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How to Write a Logline:
The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide.

Learn from some of the best loglines in film how to nail conflict, save months of rewrites and get more requests to read your script.

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by Script Reader Pro in Concept, Story and Theme
July 17, 2018 97 comments
how to write a logline

How to write a logline: the ultimate step-by-step guide. 

Learning how to write a logline that achieves this is perhaps the most important stage in the planning and development phase of writing a screenplay.

Without a great logline—one that succinctly sums up the core conflict of the story—it’s pretty hard to write a great script. This is because a screenplay logline contains the foundational DNA the whole movie is built on: its struggle between all the major characters and essence of what’s at stake.

In this post, we’ll show you not only how to write a logline, but how to write good loglines that will grab the interest of execs, managers and producers.

Learn how to write a logline the smart way and you’ll save yourself months of rewrites in the future by addressing problems at the foundational concept stage.

Here’s what we’ll be covering in the post:

What is a logline? A logline definition that will demystify the process

 How to write a logline using a simple logline formula

 Bad logline examples and how to fix them

Some quick wins to rescue weak movie loglines

 A key rookie mistake when it comes to writing a logline

So, let’s dive on in with the first section.

What is a logline?

Here’s a quick logline definition:

A logline is simply the script’s core conflict summed up in one or two sentences.

By “core conflict” we mean the struggle between protagonist and antagonist that indicates to the reader what’s at stake—the reason why they should watch this movie.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of exactly what is a logline, let’s take a look at a few sample loglines from famous movies.

Film logline examples.

Drama.

When his brother dies, a depressed handyman is forced to return to his hometown and confront his horrific past having been made sole guardian of his spirited 16-year-old nephew. (Manchester by the Sea.)

Comedy.

Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. Now they must put together the pieces of the night before and get him to the altar before it’s too late. (The Hangover.)

Action/Adventure.

In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to locate the ancient Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis, and stop them from becoming the most powerful army the world has ever known. (Raiders of the Lost Ark.)

Thriller.

Two detectives—a rookie and a veteran—attempt to catch a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi before he kills again. (Se7en.)

Horror.

A young couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a seemingly demonic presence in their new suburban home and must figure out how to stop it before it’s too late. (Paranormal Activity.)

Imagine these movie loglines are for films that are yet to be released. Would you want to watch them? Imagine you’re an exec who reads one of these loglines in a query letter or hears it in a pitch. Would you want to read the script?

The answer is probably yes because each logline makes you want to see the movie or read the script by perfectly encapsulating the core conflict inherent in the story.

So let’s now take a look at just how to write a logline that gets people excited, makes them envisage the movie and want to read the script.

How to write a logline by using a formula that guarantees conflict. 

There are three elements that go toward creating great loglines.

If you learn how to write a logline using this logline formula you’ll be putting yourself at a major advantage over the thousands of specs scripts currently floating around Hollywood. And potentially save yourself some major headaches while writing the actual script.

The 3-way triangle of conflict.

There is a simple logline template you can use when learning how to write a logline:

Protagonist + Struggle with Antagonist + Death Stakes

We like to call this the “three-way triangle of conflict” between protagonist and antagonist and it’s an essential tool in building the best loglines possible.

In fact, the reason why so many movie loglines fail at the first hurdle is usually that they’ve missed out one of the three steps in that equation. But before we go into each of the steps in more detail, let’s apply our three-way triangle of conflict logline formula to the ones we previously looked at:

Drama. 

When his brother dies, a depressed handyman [protagonist] is forced to return to his hometown and confront his horrific past [death stakes] having been made sole guardian of his spirited 16-year-old nephew. [struggle with antagonist] (Manchester By The Sea.)

Comedy.

Three buddies [protagonists] wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. [struggle with antagonist] Now they must put together the pieces of the night before and get him to the altar before it’s too late. [death stakes] (The Hangover.)

Action/Adventure.

In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones [protagonist] is hired by the US government to locate the ancient Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis [struggle with antagonist] and stop them from becoming the most powerful army the world has ever known. [death stakes] (Raiders of the Lost Ark.)

Thriller.

Two detectives—a rookie and a veteran [protagonists]—attempt to catch a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi [struggle with antagonist] before he kills again. [death stakes] (Se7en.)

Horror.

