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Creative Hooks And Content Creation / Ideation (GemeniPro)

Okay, here is an actionable, time-sequential framework based exactly on Cole’s methods described in the transcript for using AI to generate powerful headlines, hooks, and structured writing.

This framework emphasizes the “write with AI” philosophy, where the human acts as the ‘Editor-in-Chief,’ guiding the process, making high-leverage decisions, and using AI for ideation, variation, and lower-leverage tasks.

Cole’s AI-Assisted Writing Framework

Phase 1: Ideation & Goal Setting (Human-Led)

  1. Start with the Seed Idea: Identify the core concept, story, or observation you want to write about.
    • Example: Reed Hastings’ rule about not saying “Blockbuster” and competing against “guilt.”
  2. Make the First Core Decision: Determine the scope.
    • Option A: Is this seed idea the main topic of the piece? (e.g., The entire piece is about the Reed Hastings rule).
    • Option B: Is this seed idea one point within a larger topic? (e.g., The Hastings rule is one example in a piece about unconventional CEO rules or competing against emotions).
    • Action: Choose one path. Cole proceeds with Option A but refines it.
  3. Define Clear Goals for the Piece: Articulate what you want the content to achieve. Be specific.
    • Example Goals:
      • Connect to a specific niche/audience (e.g., Startup founders/ideas).
      • Be actionable (Provide takeaways the reader can use).
      • Integrate the core seed idea/story (The Reed Hastings anecdote).
    • Action: Write down these goals explicitly.

Phase 2: Initial AI Collaboration – Generating Angles & Headlines (AI-Assisted Ideation)

  1. Engage AI Conversationally (Initial Prompt): Open your AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude). Feed it your refined idea and goals.
    • Prompt Structure:
      • “I have a seed idea for an [article/post type, e.g., 800-word article]: [Paste your seed idea here].”
      • “Here are my goals for this piece: [Paste your goals here].”
      • “Provide some context if needed: [e.g., My audience is entrepreneurial listeners interested in startup ideas].”
      • “Can you please generate [Number, e.g., 20] potential headlines for this piece?”
      • Crucially: “Under each headline, please list out 3-5 main points that would make up the content of that piece.” (This helps evaluate the viability of the headline).
  2. Act as Editor-in-Chief – Select the Best Angle/Headline: Review the AI-generated list.
    • Look for headlines that are intriguing, clear, and align with your goals. Pay attention to powerful words (like “Banned” in the example).
    • Evaluate the accompanying points – do they suggest a valuable, coherent piece?
    • Action: Use your taste and contextual understanding (e.g., what works on platform X) to choose the most promising headline.
    • Example Outcome: Selecting “Why Reed Hastings Banned the Word Blockbuster & What It Means For Your Startup”.

Phase 3: Structuring the Content & Refining the Promise (Human-Led Strategy)

  1. Refine the Headline Promise using the “10 Magical Ways”: Look at your chosen headline. Is the promise specific and tangible? Use Cole’s “10 Magical Ways” (Tips, Stats, Steps, Lessons, Reasons Why, Mistakes, Examples, Quotes, Techniques, Secrets) to make it concrete.
    • Example: The original “…What It Means For Your Startup” is vague. Refine it to promise something specific from the list.
    • Action: Modify the headline. Example Outcome: “Why Reed Hastings Banned The Word Blockbuster & 3 Lessons That Can Be Learned…”
  2. Outline the Core Structure: Based on the content length and refined promise, define the main sections. For an ~800-word article, Cole suggests:
    • Intro
    • Main Section 1
    • Main Section 2
    • Main Section 3
    • Conclusion (Implied)
  3. Draft Initial Main Points (Subheads): These MUST directly deliver on the refined headline promise.
    • If the headline promises “3 Lessons,” the subheads should be “Lesson 1,” “Lesson 2,” “Lesson 3.”
    • Action: Write down your first attempt at what these specific lessons (or steps, tips, etc.) are. Try to make them tangible and sentence-like, not just quippy titles. Attempt this manually first.
    • Example Initial Draft:
      • Lesson 1: Focus on the underlying emotion, not the direct competitor.
      • Lesson 2: Convenience can be a massive differentiator.
      • Lesson 3: Banning certain words can create strategic focus.
  4. Stack Rank Main Points: Review your drafted main points. Which one is the most compelling, surprising, or intriguing?
    • Action: Reorder the points to put the strongest one first to hook the reader early.

