Writing the Killer Logline to Help Sell a Script

A logline may be short and sweet, but ultimately vital toward selling a script. A logline is a single-sentence summary of your script. It needs to be brief and to the point, yet catchy enough to grab the attention of a producer or agent. It’s much like the lead sentence in a newspaper article. Often cited as the most important aspect of a news story, the lead sentence either convinces a reader to continue on, or to move on to the next headline. Without the grabber – a logline, or a good lead – you as a writer have failed to capture an audience.

Samples of loglines are not difficult to find. Look in any television guide to see short summaries of show you may want to watch. Newspaper or Internet film reviews can be useful also, as they often must be brief, so the very first sentence can be very much like a good logline. As you try to sell your script or submit it to websites that help you do so, the logline helps you focus on a main theme and not stray too far. And, obviously, a good logline can help increase your odds in selling your screenplay. A little research, and a lot of practice, can improve your skills and hopefully result in selling your script.

Selling Your Script Through an Effective Logline

A logline must answer basic questions for the reader. You need to briefly explain what the story is about, the characters, and, if you can, an element that poses a challenge. Hopefully it’s a unique or unusual challenge, and you can explain it in one sentence. The logline is usually listed at the very beginning of a query letter to agents, producers and agents. As with a newspaper article, often they do not get past the logline. Without that, they won’t get to the rest of your script. Selling a screenplay is very difficult without an effective logline.

As with most writing, the editing and re-writing process is crucial. Undoubtedly you will begin with a draft that is too long, maybe more than one sentence. Take a break and return later to read it, and eliminate words that do not absolutely need to be there. Each word must have a purpose. Think about reading it to people you know, especially if they also are writers. Input from independent parties can be very beneficial. Before you try to sell a script, you should want a story that’s intriguing enough for someone to decide to spend time absorbing.

Starting Tips and Examples for a Logline to Sell Your Script

These are not absolute rules, but loglines should have the following elements. It should state the main character, and explain what this character wants. There should be some kind of antagonist, a villain, who is preventing the main character from succeeding. And it should have a unique element, such as a setting, something different than cookie-cutter stories that are so prevalent. Finally, use action words, most definitely not passive phrases. Descriptive words also help improve a logline and boost your chances to sell your script.

A dull logline nudges a reader to move on. A dull logline would be, “A man plans to murder his best friend.” Better is “A man fixated on workplace jealousy plots killing his co-worker, who has developed into his best friend. Jealousy, greed, and morality are good elements to place characters in. Such stories are not only good for loglines, but ultimately in producing. When trying to sell a screenplay, the last thing you want is sameness, as in the same old story as told before.