A young couple [protagonists] becomes increasingly disturbed by a seemingly demonic presence in their new suburban home[struggle with antagonist] and must figure out how to stop it before it’s too late. [death stakes] (Paranormal Activity.)

As you can see, the script logline template of Protagonist + Struggle with Antagonist + Death Stakes can be applied to any genre of movie. And as in the case of the logline to Manchester by the Sea, don’t necessarily have to go in the same order.

What’s important is that there is a three-way triangle of conflict that gives a sense of the pressure the antagonist is going to put the protagonist under and why we should care.

You may be wondering why a drama like Manchester by the Sea or a comedy like The Hangover contains “death stakes.” We use this as a catch-all phrase because ultimately all stakes are about death.

The only difference between the stakes in an action/adventure, thriller or horror and those found in a drama or comedy is that in the former they’re literal, while in the latter they’re figurative. But we’ll get into this in more detail later on in the post.

The power struggle.

Essentially, a movie is a three-way power struggle between the protagonist, antagonist and what’s at stake, usually personified in a stakes character.

Let’s take a closer look at some of our sample loglines:

Manchester by the Sea. Lee is the protagonist, his own personality and terrible past are the forces of antagonism, and saving his failing life is what’s at stake—personified in the stakes character of his nephew, Patrick.

 Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indy is the protagonist, the Nazis are the antagonists and the future of the world is at stake—personified in the stakes character of Marion.

Se7en. Somerset and Mills are the protagonists, serial killer John Doe is the antagonist, and stopping him before he kills again is what’s at stake—personified in the stakes character of Mills’s girlfriend, Tracy. And so on.

It’s this three-way power struggle—the protagonist and antagonist both fighting in direct opposition over something big at stake (usually personified in a stakes character)—that makes a screenplay’s conflict feel complete.

So now let’s go deeper into each of these specific three stages you should use when writing a logline.

How to write a logline step #1: add protagonist.

A concept, story, or plot isn’t much without a protagonist to identify with, and this should be the first thing you establish.

The thumbnail sketch.

The trick, though, is to make sure you define your protagonist (or protagonists) as clearly and evocatively as you can in a short thumbnail sketch:

 A female FBI cadet

A middle-aged beach bum

 An aspiring pop singer

And so on… This is a great way of giving us an immediate impression of who we’re rooting for, as jobs and life statuses often tend to hint at personality too. Don’t be afraid to add an adjective too: “an uptight businessman,” “a confused graduate,” “a meek hobbit of the Shire,” etc.

In either case, always lean toward the specific when writing a logline rather than the general. Write “a frustrated office worker,” rather than “an office worker,” as it says more about who we’re dealing with.

The trick is to build as specific and as vivid a thumbnail sketch of your protagonist as possible in as few words as possible. “A loving father of four who works as a mechanic enjoys playing online poker, and dreams of one day emigrating to the US,” could obviously do with some trimming.

Should you add names? 

There are no hard and fast rules over this, but it’s not necessary to add names to movie loglines. We don’t need to know, for example, that your protagonist is called Cindy Schwartzman, just that she’s “a hard-nosed New York Post reporter.”

On the other hand, if you think adding your protagonist’s name to the logline helps conjure up an image of them in our mind, then go for it.

screenplay course

How to write a logline step #2: add struggle with antagonist.

We could’ve called this step “Add Antagonist,” but that would be to skip over an essential factor in creating great loglines: the pressure the protagonist is put under while struggling with the antagonist.

It’s much easier to come up with an effective concept and screenplay logline if you do it from the perspective of a protagonist’s struggle with an antagonist. Rather than simply “hero vs. villain,” which feels static.

Your antagonist can be a physical person, a storm, a pack of wolves, an asteroid, or whatever you choose. What’s important to get across in the logline is just how super frustrating this struggle will be for your protagonist.

By adding a struggle with an antagonist to any idea, concept or logline, it can be immediately improved.

Consider this logline.

A failed novelist, still hung up on his ex, embarks on a wine-tasting road trip with a friend right before the latter’s wedding.

It’s not a bad logline for Sideways. It paints a good picture of who the protagonist is, and tells us the basic facts of what the story’s about. But it’s still missing something. And that something is the second step of the logline formula: the struggle with an antagonist.

