A guide to understanding and mastering the logline
Maybe you’re an author who has been working on perfecting your logline for months (or years).
Or perhaps you’re familiar with what a logline is, but aren’t quite sure how to write one for your own story…
Or perhaps you have no idea what a logline is or the first thing about writing one…
Whatever the case may be, we are here to help break it all down for you! An effective logline is a critical element of attracting producers and buyers to your book or story…
What is a Logline?
A logline is a one or two sentence description of your story that boils down its basic premise in a way that’s concise yet evokes emotion in your reader.
It should not only convey the basis of your book, but also give your reader some poignant insight into the story as a whole.
Here’s an example of a great logline….
Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate “Captain” Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor’s daughter, from Jack’s former pirate allies, who are now undead. (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN)
Loglines are an essential component to packaging and marketing any project – you can even think of them as the basic DNA of storytelling.
If you have a compelling logline, you’ll have a much better chance of hooking potential buyers and leave them wanting more – and that’s what you want!
Tell your reader exactly why they should take time out of their busy schedule to read your story….
Work on answering the question, “What sets my story apart from every other story out there?”
Why Producers LOVE Loglines
Loglines are a huge timesaver for producers and other Industry professionals.
Instead of reading an entire book or screenplay to understand what a story is about, they can take 15 seconds to read (or hear, if you happen to meet one in person) a couple of sentences to know the premise of a story.
It’s actually kind of crazy how often producers rely on loglines to weed through their pile of projects and to hone in on the ones that might be of interest.
That’s why it’s so CRUTIAL to have an awesome logline…
If you don’t, a producer will toss your book aside without even giving it a second thought.
Which brings me to….
How To Craft The Perfect Logline
Writing an effective logline that perfectly embodies your story while also speaking to the reader’s emotions in 15 words or less is truly an art form.
Some may even call it a daunting task.
But don’t worry!
I have a little something up my sleeve to help you out…
This fill-in-the-blanks logline template below will help you hone in on what exactly should be included in a logline….
Use it as a guide to writing your logline and then add personalized touches and your individual style to make it your own.
NAME OF BOOK is a GENRE about a PROTAGONIST (including a DESCRIPTIVE FACT or TWO) who wants HIS/HER IMMEDIATE GOAL, when INCITING INCIDENT happens and ONE MAJOR PLOT POINT, he/she goes on a journey to ACCOMPLISH GOAL.
Happy Writing!