A strong short has five bones: Hook, Problem, Personal Moment, Solution, and Call to Action (CTA). The Hook grabs attention. The Problem pulls viewers in by letting them recognize themselves. The Personal Moment proves you're human. The Solution delivers the payoff. The CTA tells viewers exactly what to do next.
You can merge bones strategically—Problem and Personal Moment often collapse into one beat. Never skip the Hook or CTA. Without a Hook, no one stays. Without a CTA, no one acts.
Length shapes depth. A 15-second clip leans hard on Hook and CTA. Thirty seconds is the sweet spot for beginners: enough room for all five bones without dragging. At 60 or 90 seconds, you get more depth, but brevity holds attention.
Run the "label the bones" drill tonight. Pick three viral videos in your niche. Mark where each bone sits. Do this enough times and the structure becomes a reflex.
Example: "Struggling with productivity? (Hook) I used to procrastinate until deadlines loomed. (Problem) One night, I switched off notifications and put my devices away. (Personal Moment) That one change saved me hours every week. (Solution) Try it tonight and see for yourself. (CTA)"
Next, the Hook—the make-or-break bone.
Section 3: Hooks - The First Three Seconds
Why 80% of Your Script-Writing Time Belongs to the Hook