9 votes

Create a Logline

Posted by moocow1452
Tags: writing.creative, self post, collaborative, feedback, fiction, film

Per @mrbig:

What is a logline?: a brief summary (25 to 40 words) of a story for film, television or book that states the central conflict and an emotional "hook", with the purpose of stimulating interest (Wikipedia).

A logline is evaluated not exactly for what a story is (since it does not contain a complete story), but for what it can be. Suggestions usually seek to maximize the dramatic potential of the idea.

Create a Logline, and you can chose to reply to others with your interpretation of how their stories would go.

11 comments

  1. [11]
    moocow1452
    (edited )
    Link
    The Duke of the Brooch: A boy gets pulled into the world of his favorite novels, and is recruited by his heroes to be used as a disposable mule for an evil artifact of untold power, while he...

    The Duke of the Brooch: A boy gets pulled into the world of his favorite novels, and is recruited by his heroes to be used as a disposable mule for an evil artifact of untold power, while he befriends the corrupted spirit within.

    4 votes
    1. [10]
      mrbig
      Link Parent
      Cool idea with Last Action Hero and The Purple Rose of Cairo Feels! I like how the title already says a lot about it. But I think that, right now, it is overly generic. You must differentiate it,...

      Cool idea with Last Action Hero and The Purple Rose of Cairo Feels! I like how the title already says a lot about it. But I think that, right now, it is overly generic. You must differentiate it, give it more personality. Some stuff should go to add space for at least some of the things I suggest below.

      You're missing qualifiers

      • What kind of boy is he? Geeky? Athletic? Adventurous? Smart?
      • In what kind of fictional world does the novel take place? It clearly is fantasy, but another qualifier would help me understand the nature of your story.

      What are the stakes?

      • What is the actual goal?
      • I know he's a mule, but where is he taking the artifact, and why?
      • What happens if the boy achieves or not his goal? What is at stake? In other words, why should I care about this story?

      From the /r/screenwriting Wiki:

      A logline is a brief 1-2 sentence synopsis of your plot. It should communicate at least the main character and conflict of your script. There are a few ways to approach, two of them are detailed in this document with examples.

      Inciting incident + protagonist/s + action + antagonist + goal

      E.g. When a young boy disappears + his three best friends + must confront + a terrifying otherworldly force + to get him back. [Stranger Things]

      Protagonist/s + action + antagonist + goal + stake

      E.g. A spirited farm boy + joins rebel forces to fight + an evil overlord + rescue a princess + to save the empire.

      To submit to r/screenwriting’s daily logline thread or otherwise, your logline must have at least these ingredients and may also hint at: +character flaw +unique world or time period +major reveal.

      You must also include the script format - i.e. short film, feature film, 30-min pilot, 60-min pilot, or spec TV episode.

      2 votes
      1. [9]
        moocow1452
        Link Parent
        The idea I was going for was a Tolkien-esque portal fantasy, but instead of the 15 year old power fantasy of a nerd going to learn magic and hang out with their new fantasy friends, it was "The...

        The idea I was going for was a Tolkien-esque portal fantasy, but instead of the 15 year old power fantasy of a nerd going to learn magic and hang out with their new fantasy friends, it was "The Fellowship" summoning a person from a universe with no inheriant magic to carry the "Ring," so that they can just keep him tied up and throw him in the volcano if he tries anything funny. Our lead's goals are to either get back home or not die by the end of this adventure, but he also needs to get his head out of his ass about him retreating into fantasy to avoid other people, and thinking he's the pivot point of the universe, where bad things aren't bad unless they happen to him, and vice versa.

        1 vote
        1. mrbig
          Link Parent
          That is a great idea you have. The evil nature of the "Fellowship" is extremely important, as well as the fact the main character's goal is not to fulfill the wishes of some idyllic alternative...

          That is a great idea you have.

          The evil nature of the "Fellowship" is extremely important, as well as the fact the main character's goal is not to fulfill the wishes of some idyllic alternative reality, but rather to save himself from the world where he used to hide from reality (fiction, it turns out, can be harsher than matter...).

          These are the major differentiators of our story, and should definitely be in the logline. They're the most important bits.

          1 vote
        2. [7]
          mrbig
          Link Parent
          Out of curiosity, have you ever written a screenplay? Are you a film major or something like that? Do you intend to sell this story, or are you writing it as a hobby?

          Out of curiosity, have you ever written a screenplay? Are you a film major or something like that? Do you intend to sell this story, or are you writing it as a hobby?

          1. [6]
            moocow1452
            Link Parent
            Part hobby, part my brother is studying animation, and we're making comics because he's a better artist than he is a film studio.

            Part hobby, part my brother is studying animation, and we're making comics because he's a better artist than he is a film studio.

            1 vote
            1. [5]
              mrbig
              Link Parent
              Cool. So this story is supposed to become an animation?

              Cool. So this story is supposed to become an animation?

              1. [4]
                moocow1452
                Link Parent
                Probably not, more workshoping than anything. Was looking to try out something for Webtoon though, this may be it...

                Probably not, more workshoping than anything. Was looking to try out something for Webtoon though, this may be it...

                1 vote
                1. [3]
                  mrbig
                  (edited )
                  Link Parent
                  I see. May I suggest you make a short film or animation then? Seeing the results of your own efforts is extremely motivating.

                  I see. May I suggest you make a short film or animation then? Seeing the results of your your own efforts is extremely motivating.