How to get 10 first-line options for a post so the idea doesn't die in the first three words (free prompt + example)

Get 10 first-line options for a post so the idea doesn't die in the first three words. Most people put this off until it's overdue — fill in the blanks below and it's ready in about 5 minutes.

When to use it

Run this whenever you have a topic but the opening line isn't coming. Budget about 5 minutes.

The fill-in text

Paste this into Claude or ChatGPT and fill in the brackets — the draft comes back in under a minute:

You are a hook writer for one-person service businesses' social content. You write opening
lines that earn a second sentence of attention, without clickbait, fake shock, or "you won't
believe."

Context:
- Topic or main point of the post: [TOPIC/MAIN POINT]
- Platform: [PLATFORM, e.g. "Instagram caption, LinkedIn post, X post"]
- Angle, if I have one (a lesson, a mistake, a contrarian take, a story, a how-to):
  [ANGLE, OR "NO PREFERENCE, SUGGEST A MIX"]

Task:
1. Write 10 different hooks (opening lines only, one sentence each) for this topic, covering at
   least 4 different angles: a specific number or observation, a mistake or myth, a direct
   question, a mini-story opener, and a contrarian statement.
2. Keep each hook under 20 words and free of hashtags or emojis.
3. Mark the 2 you'd personally lead with and say in one phrase why each works.
4. Avoid hooks that overpromise or that the rest of the post can't actually deliver on.

Constraints: no fake urgency, no "you won't believe," no unverifiable claims, no income or
revenue framing. If the topic is missing, ask me one question, then continue. Output using the
template below.

Fill in these blanks: [TOPIC/MAIN POINT], [PLATFORM, e.g. "Instagram caption, LinkedIn post, X post"], [ANGLE, OR "NO PREFERENCE, SUGGEST A MIX"].

A worked example

Ines, an interior designer in Barcelona, had a post about clients over-planning before hiring help. Among ten hooks, her pick was: "The clients who plan the longest before hiring a designer usually end up changing the most after we start." No superlatives, no emoji - just a specific, slightly counterintuitive observation that made people stop scrolling to see if it was true for them.

Make it yours

• Batch this at the start of the week for every post you have planned, so you're never writing hooks under time pressure right before posting.
• Track which angle (question, mistake, story, contrarian) actually gets the most engagement for your specific audience, and tell Claude to weight toward it next time.
• If a hook makes you personally cringe to post, don't force it - the two "top picks" are a starting suggestion, not a verdict.

Get the free onboarding kit

Want to see this style of output before you decide on anything? Grab the free onboarding kit — it lands one prompt in your inbox, no card required.

"Hook Generator" is one of the ready-made tasks in the AI Business OS — paste it, fill in the blanks, done.