The problem here is that “embarks on a wine tasting road trip with a friend right before the latter’s wedding,” doesn’t give us any sense of the conflict. It’s missing the struggle between the protagonist and antagonist.

A better version.

A failed novelist, still hung up on his ex, struggles to handle his soon-to-be-married best friend’s attempts to get them both laid while on a wine-tasting road trip right before the wedding.

Once the protagonist has to struggle to do something—in this case “handle his soon-to-be-married best friend’s attempts to get them both laid while on a wine-tasting road trip”—the logline immediately gains conflict and increases interest.

The stakes of “right before the wedding” are also increased because now we know the antagonist’s intentions too.

Another popular mistake when writing movie loglines can be found below.

Too vague.

A World War II nurse faces death at every turn in an epic story of love, loss and redemption.

These kinds of movie loglines summarize the conflict thematically but don’t actually tell us what the actual conflict is. Or who the antagonist is. Make sure we can envisage how your protagonist will have to “struggle to overcome,” “battle against,” “clash with,” “thwart,” etc. an antagonist.

Adjectives like these really help the reader see the movie in a logline. They add movement to the story and are the best way of letting us imagine just what the protagonist’s journey and conflict will entail throughout the film.

If you have a hard time imagining who, or what, your protagonist struggles against, then you may need to go back to writing a logline which clearly addresses the conflict.

How to write a logline step #3: add death stakes. 

Many writers already appreciate that there needs to be something more at stake in a film than whether the protagonist buys a Ferrari or an Aston Martin, but still come unstuck producing major stakes for us to care about in the script logline. The reason for this is often that they’re not applying “death stakes.”

In order for a movie to have high enough stakes for an audience to care about, it needs in one way or another to be about the protagonist’s death. Either literally, or figuratively. This is why we care so much about what happens in great films because they’re about the highest stakes you can get: death.

Death stakes in action/adventures, thrillers and horrors. 

These types of movies generally all involve literal death stakes for the protagonist (and often for others too—either their immediate family or the wider world.)

♦  Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones is literally threatened with death at the hands of the Nazis, and so are millions of others if he doesn’t stop them from capturing the Ark.

 Prisoners. Keller Dover has to find his missing daughter before she’s literally killed.

It Follows. Jay will actually be killed by the evil entity if she doesn’t pass on the curse by sleeping with someone else.

Death stakes in dramas and comedies. 

The stakes in comedies and dramas, on the other hand, tend to revolve around the figurative death of the protagonist. This is because we know they’re running the risk of never being healed or “complete” ever again.

The stakes you need to focus on for protagonists in these genres are usually more personal and/or relationship related.

 27 Dresses. Jane will figuratively die inside if she continues to always be the bridesmaid and never find love herself.

 It’s a Wonderful Life. George Bailey will figuratively die if he doesn’t lead the life he wants—traveling and seeing the world.

 Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Neal’s relationship with his wife and kids will figuratively die a little more if he doesn’t make it home in time for Thanksgiving.

The number one thing you must do when writing a logline and considering the stakes of your movie is always ask yourself:

How does my protagonist risk dying in this film, either literally or figuratively?

Add some death!

If there’s no clear sense of the protagonist’s imminent death then a logline can usually be strengthened by adding it.

The foundation of all good conflict rests on the aforementioned three-way triangle of conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. Two characters struggling to achieve something with high stakes attached.

Again, this can be a love interest, or the protagonist’s life, or a magic cat, depending on the genre and the story. The main thing to remember is that whatever’s at stake, must be of super high importance to the characters involved.

If we can sense, even slightly, from the logline that the protagonist and antagonist will find it hard to care about the stakes, we will find it hard to care as well.

How to write a logline step #4: learn from bad logline examples.  

Here are some bad logline examples, followed by better versions with the three-way triangle of conflict added.

So-so versions. 

 A happy-go-lucky pastry chef is given maid-of-honor duties for her best friend’s wedding but doesn’t get on with one of the other bridesmaids.

 An actor who once played an iconic superhero puts on a Broadway play hoping to revive his career.

 A United Nations employee traverses the world to stop a zombie pandemic.

Note how these aren’t the best loglines because they fail to really engage the interest as well as they could, especially when compared with the versions below with an added three-way triangle of conflict.

