Vertical text story for TikTok-style videos
Short video rewards a hook in the first second. Write a chat that opens on the problem, keep bubbles brief and export in 9:16 on the Creator plan.
Try it: start from this sample
Dana. The presentation is at nine.
Wait, it is Thursday already?
You have not started, have you.
I started. I opened the file.
Spend the first line on the hook
On short video you have about the length of one bubble to win attention. Start with the line that creates the question, not with hello. In the sample, the deadline and the dread are both in the opening message. Put the context you would normally explain first into the middle of the conversation instead. If the first message could belong to any story, rewrite it until it could only belong to this one.
A quick check is to read only the first bubble to a friend and ask what they expect next. If they have no guess, the hook is too vague. If they guess correctly, it is too obvious, so adjust until the guess is close but wrong.
Format for a vertical screen
A 9:16 export is a Creator plan ratio, along with 1:1, 16:9 and 4:5. Pick it before you tune line breaks, since the width changes how text wraps. Keep bubbles to a line or two so they stay readable on a phone held at arm's length. Leave some room at the top and bottom of the frame, because the posting app places its own buttons and captions there. Add captions and sound effects on the Creator plan if you want the story to work with sound off.
Series, loops and honesty
Ending on an unresolved line invites a second part. Make that a real promise: the next video should answer it. Say that the story is fictional in the caption, because short clips are often shared without context. Check the posting platform's own rules before you publish.
Tips
- Write the last bubble first and work backwards to the hook.
- Keep every bubble under about ten words where you can.
- Preview with the safe zones in mind, leaving the edges clear.
- Pick one story per video; split bigger ones into parts.
- Say fictional in the caption each time, not just once.
Questions
Do I need a paid plan for vertical video?
The 9:16 aspect ratio and video export are Creator plan features. You can write and test the story on the Free plan, export a PNG, and move to Creator when you are ready to film.
Does this use the TikTok app?
No. ChatsRat is a separate tool that makes the video file. You upload it where you like, and you follow that platform's rules. ChatsRat is not affiliated with any social platform.
How long should a story be?
Plan around the length of the video you want and add a bubble for each beat. The Free plan allows four messages per chat, so use a paid plan for longer scripts.
Can I add a voice?
Yes. Voiceover is on the Creator plan, with voices in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish and Hindi. The chat text itself can be in any language you type.
Use it for simulated, labelled content. ChatsRat makes mock-ups and fictional conversations for creators, designers and teachers. Do not use it to pass off a made-up conversation as a real one, to impersonate a real person, or as proof of anything. See the Acceptable Use policy.
About the watermark. Exports on the Free plan carry a visible ChatsRat watermark, and every export carries an invisible mark that the verify page can read. Plans list what changes on paid plans.
ChatsRat is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any messaging app. App names on this page describe a style only.