Phase 4: AI-Assisted Refinement & Content Planning (Iterative Collaboration)

  1. Stress-Test Your Main Points with AI: Feed your manually drafted main points back to the AI.
    • Prompt Structure:
      • “Okay, based on the headline ‘[Paste Refined Headline Here]’, here are the [e.g., 3 lessons] I came up with: [Paste your drafted points].”
      • “I want to stress-test the quality. Can you please come up with [Number, e.g., 5] more batches of [e.g., 3 lessons] related to this headline so I can see other possibilities?”
  2. Refine Point Quality with AI Guidance: If the AI’s output (or your initial draft) feels vague or too “clever,” guide the AI.
    • Prompt Structure (If needed): “Those are okay, but many are written as vague titles. The ones I aim for are more like full sentences, tangible, and actionable. Can you please generate [Number] more batches focusing on that specific, actionable, sentence format?”
  3. Select the Best Main Points: Compare your initial points with the AI-generated alternatives. Choose the strongest, most specific, and most valuable set of points. You might mix and match or refine further based on AI’s suggestions. Your taste is paramount.
  4. Plan Content Within Each Section using “10 Magical Ways”: For each finalized main point (section), decide what type of content will effectively deliver that point. Use the “10 Magical Ways” again.
    • Example Planning:
      • Lesson 1 (Ban a word): Explain the Steps to run a “banned word” experiment.
      • Lesson 2 (Convenience): Provide Stats proving convenience wins and Examples of other companies using it.
      • Lesson 3 (Focus on Guilt/Emotion): Give Reasons Why this is effective or Techniques to identify underlying customer emotions.
    • Action: Annotate your outline with the specific “Magical Way(s)” you’ll use for each section. All major decisions are now made before writing prose.

Phase 5: Generating Specific Hooks (Example: Twitter Thread Hook)

(This phase can be done earlier if the primary goal is a short-form hook, or here as a way to repurpose/promote the longer piece).

  1. Find a Proven Hook Template: Identify a hook structure (yours or someone else’s) that performed well and has a style you like.
    • Example: Greg’s viral tweet structure.
  2. Manually Adapt the Template: Rewrite the structure of the template using your specific content idea (the Reed Hastings story). Don’t copy content, copy the architecture. Make conscious choices.
    • Example: Rewriting Greg’s “Fascinating lunch with…” hook into the “In 2002, Reed Hastings had a meeting…” format.
  3. Train a “Mini-Model” in AI: Feed both the original template and your manually adapted version to the AI.
    • Prompt Structure:
      • “I want to write a viral hook for a Twitter/X thread based on the headline ‘[Your Headline]’.”
      • “Here’s a hook format I know works well (from a previous viral tweet): [Paste the TEMPLATE hook].”
      • “Here’s my first attempt at adapting that format for my Reed Hastings idea: [Paste YOUR ADAPTED hook].”
      • “Now, can you please generate [Number, e.g., 5] other variations of this hook, using this structure and my topic, to maximize intrigue?”
  4. Select the Strongest Hook: Review the AI’s variations. AI might generate a better version than your manual attempt because it learned from the examples.
    • Action: Choose the best hook based on your judgment and taste. Example Outcome: Picking the “Picture this: a 2002 Netflix leadership meeting…” version.

Phase 6: AI-Assisted Drafting (Optional – Deferring Lower Leverage Work)

  1. Prompt AI Section by Section: Now that the structure, main points, and content types are decided, you can use AI to generate a first draft of the prose.
    • Prompt Structure (for one section): “Okay, write the section for the subhead ‘[Paste Subhead/Main Point Here]’. Based on my plan, this section should focus on delivering [Planned Magical Way, e.g., ‘the specific Steps for running a banned word experiment’]. Keep the tone [Specify tone, e.g., informative, engaging]. Aim for roughly [Word count] words for this section.”
  2. Review and Refine: Treat the AI output as a V1 draft from a junior writer.
    • Action: Edit for clarity, accuracy, tone, flow, and tangibility. Refine sentences, add your unique voice, and ensure it meets your standards. You might prompt AI for revisions on specific paragraphs. You are the final Editor.

Phase 7: Continuous Learning & Improvement (Meta)

  1. Internalize Frameworks: Actively learn and collect writing frameworks (like the “10 Magical Ways,” headline formulas, intro structures) from various sources (courses, books, podcasts, practice).
  2. Improve Prompting: As you practice, move from simple conversational prompts to more sophisticated “mega prompts” that incorporate multiple instructions learned through iteration, increasing efficiency.
  3. Embrace the Editor-in-Chief Mindset: Consistently focus on making the high-leverage strategic decisions and using AI as a tool to execute faster and explore more options, guided by your taste.

This framework follows Cole’s steps precisely, emphasizing human strategy and taste while leveraging AI for speed, variety, and executing well-defined tasks.