Better versions.

A down on her luck pastry chef [protagonist] clashes with a competitive bridesmaid [struggle with antagonist] while struggling to handle maid-of-honor duties for her best friend’s wedding. [death stakes] (Bridesmaids.)

A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero[protagonist] battles his ego, family, and cast members [struggle with antagonist] while putting on the Broadway play intended to revive his career. [death stakes] (Birdman.)

A United Nations employee [protagonist] traverses the world in a race against time to stop the zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, [struggle with antagonist] and threatening to destroy humanity itself. [death stakes] (World War Z.)

As you can see, the three-way triangle of conflict and some well-chosen adjectives can really help bring a logline to life and really strengthen the core conflict in the movie.

script coverage

How to write a logline step #5: use these quick wins.  

How do you know if your screenplay logline is weak or not? If most or all of the following three statements ring true, there’s a strong possibility your logline isn’t as strong as it needs to be.

1.  I find it hard to articulate what the script’s about if someone asks.

2.  It’s hard to locate a triangle of conflict in my logline.

3.  When I tell someone my idea they get confused.

Many screenplays we receive for script coverage are weak because their initial concept is weak. In order to strengthen the concept, however, here are five quick wins that you can apply to any script.

1. Ask yourself three key questions. 

If the concept is lacking, we advise writers to return to the logline stage and ask themselves the following three questions:

1.  Who is my protagonist and what do they want?

2.  Who (or what) are they struggling against while trying to achieve this?

3.  What’s at stake if my protagonist doesn’t achieve what they want?

Asking yourself these questions should help show you what main areas need addressing in the logline.

2. Force your protagonist to do something they don’t want to do. 

If your protagonist is just doing something in your script logline because they want to, maybe try forcing them to do it instead in order to raise the pressure and stakes.

Let’s take a look at a few logline examples:

 Manchester by the Sea. Lee is forced to look after his nephew, rather than happily agreeing to it.

 Sideways. Miles is forced into a different kind of wine tour than he expected by Jack, rather than both of them agreeing from the outset to try and get laid.

 Don’t Breathe. The trio of burglars are forced to fight for their lives after becoming trapped in the blind man’s house, rather than them choosing to remain because of the money.

When writing a logline, it’s always good to eliminate all possible escape routes for your protagonist, box them in a corner and then try and get them out of it.

3. Tell us one idea, not many. 

This is a key thing to remember when learning how to write a logline. Often newbie writers’ loglines tend to jump from one idea to the next. Something like this:

When a farm boy discovers a magic portal to another world he realizes his imaginary friend is real and together they must find the princess before the king imprisons him for theft and the evil queen invades with her army.

Keep your script logline simple. Tell us who or what the protagonist is struggling against and what’s at stake and that’s it.

4. Use irony to make things extra interesting. 

Ask yourself what’s the most ironic situation your character could find themselves in, given their personality?

Here are a few film logline examples that use irony to great effect:

 Bridesmaids. It’s ironic that the best friend of the bride doesn’t want to be her bridesmaid.

 The King’s Speech. It’s ironic that the king, whose royal position involves public speaking, can’t talk without stammering.

 Don’t Breathe. It’s ironic that three young burglars fall victim to a blind old man as they try to rob his house.

Irony can strengthen a logline immeasurably by making the core conflict that much more surprising, intriguing and contrary to what audiences expect.

5. Exploit ordinary vs. extraordinary dichotomies. 

If your script is set somewhere extraordinary, one easy way to strengthen the logline is to make sure the protagonist is as ordinary as possible. Likewise, if your protagonist is extraordinary, you can make sure the world of the story is as ordinary as possible in order to heighten the conflict.

Here are some sample loglines that show this in action:

 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Joel is a shy office worker who winds up racing through his own memories. [ordinary protagonist > extraordinary world]

Enchanted. Giselle is a cartoon princess who is sent to New York where she falls in love with a lawyer. [extraordinary protagonist > ordinary world]

 Wanted. Wesley is a loser office worker who gets drawn into the world of elite assassins. [ordinary protagonist > extraordinary world]

Accentuate these dichotomies when writing a logline and you’ll make it pop that much more.

