(Free Prompt) How To Write Mind-Grabbing Story Hooks With AI

Today, I’m going to help you generate irresistible mind-grabbing hooks for those same stories by hijacking the genius of one of the most ripped-off copywriters on the internet—John Carlton.

Carlton was the secret weapon behind some of the biggest advertising winners of the late 1990s.

One of his golf ads ran for 12+ years without a single word change and pulled in millions of dollars.👇

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The reason his ad grabs your mind is because it’s visual—and shocking. If a golfer with one leg can crush a golf ball, then surely two legs will do even better, right?

That’s what Carlton’s hooks do. They create compulsion. Readers can’t NOT finish the ad.

And that matters because the hook is the only thing standing between your content and the trash. If you don’t grab attention, nothing else you write matters

So, how did Carlton come up with his hooks?

Here's how:

Before writing a single word of copy, Carlton researched obsessively:

• Sales material
• Product manuals
• Anything he could find about what he was selling

His goal was to become conversant in the details of the niche he was working in so he could speak the language.

Then he’d interview the people closest to the product—creators, manufacturers, salespeople. Anyone with insider knowledge.

He wanted:

• Eccentric habits or traits of the people involved
• Gossip-worthy rumors or behind-the-scenes drama
• Smuggled or stolen information that led to a breakthrough
• Accidental discoveries by someone tinkering in their garage

He’d pay attention to anything that made him sit up and say, “Wait a minute. Back up. You did what?” or “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

That's the story behind his famous one-legged golfer ad. Milt, the product creator, mentioned it in passing. He honestly didn't think it was unusual. It was old news to him. But Carlton saw gold.

This process could take weeks. Sometimes months.

But you’ve already done that work. Last week you curated unusual stories from your niche. Now you just need to turn them into Carlton-style hooks.

Then use my FREE AI Prompt to have Claude write Carlton-Style hooks for you.

Hope it helps!

—Cole

PS… Want some help creating endless content ideas that go viral with ease?

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• Build a massive audience on X
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