But that’s not the purpose, so it’s okay. Does it do the whole story justice, or show off the author’s full genius? Nope. And that’s all you need for a logline.Įven the deepest, most complex story lines can be boiled down to a one-sentence summary. Think of it as a plot skeleton (but not the kind buried in the Book Cemetery!) Nope, you don’t get all the pretty (or hideous) facial features or stylish (or tacky) outfits, but you do get the backbone. You read log lines all the time while you surf Netflix or TV Guide. Loglines are generally applied to films, plays, and TV shows, but they can easily and usefully apply to literature, as well.The difference is length and manner of presentation. They are similar in that they are composed in the present tense and give the bare bones of your story. So logline, pitch, hook, and synopsis: what are they? Aren’t they all sort of the same thing? Allen’s blog has a great article on distinguishing between them: It’s important to sort out the difference between loglines, hooks, and summaries.Sure, you’ve got lots of scenic overlooks and a few sub-plot detours along the way, but the thing about detours is, they had better bring you back to the main road and get you where you set out to go! Staying focused on character and core conflict: What does your main character want? What does your main character need? Who or what is standing in his way? If you wander too far off of the core-conflict highway, you just might find yourself meandering dusty back roads to the Book Cemetery.“Duh,” you say, but I would argue that this is much, much harder than it sounds! Think about it early, be willing and eager to revise it, and keep it at the beginning of your draft for reference.īeing able to name the basic elements of your story is the key to being able to simmer it down to the basics for a pitch or a simple explanation to a friend. If you don’t have focus while you’re writing, it will be impossible to explain what the whole thing is about when you’re “finished!” Don’t wait until you write “the end” to think about the log line. But sometime WAY before you’re ready to write a query letter, that all has to change! I was enamored with the kernel of an idea, I knew the setting and the main characters’ names and a few of their problems, but I didn’t know them well enough yet to talk about them. I was in the initial stages of writing character and scene sketches to get a feel for my characters and voice. I realized that I didn’t have a good answer for her yet because, you know what? I didn’t know what my book was truly about yet. Last summer, I had a long catch-up chat with a friend I’ve known for forever, and she asked me what my YA novel was about. How do you boil your awesome, amazing idea down into a single page? Or two paragraphs? Or one glittering sentence? It’s a question that strikes panic in the heart of writers everywhere, whether they’re talking to a friend or writing the dreaded query letter.
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