How to write a logline step #6: avoid these key rookie mistakes. 

how to write a logline

The biggest key rookie mistake we see many aspiring screenwriters make is:

Starting a screenplay without first making sure their concept is absolutely rocking beforehand.

All too often scripts are written without the initial idea behind it being first vetted by others and pulled apart by the writer. More often than not, the writer then ends up wasting months rewriting a script with a flawed concept that could’ve been improved in the logline stage.

If your logline doesn’t include all the elements from our logline template—a three-way triangle of conflict and doesn’t excite and intrigue those you tell it to—it may be worth spending some more time reworking it until it does.

Good loglines can also evolve slowly.

However, this is not set in stone. Good loglines can also come slowly—even after having already started on a script. Sometimes you may want to start writing without nailing the concept and that’s fine. Some of the best loglines have been known to evolve and reveal themselves over a series of drafts.

If you’d like help learning how to write a logline, or with a specific idea for a movie, check out our Concept Analysis service. Send over your logline and we’ll write up a page of notes on your idea’s core conflict and marketability.

How to write a logline: conclusion. 

When it comes to writing a logline you may have heard the phrase “concept is king.” It’s kind of a cliche, but that’s because there’s a lot of truth in it.

In Hollywood, you stand a much better chance of selling a spec screenplay with under-developed characters, but a great concept, than one with wonderful characters but an uninspiring concept.

That said, this post has been all about how to write a logline for a script that you want to sell in the industry. If you have an idea for a film about a sheepherder in Anatolia who’s trying to come terms with his past, it’s unlikely to spark the interest of a Hollywood exec.

When it comes to learning how to write a logline remember…

Not all movies can be put in a box.

Yes, it’s true that some movies that don’t seem to have much of a three-way triangle of conflict and yet have been successful and/or gained a cult following.

Films like Clerks, Hannah Takes the Stairs and Boyhood, as well as a multitude of foreign arthouse films, don’t appear to “play by the rules” or “be tied down by restrictive Hollywood conventions.”

In most cases, however, these movies were shot and independently produced by filmmakers doing things their own way—either as mavericks at the beginning of their careers or as established filmmakers with slightly bigger budgets but the reputation to do what the hell they want.

If you have a low-budget, slow-burn arthouse idea for a movie, rather than focusing on how to write a logline using the steps in this post, we recommend simply shooting it yourself and going the festival route.

Festivals love these kinds of movies in a way that’s yet to catch on in the industry. Write loglines for short films as well as features. Create, follow your vision and get your art out into the world. Whatever method you choose, we hope this post has answered your question of what is a logline and how to write good loglines.

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How do you come up with movie ideas? Do you have a movie loglines database? Do you have any tips on how to write a logline you think we’ve missed out? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Enjoyed this post? Read more on how to write a logline…

How to Write a Script Outline That Will Save You Months of Rewrites

High Concept: What It Is and How to Apply It to Your Story Idea

What Is an Inciting Incident in a Screenplay? The Ultimate Guide

[© Photo credits: Unsplash]

97 Comments
  1. Wendy says:

    Would it be alright to end my logline by including that it is a true, faith-based story?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Yes you could add “based on a true story” at the beginning or end if you like.

  2. Eduardo Macchiarelli says:

    I loved the post!!! I will definitely write better loglines from now on… I hope so!!! ha ha
    One simple question. In the logline analysis of “Manchester by the sea” you wrote:

    When his brother dies, a depressed handyman [protagonist] is forced to return to his hometown and confront his horrific past [death stakes] having been made sole guardian of his spirited 16-year-old nephew. [struggle with antagonist]

    and then, in “The power struggle”:

    Lee is the protagonist, his own personality and terrible past are the forces of antagonism, and saving his failing life is what’s at stake—personified in the stakes character of his nephew, Patrick.

    Isn’t there a contradiction with “struggle with antagonist” and “death stakes” in both examples?

    Thanks for the excellent Post!

  3. Makambani Shadrack Khoza says:

    It is enriching and give challenge in my writing… Bravo… obrigado.. inkomu

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks Makambani!

  4. Akin says:

    I find this really helpful. Now I know what has been missing. Thanks

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Good to hear, Akin 🙂

  5. Clinton Emscent says:

    Even before I could finish the article, with the examples evaluation,I just wrote a good longline within a minute ! For an existing script-in-progress!
    Thank you very much! Cuz I wouldn’t have known better

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      That’s great to hear, thanks so much for sharing Clinton!

