hook-writing

---

name: hook-writing description: "Writes 10 psychologically-driven hooks calibrated to a specific awareness stage, persona, and creative mechanic. Use after creative-brief is validated. Trigger on: 'write hooks', 'generate hooks', 'first line of the ad', 'hook for [persona]'. Produces a scored hook bank ready for brief integration or direct testing." metadata: version: 1.1.0 status: stable tags: [strategy, hooks, copywriting, psychology, awareness] inputs: [validated creative-brief, persona-[name].md, emotional-map-[persona].md] outputs: [10 hooks scored and ranked by awareness + tactic + trigger] depends-on: [creative-brief, audience-research, customer-reality]

Hook Writing

Before Starting

Confirm before starting:

• Validated creative brief (creative-brief.md)
• Persona known with at least one Layer 3 verbatim
• Persona's dominant emotion identified (customer-reality)
• Target awareness stage clearly defined
• Creative mechanic chosen (M1–M8)
• Medium known (video or static) — a video hook is heard, a static hook is read
• Visual format chosen (F01–F45) — the hook must be coherent with the format

Absolute rule: Never write hooks without a validated brief. A hook without strategy is noise.

---

Phase 1: Load the Context

Before writing, re-read in order:

1. The brief's creative angle (C1/C2/C3/C4)
2. The persona's dominant emotion + triggering micro-moment
3. The chosen mechanic (M1–M8)
4. Available Layer 3 verbatims (Bucket 5 from review-audit if available)
5. The chosen visual format (F01–F45)

The best hook is often a direct reformulation of a Layer 3 verbatim.

---

Phase 2: Identify the Psychological Trigger

Before choosing a tactic, identify the dominant trigger.

For the full trigger → tactic → voice pattern chain: See references/psychological-triggers.md

Dominant emotion	Priority trigger
Frustration	TR3 Pain Agitation
Fear	TR8 Urgency / Stakes
Shame	TR2 Identity Call-Out
Hope	TR7 Aspiration
Anger	TR6 Contrarian
Confusion	TR4 Curiosity Gap
Resignation	TR1 Pattern Interrupt

---

Phase 3: Select 3–4 Tactics

Choose complementary tactics that match the awareness stage.

For the full list: See references/hook-tactics.md

Awareness	Recommended tactics
Unaware	T01 Aspirational, T26 Storytelling, T31 What If, T06 Curiosity Gap
Problem Aware	T17 Pain Agitation, T09 Empathy, T20 Problem-First, T15 Myth-Busting
Solution Aware	T03 Bold Claim, T02 Authority, T34 Comparison, T12 How-To
Product Aware	T25 Social Proof, T23 Risk Reversal, T27 Transformation, T08 Direct Address
Most Aware	T29 Urgency, T10 Exclusivity, T11 FOMO, T35 Future Pacing

---

Phase 4: Select Voice Patterns

Choose 2–3 patterns from the swipe file that match the desired tone.

For the swipe file: See references/hook-voice-patterns.md

---

Phase 5: Write the 10 Hooks

Writing Standards

Do:

• Maximum 2 lines (15–20 words for video, 25 for static)
• First word: action verb, precise number, or persona's exact word
• Use the persona's exact words (Layer 3 verbatims, Bucket 5)
• 1 hook = 1 open tension — do not resolve it in the hook
• Test aloud (video): does it sound natural?
• Test speed-read (static): readable in < 2s?

Avoid:

• Starting with "You", "Your", "Our product"
• Resolving the tension in the hook itself
• Using marketing vocabulary ("revolutionary", "innovative", "unique")
• Asking a rhetorical question without a real curiosity gap behind it
• Writing for all audiences — 1 hook = 1 precise persona

Production Format

Produce 10 hooks varying:

• 3–4 different triggers
• 3–4 corresponding tactics
• 2–3 different voice patterns
• Direct tone vs narrative tone
• Question vs statement

---

Phase 6: Score and Select

For each hook, evaluate on 3 criteria (score 1–5):

Criterion	Question
Scroll stop	Does this hook force a stop?
Recognition	Does the persona immediately recognize themselves?
Open curiosity	Does it make you want to see more?

Total score max = 15. Recommend the 3 hooks with score > 11.

---

Output Format

# Hook Bank — [Brand] — [Persona] — [Awareness] — [Date]

## Context
- Angle: [C1/C2/C3/C4]
- Mechanic: [M1–M8]
- Awareness: [Level]
- Dominant tone: [intimate / direct / educational / narrative]

## The 10 Hooks

### Hook 1
**Text:** "[Full hook]"
**Trigger:** [TR#]
**Tactic:** [T##]
**Voice Pattern:** [Cluster #]
**Score:** [X/15] — Scroll [X] · Recognition [X] · Curiosity [X]

### Hook 2
[Same structure]

[...]

## Top 3 Recommended
1. Hook [#] — Score [X/15] — Reason
2. Hook [#] — Score [X/15] — Reason
3. Hook [#] — Score [X/15] — Reason

## Production Notes
[Specific indications: rhythm, voice tone, recommended first visual frame]

---

References

• references/psychological-triggers.md — The 8 triggers with trigger → tactic → voice pattern chain
• references/hook-tactics.md — 42 tactics with templates and examples
• references/hook-voice-patterns.md — Swipe file of native feed patterns

Related Skills

• 03-strategy/creative-brief — absolute prerequisite
• 02-research/customer-reality — source of dominant emotion and micro-moment
• 02-research/review-audit — source of Layer 3 verbatims (Bucket 5)
• 04-production/video-production — Top 3 hooks feed the production brief
• 04-production/static-production — hook adaptation for static format