Creating a Logline

I'm working on a submission package for one of my stories and I've hit a block. It's called the logline which is a one sentence description about your book. Generally speaking, I like loglines, I learned how to write them in my screenwriting classes where you HAVE to have a logline. Usually that is the first assignment in the class after you introduce yourself. What is your book/movie about? And no ramblings responses allowed.

One instructor, wish I could remember who so I could give credit, referred to it as that line in the TV Guide that describes what the movie or show is about. In fact, as I recall, our homework was to go study the TV Guide to figure out how a logline works.

My ya fantasy's logline is a sheltered princess discovers her remarkable gifts with horses on a dangerous quest to find her father’s murderer.

My space opera's logline is a space pirate almost loses everything she cares about when she’s blackmailed into running a dangerous mission for the military.



I am trying to work up a logline for my paranormal novella and it is not wanting to come. Interestingly the 3 sentence pitch came easy with this one and usually it's the reverse. I struggle with the 3 sentence pitch (well, maybe not struggle but spend a lot of time rearranging and moving words around) and the logline seems to just come mostly formed from that pitch. But not this one. 


So, how about you? Do loglines comes easy or hard?

Comments

  1. I figured out my problem. Yeah! The two above loglines chronicle one person's story - the MC. This novella has two equal MCs with different journeys. ARGH!!!! That is why I am having so much trouble. Each time I write it. It is either her logline or his logline. I need to come up with a way for it to be there logline.

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  2. Together Adam and Eve take on the archetypical mystery of......(Jan)

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  3. Good idea, but their plot lines are actually opposing until the end. :-)

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  4. Figured it out, yeah, all I had to do was work on condensing a five page synopsis down to one and the logline suddenly became clear.

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  5. Sorry; I only do logs in the woodburning stove.

    ~ Yaya
    Yaya's Changing World

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