  6. trizzi says:

    This post is brilliant…..best I have found….read everything…..core conflict is key!

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      That’s great to hear, thanks, Trizzi!

  7. bijan zahedi says:

    It’s amazing that we can write 95 pages of screenplay but we suffer for 45 words of Logline.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Nailing the core concept can be hard, that’s for sure!

  8. Lee Bruce says:

    I am writing my script around a novel. The fun challenge I have is, as you can well imagine, trying to find the ten best parts of the novel that integrate the core goal with sub-plots so they mesh and then successfully expose the results in the final image. My challenge now is not so much the logline construction, because I really understand the logline concepts. My challenge is to “Cherry Pick” the “Four Quadrant” jewels that will create a curvature of the producer’s eyebrow’s. I do enjoy your points here as they bolster what I have learned so far. Thanks for this article

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, Lee, glad you enjoyed it 🙂

  9. MARTINS says:

    I’ve been trying to write a logline for my already written script but each time it felt flat and unexciting, I just learnt that what it’s been missing was ‘death stakes’. Finally,I’ll be sending out my query letter today. Thanks SRP.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Good luck, Martin – thanks for sharing 🙂

  10. Kevin Huhn says:

    Can this (or I should say); or should this be used for writing a musical as well?

    BTW – this was very helpful and excellently laid out.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, Kevin! Yes, you can still use this method to write a logline for a musical. Take a look at the loglines to musicals from The Commitments to La La Land and they still use the same formula.

  11. Andong says:

    This is great. Writing a logline has always been my greatest confusion, and always been ending up making it unnecessarily bulky and ambiguous. I get it now, very, very helpful.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      That’s great to hear – thanks for sharing!

  12. BLESSING OKOANI says:

    Thanks so much, I now have an idea on what logline is all about. please I want to know the difference between logline and synopsis.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      A logline is the story summed up in a sentence or two. A synopsis is the story written out in prose over 1+ page.

  13. Andrew Yong says:

    Excellent i now have a much better idea how to write a logline for my Action adventure script, thanks!

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, Andrew!

  14. Rachael Beauchamp says:

    This is a great article, very helpful. I noticed in most of the examples the order of the log line was Protagonist, Struggle, Stakes and on some the Struggle and Stakes was reversed but the Protagonist was always first. My log line for my current script is struggle, protagonist, stakes. Is this okay?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      There aren’t any rules when it comes to how to write a logline 🙂 If it’s compelling and elicits a “I wish I’d thought of that” or similar response from your writer friends, then it’s a good logline.

      1. Rachael Beauchamp says:

        I just noticed I forgot to thank you for the reply, so thanks -:) again, great article. My script is actually ready for evaluation, just trying to save some money so i can send it to you. Thanks for the great articles.

  15. Mark says:

    I’m learning something new about screenwriting every time I visit this blog. Good work guys keep it up.

  16. Ben Attwater says:

    The best way to learn how to write a logline is simply to write them for existing movies. You missed that trick.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Yes, that’s a great exercise, thanks, Ben!

  17. Marvin says:

    i find this helpful thank you

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Glad to hear it, Marvin!

  18. Dale Cummings says:

    A mysterious woman enters the life of an engenieer working on the first manned mission to Mars.

  19. jennifer oakley says:

    How do i know when my logline is good enough to start writing the script?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      We always recommend getting as much feedback on a logline as you can. Friends, family, preferably people who work in the industry. We have a Concept Analysis that can help too.

  20. Daz says:

    Excellent material, Thank you very much Scriptwriter Pro!

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, Daz!

  21. Kenny says:

    hello this post has really helped my ideas of what to put in my script.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Good to hear, thanks, Kenny.

  22. Tyler Curran says:

    Does a log line always have to be one or two sentences.?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Yes, otherwise you’re veering into short synopsis territory.

  23. Abbey says:

    Yoսr information is really great compared to otheг screenwriting blogs I have read ѕtuff from.
    Thanks for posting this it has really helped my understanding of what a logline is.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks a lot, Abbey!

  24. Kemarr says:

    Where can I find more info on how to write a logline? More please.

