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How to write a teleprompter script

A good teleprompter script is written for the ear, not the page: a hook in the first line, short sentences you'd actually say, three to five sections you can retake on their own, and a word count that fits your speaking pace. Here's how, plus a template to copy.

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Updated

  1. 01

    Start with the one thing

    Write the single sentence you want viewers to remember. Everything else in the script supports it or gets cut.

  2. 02

    Open with the hook

    Put the payoff or the problem in the first line, not a greeting. On short-form video, viewers decide in the first few seconds.

  3. 03

    Write the way you talk

    Short sentences, contractions, everyday words. If you wouldn't say it to a friend across a table, rewrite it.

  4. 04

    Split it into sections

    Break the script into three to five labelled parts, such as Hook, Problem, Fix and Call to action, so a stumble means redoing one section, not the whole take.

  5. 05

    Read it out loud and fix the snags

    Anything you trip over on the first read, you'll trip over on camera. Swap long words for short ones and split long sentences.

  6. 06

    Cut it to length

    Most people speak somewhere around 130 to 160 words a minute in conversation. Count your words, check the time, and trim until it fits.

A template to copy

Four sections, about 45 seconds once the brackets are filled in.

## Hook
Most people get [topic] wrong in the first week.

## The mistake
It's not [what they think]. It's [the real problem].

## The fix
Here's what to do instead: [step one], [step two], [step three].

## Call to action
Try it this week, and follow for part two.

Paste it into DuoPrompt as is: the ## lines become sections on the timeline. Too long once it's filled in? Tighten rewrites it to 30 seconds, a minute or more on your iPhone. Then check the tips for reading it naturally.

Script writing questions

How long should a teleprompter script be?

Work back from the video length. At a typical conversational pace of about 130 to 160 words a minute, a 30-second video is roughly 65 to 80 words and a one-minute video roughly 130 to 160. Use the script length calculator to check yours.

How do I make a teleprompter script sound natural?

Write in short spoken sentences with contractions, read it out loud before recording and rewrite anything you stumble on, and leave room to ad-lib. A voice-follow teleprompter like DuoPrompt catches up when you go off-script, so the script can be a guide rather than a cage.

Should I write every word or use bullet points?

Script the opening and the closing word for word, since those need to land. For the middle, full sentences are easier to read smoothly on a teleprompter, but experienced presenters often use short prompts and ad-lib around them.

How do I format a script for a teleprompter?

One idea per short paragraph, no parentheses or stage directions in the spoken text, numbers written the way you'd say them, and clear section labels. In DuoPrompt, lines starting with ## become sections you can jump between.