The Five Components of a Great Logline

An Insightful Guest Post from Screenwriter and Novelist Olivia Barry

There are mystical aspects of writing, little tricks that some authors are able to do with their eyes closed, and some that leave us scratchin

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g our heads. For example, I’m excellent at titles but horrible at synopses. I can write on the fly, making up story as I go, but outlines give me hives. The 22 steps of John Truby’s THE ANATOMY OF STORY baffles me, but reading his new book THE ANATOMY OF GENRES was like slipping into my favorite jeans. We all have our strengths.

And then you have log lines. People, they are not my strength.

So when I deciphered the “What If” scenario, and Olivia commented, I asked her to come explain it to me, and to you. And she’s given a Masterclass below. So grab your notebook, and get ready to do some valuable story synthesis!

Take it away, Olivia…

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After commenting on J.T. Ellison’s (@ The Creative Edge) blog posts on ‘What If’, she asked me if I wanted to write a post on what it takes to write a great logline. Of course, I would. 🤗 I wrote hundreds of loglines over many years while writing screenplays, and this assignment made me, in many ways, revisit my past. So, J.T. thank you for asking 😊. [[de rien, mon amie!]]

📚And if you haven’t yet, please check out The Creative Edge and J.T.’s so well-written and suspenseful novels.

And here we go:

Photo by Pereanu Sebastian on Unsplash

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The Importance of a Logline for Screenwriters and Novelists

A logline is the essence of an idea in a sentence or two. If you can, try to condense it into just one sentence. The ideal logline is no longer than 60 words.

And why is a logline so important?

• You can pitch your idea at any time → see ELEVATOR PITCH.

🔖 An elevator pitch is usually 30 seconds or less long. The term is often used in Hollywood when writers have the fortune to get into the same elevator with a producer or agent. However, it isn’t that easy, it rarely works. Timing is everything when it comes to deliver a convincing pitch.

• You get a sense if your idea is expandable enough to turn it into a novel or screenplay.

• You can also figure out what component is missing before you begin outlining, or if you’re a pantser before actually writing your first draft.

🔖 A pantser is someone who writes by the pants of their seats, basically with no outline. Some pantsers work with a minimal outline.

🔖Most screenwriters are plotters, as in screenwriting a dense structure is required.

• A powerful logline can save you time and give you some direction.

Personally, I work with a flexible outline. I outline all my screenplays and books, knowing that I will make changes on the way.

The 5 Components of a Great Logline