  25. Manny says:

    Review please:

    A family move into a mysterious house that seems to have a life of it’s own. When their son starts seeing strange visions at school the family realize something terrible has taken control of him and must do everything possible before it’s too late.

  26. Connor VanGalen says:

    How do I write a logline if my movie is not high concept? It’s about a woman’s daily life living in Manchester and she gets MS.

  27. Ash Pembrooke says:

    Nailed it! Thanks Script Reader Pro

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks for the shoutout, Ash!

  28. Ivan S says:

    I think log lines are overrated. You don’t need one to write a good script you can start without one. If the idea’s good the idea’s good. This post is garbage.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      You’re right, you don’t have to write one before you start a script if you don’t want to.

  29. Robb Edward Morris says:

    This was very informative.
    Thank you!

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, Robb!

  30. Catherine says:

    This is brilliant! I’m going to use it to fix the plot of my next novel. Thank you!

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Glad it helped – good luck with the novel, Catherine.

  31. Mrs Ed says:

    Now I get it! Like finally! Thank you SRP!

  32. Katy Williams says:

    A team of professional cheerleaders get caught up in a huge betting scam and stand to lose everything if they get caught.

  33. Charles Carfagno says:

    Thank you so much… I didn’t have a clue where to start.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      You’re welcome, Charles – glad it helped!

  34. James Cliverd says:

    Where can I find out how to write a synopsis?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Here’s a step by step guide on how to write the perfect synopsis.

  35. Chuck says:

    My head hurts from reading this. Got so much to work on with my logline, but thanks.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Good luck with the logline, Chuck.

  36. Aniruddh Bhatt says:

    Can I get feedback on my loglines? I have five, all ready to go. Need a professional analysis on which one is the best so I can start writing script. Please advise.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      You can find out Logline Analysis service here.

  37. P.I KIING says:

    Just what i needed, thanks for explaining so thoroughly, thumbs up!

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, glad it helped!

  38. Amani Hamisi says:

    thanks for a good lesson surely am going to make good loglines ever

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, Amani – good luck.

  39. Nina says:

    this is great. just what i was looking for as my story needs work,

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Glad you found it useful!

  40. Kal says:

    Can I call you about my story?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Here’s our Skype Call service.

  41. Phiwa Sukumane says:

    Good day. I need help. Totally off topic and sorry for this. But how many boys does Ray kill in the movie, In Bruges?

  42. LH Daniels says:

    How long does it take to write a log line?

  43. Deepak Dogra says:

    Easy to understand the main conflict.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks, Deepak.

  44. Vic says:

    Why does a logline have to be only two sentences?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      One or two sentences means you’re able to sum up the core conflict succinctly.

  45. Harmony Iwobi says:

    Can I send for you my script. It’s for a script that is full of romance and mystical adventure that will amaze all who see it. It is ready for production. Thank you dear.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      We have a coverage services page that you can check out here.

  46. Jeff says:

    Thanks for the info guys, this will help me refine my logline.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      No problem, Jeff!

  47. Gavin says:

    Just starting out with this screenwriting business and this helps a bunch. Thanks.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks Gavin.

  48. Lucy says:

    “A woman obsessed with fashion lands a job at a top fashion magazine but finds things don’t go as she planned.”

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks Lucy – we can help you out with this logline if you purchase a Concept Analysis.

  49. Boaj says:

    How do I make sure my logline is good enough? How do I no?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      What’s people’s reaction when you tell them your story?

  50. Ray says:

    Can I send you my logline for your opinion?

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Sure thing Ray. You can do so here.

  51. Jules says:

    Where can I find more info on this? Someone told me once there was a book on writing loglines but I don’t know what one.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      The best book for loglines is Save the Cat Strikes Back which you can purchase here.

  52. Rehman P says:

    There are definitely some good points here but I think a script idea should just flow naturally. You should just know what to put down without analysing it. I get most of my best ideas when I’m just waking up, that moments between sleep and conscious.

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Yes, as we say in the article there are no hard and fast rules about this.

  53. Marcus Cook says:

    Irony in a logline has to be the most important thing for me. Blake Snyder talks about this a lot and you guys are spot on as well. I’ll be using you guys soon!

    1. Script Reader Pro says:

      Thanks for the comment, Marcus!

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