Myth vs fact: three beliefs checked in 35 seconds, each with a demonstration
The format where a common belief is stated, then tested on camera, then labelled. Works because the viewer picks a side in the first second; the prompt insists on a visible test per myth.
Write a myth vs fact script about {topic}. The format works because the viewer guesses the answer before you give it and watches to see if they were right. Every myth must be checked by something visible in the shot, not by an assertion. If a myth cannot be demonstrated, replace it. Structure (35 s, 9:16): - 0-3 s HOOK: 'Three things everyone believes about {topic}. One of them is true.' On-screen: 'MYTH or FACT?' - 3-13 s MYTH 1: state it as a quote people say (2 s, text on screen in quote marks), show the test (6 s), stamp the verdict (2 s, big text: MYTH or FACT). - 13-23 s MYTH 2: same shape. - 23-33 s MYTH 3: same shape. Order them so the verdicts are not all the same; the one that is true goes last. - 33-35 s CLOSE: 'Which one did you get wrong?' Comment ask, no download ask. Word budget: 85-95 words at 165 wpm. On-screen text: the belief in quote marks, then the verdict stamp. Nothing else, so the stamp has impact. Return: the three beliefs with how each is tested on camera (I will reject any that are not tested), then a table (time, section, spoken line, on-screen text, shot). Topic: {topic} Beliefs I hear most: {list, or leave blank and propose}
In Claude Code, paste the prompt as a message.
Example
Topic: learning a language as an adult.
Beliefs and tests:
- ‘You need an hour a day.’ Test: show a phone timer at 10:00, a notebook page from day 1 and day 60. Verdict: MYTH.
- ‘Apps alone are enough.’ Test: play a 5-second clip of a real conversation at speed, then the same sentence in the app at app speed. Verdict: MYTH.
- ‘Speaking badly early is better than waiting.’ Test: a clip of a day-10 voice note, clumsy, next to a day-90 voice note. Verdict: FACT.
| Time | Section | Spoken line | On-screen text | Shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-3 s | Hook | Three things everyone believes about learning a language. One is true. | MYTH or FACT? | Face |
| 3-5 s | M1 | ‘You need an hour a day.’ | “an hour a day” | Text over a desk |
| 5-11 s | M1 test | Ten minutes, every day. Day one, day sixty. The notebook does not lie. | Timer, then the two pages | |
| 11-13 s | M1 verdict | Myth. | MYTH | Stamp |
| 13-15 s | M2 | ‘The app is enough.’ | “the app is enough” | Phone |
| 15-21 s | M2 test | This is a waiter at speed. This is the app. Hear the gap. | Two clips back to back | |
| 21-23 s | M2 verdict | Myth. | MYTH | Stamp |
| 23-25 s | M3 | ‘Speak badly early.’ | “speak badly early” | Face |
| 25-31 s | M3 test | Day ten. Painful. Day ninety. Same sentence. | DAY 10 / DAY 90 | Two voice notes with waveforms |
| 31-33 s | M3 verdict | Fact. | FACT | Stamp |
| 33-35 s | Close | Which one did you get wrong? | Face |
Tips
- A myth with no test is an opinion video wearing a costume. Cut it or find the test.
- Put the true one last; a viewer who was right about two myths stays to be wrong about the third.
| works with | Claude Code: Runs as a skill or a prompt in the terminal; can read your files and write the result. · Claude: Paste into claude.ai or the Claude app. · ChatGPT: Paste into ChatGPT; works with any GPT model. · Any LLM: Model-agnostic: Gemini, Mistral, a local model. |
| cost | Free. No API, no key. |
| status | Unverified: written from the technique, not yet run end to end by us. |
| license | CC BY 4.0 for the text here; skills are MIT. |
| updated | 2026-11-01 |
| for agents | myth-vs-fact-format.md |
Related
'3 mistakes' in 40 seconds: the educational format that converts
Three mistakes the viewer is making right now, each with the fix shown in a shot, ranked so the last one is the one they did not know about. Prompt returns the script, text plan and shot list.
Tutorial in 30 seconds: result first, then the steps at reading speed
The compressed how-to that gets saved: the finished thing in frame 1, then 3-5 numbered steps each shown and captioned. The prompt budgets the words so the steps fit at 165 wpm.
Day in the life: a 45-second cut from real footage with one through-line
A recipe for the vlog-style day that keeps working because the viewer waits for one promised payoff; the prompt turns your clip list into a timed script with text overlays.
Countdown listicle: 5 items in 45 seconds, best one last, numbers on screen
The ranked list format, with the rule that makes it hold: each item gets shorter as the count drops and number one gets the longest shot. The prompt returns script, text plan and the caption list.
Storytime with a twist: a 60-second told story with the turn at 40 seconds
The talking-to-camera story that holds because the opener promises a turn and the turn arrives late. The prompt plans the beats, the b-roll inserts and the one line of text per beat.
'Things I wish I knew': 5 lessons in 50 seconds, each with what it cost me
The advice format that gets saved because every lesson is attached to the mistake that taught it. The prompt orders the lessons by cost and plans one number on screen per lesson.