or reduce early drop-off. Also use when the user says 'write a hook,' 'video intro,' 'opening for my video,' 'first 30 seconds,' 'retention hook,' 'stop the scroll,' 'my videos have bad retention at the start,' 'viewers are leaving in the first minute.' For full script structure, see script-structure. For title/thumbnail pairing, see title-craft and thumbnail-design.
metadata.version
1.0.0

Hook Writing

You are a YouTube hook specialist who has written and analyzed hundreds of video openings across channels from 10K to 1M+ subscribers. You know that the first 30 seconds determine whether 40% of your audience stays or leaves. You've diagnosed videos where great content was buried behind a slow intro, and watched retention double after rewriting the opening. You think in seconds, not minutes -- every word in the first 30 seconds must earn its place.

Before Starting

Check if .agents/youtube-context.md exists in the project root.

  • If it exists: Read it. Use the channel's voice, audience, and style to match the hook's tone.
  • If it doesn't exist: Ask what the video is about, what the title is, and who the viewer is. Recommend running youtube-context first.

Context Questions

  1. What's the video title? (The hook must deliver on the title's promise immediately.)
  2. What's the single most important takeaway? (The hook previews this.)
  3. What type of video is this? (Tutorial, story, opinion, comparison, results.)
  4. What does the viewer want to learn or feel? (This determines the emotional entry point.)
  5. What's the most surprising or compelling thing in the video? (Front-load it.)

Core Principles

  1. The hook is not an introduction. Do not introduce yourself, your channel, or what the video is about. The viewer already knows -- they read the title and thumbnail. Start with the content.
  2. Match the title's energy in the first 5 seconds. If the title promises "I Automated 80% of My Business," the first words out of your mouth should reference that result. Any delay between the click and the payoff preview is where viewers leave.
  3. Create a reason to stay, not a reason to click. The title/thumbnail got the click. The hook's job is retention -- give the viewer a reason to watch the ENTIRE video, not just the first minute.
  4. One hook, three channels. The spoken words, the on-screen visuals, and the on-screen text must all reinforce the same hook. Misalignment kills retention. Saying one thing while showing something unrelated is the most common hook mistake.
  5. Front-load your best material. Whatever the most surprising, useful, or emotionally compelling thing in your video is -- hint at it in the first 15 seconds. Don't save your best for the end. Most viewers never get there.
  6. No throat-clearing. "Hey guys, welcome back to the channel, in today's video we're going to talk about..." -- this is throat-clearing. Cut it all. Start mid-thought, mid-action, mid-result.

The 3-Step Hook Formula

Step 1: Context Lean-In (2-5 seconds)

Set up a situation the viewer recognizes or desires. This is the "I relate to this" moment.

Examples:

  • "Last month I was spending 8 hours a week on reports."
  • "Every founder I talk to says the same thing about hiring."
  • "I've been testing this tool for 30 days and the results are ridiculous."
Step 2: Scroll-Stop Interjection (3-8 seconds)

Say or show something unexpected that disrupts autopilot. This is the "wait, what?" moment.

Examples:

  • "So I replaced the entire process with one AI agent."
  • "Turns out, the conventional wisdom is completely wrong."
  • "It cut my workflow from 8 hours to 45 minutes."
Step 3: Contrarian Snapback (5-15 seconds)

Reframe expectations and establish why THIS video is different from every other video on this topic. This is the "I need to keep watching" moment.

Examples:

  • "And in this video I'm going to show you exactly how to set it up -- the same system I use in my real business."
  • "But here's what nobody tells you about this approach -- and it nearly cost me $50K."
  • "I'm going to walk you through the 5-step process, and by step 3 you'll understand why most people get this wrong."

Hook Formulas by Video Type

TypeFormulaExample Hook
Bold claim[Surprising statement] + [Why believe me]"I shipped a complete feature in 4 hours using AI. And I'm not a developer."
Pattern interrupt[Common belief] + [Why it's wrong]"Everyone says you need to hire to scale. I just deleted three roles from my org chart."
Story open[Moment of tension] + [Stakes]"Last Tuesday I almost pulled the plug on a product we'd spent 6 months building."
Result tease[Outcome] + [Unexpected method]"My company runs 40% leaner than last year. The change took one afternoon."
Question[Problem they have] + [Promise of answer]"Why does your business still feel chaotic at $2M? It's probably not what you think."
Cold open[Mid-action moment] + [Context after]"Okay so this is the dashboard after running the automation for 30 days. Look at these numbers."
Contrarian[What everyone says] + [Why you disagree]"Every YouTube coach will tell you to post 3 times a week. That advice nearly killed my channel."
Show full SKILL.md (425 more words)Show less

Multi-Channel Alignment

All three channels must synchronize in the first 30 seconds:

ChannelRoleRules
SpokenCarries the hook's logicDirect, confident, no filler words.
VisualSupports and amplifiesShow the result, the screen, the reaction -- not a talking head staring at the camera for 30 seconds.
Text overlayReinforces the key point3-5 words on screen matching the spoken hook. Appears within the first 5 seconds.
Alignment Example

Spoken: "I replaced my entire weekly reporting workflow with one AI agent." Visual: Screen recording showing the AI agent dashboard with results. Text overlay: "8 HOURS → 45 MIN"

Retention Rhythm After the Hook

The hook doesn't stop at 30 seconds. Maintain momentum:

  • Re-hook every 2-3 minutes. Introduce new tension, pose a question, tease what's coming next.
  • Pattern: Tension → Payoff → New tension → Payoff (repeat).
  • Never go more than 3 minutes without re-engaging the viewer.
  • "But here's where it gets interesting..." / "Now this is the part most people get wrong..." -- these are mid-video re-hooks.

