# Stage: script

Turn the concept into the words that will be spoken — the `script` artifact.

## Quality bar

- **Write for the ear.** Short sentences, one thought at a time. Read it aloud; if
  you stumble, rewrite it.
- **Front-load the hook.** Earn the first three seconds — voice starts immediately,
  no "hey everyone" warm-up. People leave fast.
- **Cut filler.** If a line adds neither information nor momentum, delete it.

## Budget the words to the runtime (validated)

Narration that overruns the video is the single most common break downstream — the
edit can't fit it, lines get clipped, or scenes have to stretch.

- Speaking rate: **~2.0–2.5 words/second** for a calm explainer, up to **~3.0** for
  energetic/short-form.
- Target narration at **~85–90%** of the video length so there's a breath at the
  open and close.
- So a ~25s short is roughly **45–65 words**. Count them. Allocate per scene in
  proportion to each scene's duration; give the opening and closing scenes the
  fewest words and let the visuals breathe.

## Make it concrete (validated)

- **Replace feeling-words with their cause.** "Epic", "moody", "inspiring" don't
  constrain anything and read as filler. Say the thing: not "a powerful moment",
  but "the number doubles on screen as the music drops out for a beat".
- **Silence is a tool.** After a key reveal, leave 1–3 seconds before the next
  line. Working memory needs the pause to consolidate; filling it lowers recall.

Keep the structure visible — a hook line, a few body lines, a closing line — so it
maps cleanly onto the scene plan.
