Essentials for Writers: Loglines

In 2022, we started asking for loglines as part of the submission process for the RevPit Annual Contest. Because this was new to the contest and a lot of the authors in our community weren’t especially familiar with loglines, I held a logline clinic on Twitter.

Here’s the text of that thread, reformatted to make it easier to read. There’s also a link to the original thread on Twitter at the bottom of this post.

This was our first year asking for a logline for RevPit, and there are a few reasons we started. First is that our new sub process means needing to streamline and give the editors more tools to make their decisions. But RevPit is all about helping you grow as an author, and it seems more and more agents are asking for one-sentence summaries, pitches, etc., when querying. So practicing now will help you AND our editors. Plus they can make a great hook in a query.

How a logline fits in with your other sub materials

Sometimes it can help to think of all these materials you need for your sub package as nesting dolls.

• Your MS=the biggest one
• Synopsis=the next size down
• Query= the next
• Logline=the smallest

For the larger ones, you use more words. For the smaller ones, you use fewer. For each of these materials, though, the focus is the same: the protagonist, the overall goal, and the stakes. And if you’re not clear on those, chances are none of these will be successful.

Loglines 101

A logline needs those 3 big elements that it seems like everyone is always going on about when it comes to writing advice:

Protagonist + overall goal + stakes

The first thing you need to do before you try to write a logline is make sure you have a good grasp on these.

The big 3 elements

These tips are for writing a logline, and the focus will be a little different for your query letter and synopsis.

1. Main character: don’t use their name. Use 1-2 impactful descriptors that tell something about their life
2. Goal/obstacle/conflict: For most mss, this will be the external conflict. For more literary stories, this might focus more on the internal world.
3. Stakes: What will happen if the MC doesn’t Do The Thing or if they fail?

Let’s start by looking at an example

This is from Jaws.*

When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist, and a grizzled fisherman set out to stop it. 

So, when we look at this example, we can see the main components needed in a logline: the protagonist, the overall goal, and the stakes. These should sound suuuper familiar because they’re what the query letter needs to focus on as well.

Now, I picked this one because … well, I knew it would fit in a tweet. But I also like that, even though it doesn’t explicitly state the stakes, it’s worded in such a way that it’s still clear. If they don’t stop the shark, it will keep menacing the island + eating kids.

Oh, sorry. Spoiler alert if you’ve never seen this nearly 50yo movie 😬

Logline formula

So, let’s look at ✨ the magic of how to write a logline ✨ The good news is that it’s harder to mess up loglines than probably any of your other query materials!  There’s a pretty simple formula to follow.

A [quick MC description] wants [goal] but [obstacle creates conflict] that causes [something bad to happen/stakes]

Now, you can use this exact syntax if it works for your story, or you can rearrange the elements to sound better. But this is the general formula.

A good logline should…

✨ be 25-35 words

✨ lay out the story but NOT the ending

✨ use strong, active words

✨ focus on the unique elements of the story

✨ have minimal worldbuilding

✨ not go into detail about the MC’s emotional wound

NOTE! The last one is a departure from the other materials. But space is very limited in a logline!

Now, I’d like to point out something else about loglines: they don’t have to be “hooky.” Loglines can feel more like writing a mini synopsis than a mini query. If we look at the Jaws example again, it’s summarizing the story, not trying to “sell” it. Loglines *can* be like Twitter pitches, but they don’t need to have that same “sales” element. In fact, trying too hard to make a strong hook can take away from the value of a logline, which is to give an idea of what the story is about in a very brief space.

Please keep in mind for specifically RevPit that the editors know a lot of you are new to loglines. If yours isn’t perfect, that’s okay! When in doubt, err on the side of explaining the main plot.

* This example comes from a great article by Becca Puglisi about how to craft a logline. It’s linked in the original thread and also posted on the RevPit site. It’s short and practical, and I highly recommend it.

How (and Why) to Write a Logline For Your Story – WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Also, if you aren’t familiar with Becca’s other site, One Stop for Writers, definitely check them out. It is full of amazingly helpful resources, including the writer’s thesaurus series, which I always recommend to clients.

Header image by Ingrid from Pixabay