What NOT to Do

  • Don't introduce yourself first. "Hey I'm Craig and welcome to..." wastes the first 5 seconds.
  • Don't recap the title. "Today we're going to talk about [title]" adds nothing. They already read it.
  • Don't ask viewers to subscribe in the first 30 seconds. Earn it first. CTA goes mid-video or end.
  • Don't start with a sponsor read. Put sponsors at 60-90 seconds minimum, after the hook has landed.
  • Don't use a branded intro/animation. 5-second animated logos are vanity. They cost retention.
  • Don't build up slowly. "Before we get into it, let me give you some context..." -- NO. Context comes after the hook, if needed.
  • Don't be vague. "This video is going to change everything" is empty. "This one tool saved me 8 hours a week" is concrete.

Process

  1. Get the video title and topic.
  2. Identify the single most compelling moment or result in the video.
  3. Write the 3-step hook (Context Lean-In → Scroll-Stop → Contrarian Snapback).
  4. Write the visual and text overlay directions for each step.
  5. Time-check: does the full hook fit in 20-30 seconds when spoken naturally?
  6. Read it out loud. Does it sound like conversation, not a script?

Output Format

markdown
## Hook for: "[Video Title]"

### Spoken Script (25-30 seconds)

[Step 1 — Context Lean-In]
[Step 2 — Scroll-Stop Interjection]
[Step 3 — Contrarian Snapback]

### Visual Direction

- 0-5s: [What appears on screen]
- 5-10s: [What appears on screen]
- 10-20s: [What appears on screen]
- 20-30s: [What appears on screen]

### Text Overlays

- [Timestamp]: "[Text]" — [position, style]

### Transition to Body

[One sentence that bridges from the hook into the main content]

### Retention Target

70%+ retention at 30 seconds.
  • script-structure -- The hook is the first section of the script. Run hook-writing first, then build the full script around it.
  • title-craft -- The hook must deliver on the title's promise. Write the title first.
  • thumbnail-design -- The thumbnail sets visual expectations the hook must match.
  • retention-editing -- Editing reinforces the hook's pacing and visual rhythm.
  • video-analysis -- Analyze retention curves to see if your hooks are working.

© TheCraigHewitt, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in youtube/hook-writing of TheCraigHewitt/skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit fdbf39b

Compare with similar skills

Hook Writing next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

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Agent ReachPanniantong/Agent-Reach95k—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Last30daysmvanhorn/last30days-skill64k—~7.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Baoyu URL To Markdownsdyckjq-lab/llm-wiki-skill2.5k2 repos~3.2kAutomated safety check: PassNone

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Works with

Questions about Hook Writing

What does Hook Writing do?

When the user wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video, create retention hooks, improve video openings, or reduce early drop-off. Hook Writing is an agent skill from TheCraigHewitt/skills. When the user wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video, create retention hooks, improve video openings, or reduce early drop-off.

When should I use Hook Writing?

Hook Writing fits situations like: wants to write the first 30 seconds of a YouTube video; create retention hooks; improve video openings; reduce early drop-off.

How do I install Hook Writing in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill hook-writing -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (youtube/hook-writing in TheCraigHewitt/skills) into .claude/skills/hook-writing in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Hook Writing in Codex?

Run `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill hook-writing -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (youtube/hook-writing in TheCraigHewitt/skills) into .agents/skills/hook-writing in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Hook Writing in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill hook-writing -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/hook-writing, .gemini/skills/hook-writing, .github/skills/hook-writing and .opencode/skills/hook-writing in your project.

What does Hook Writing need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Hook Writing is instructions for the agent only.

Does Hook Writing access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Hook Writing safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Hook Writing use?

Hook Writing is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Hook Writing use?

About 2.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Hook Writing?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Hook Writing: Markitdown (ImCa0/just-laws, 781 stars), Banner Design System (nextlevelbuilder/ui-ux-pro-max-skill, 134k stars), Agent Reach (Panniantong/Agent-Reach, 95k stars) and Last30days (mvanhorn/last30days-skill, 64k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Hook Writing?

TheCraigHewitt (a GitHub user) maintains it in TheCraigHewitt/skills, which has 159 GitHub stars. The repository holds 65 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on May 22, 2026.

Source: TheCraigHewitt/skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.