How to Write a Great Screenplay Script Logline

When it comes time to market your script, invariably the first thing a prospective producer will want to see is your screenplay's logline. A great logline may be the difference between your script getting sold or your script getting tossed. The logline is almost like a business card - it serves as both an advertisement and a calling card for the script. A poorly written logline usually means a poorly written script. But how do you condense your entire screenplay into 25 words or less? What do you include? What should you leave out? Take these tips from the pros to turn that logline from a dreaded part of the screenwriting process to one that could possibly lead to that big sale.

Logline Tips: Some Do's and Don'ts

Try writing your logline before you write your script. This will help clarify the screenplay and keep you focused on the main storyline. You wouldn't want to start a road trip without knowing your destination. Likewise, you wouldn't want to start a script without knowing where you are going. Writing your logline before you start is like having a road map sitting in front of you, to keep you on track. If the story changes, you can always revise your logline later.

Don't use character names in your logline unless your story is based on an actual person.

Don't attempt to tell the story in the logline. Tell about the story instead. It's a subtle difference, but basically you want to relate the story's concept in a logline by telling the story in a nutshell.

Don't use analogies to describe your story. Lines like: "It's Jaws meets Top Gun" is not what you want to put in a logline. While analogies can be useful, their place is not in your logline.

Do keep your logline to a single sentence. It will probably be a long sentence, but we'll come to that in just a minute.

Don't write a logline that sounds like a movie poster. That's a tagline. Avoid things like "it's the greatest story ever told" or "this explosively creative story...". These sorts of lines are created by publicity departments.

Writing Your Logline

A logline has six basic parts. They are:

The hero (examples: a cop, a mother, a lawyer, whoever your hero is)

Character flaw (examples: alcoholic, bipolar, afraid of snakes, handicapped, etc...)

The hero's opponent (who the hero must overcome to succeed)

The hero's life-changing event (what the hero decides to do to achieve his goals)

Battle (the 'fight' with opponent or self)

Ally (who helps the hero)

To write your logline, simply take these parts and combine them into a single sentence. Here's an example of a logline for the movie, Rocky.

A boxer(hero) who's afraid he's a loser (character flaw) is offered a chance by the world champion (opponent) to fight for the heavyweight championship (life-changing event), but must learn to believe in himself with the help of his lover (ally) before he can step into the ring (battle).

These six elements can be combined in any order, but they form the basis of your logline. You may be surprised at how efficient this simple form is at conveying an entire story. Try to guess the movie based on the following logline.

A starship captain with the help of his friends must overcome his fear of growing old to stop an enemy from his past bent on destroying Earth.

If you guessed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, you are correct. Notice we say nothing about the subplots, Spock's death, Planet Genesis, Kirk's ex or his son, and yet the basic story is quite clear.

Writing good loglines takes practice, but using the steps above turns them from a necessary chore, to a fun exercise in analyzing your script.