"There are many technical writing terms to learn as you become a writer. A word you might come across from time to time is ‘logline’. What are loglines, why is this type of summary helpful, and how can you write better ones? Read these logline definitions, tips, and examples:
Defining loglines
A logline is ‘a synopsis of a script or screenplay’ (Collins Dictionary). Many use it to describe single-sentence book summaries, too. You could describe the hook-driven summaries of bestsellers Hawes lists here as loglines.
The creators of Logline App explain the term’s origins:
‘…first used in old Hollywood. The big studios would own hundreds of scripts, and the studio head would keep a log book that recorded concise summaries (or “loglines”) that described each script in the studio’s possession.’Term etymology via Logline
A logline is a useful type of story summary because it gives potential readers, publishers or TV/film producers:
The central conflict of the story
A broad synopsis of the story’s plot
An emotional hook to grab potential viewers’/readers’/producers’/publishers’ interest
Other key narrative details such as setting, key characters (protagonists and antagonists) and character goals
Example loglines
‘A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.’Logline for The Matrix via filmdaily.tv
‘A young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.’Logline for the 1994 movie Speed via studiobinder.com
Why master logline writing?
Writing loglines is a useful exercise to master for not just screenwriters but novelists and other storytellers too because:
Loglines help you distill what matters in a story or individual story ‘episode’. This helps you keep the main focus of your story clear
Read More: What are loglines? 6 tips to write strong summaries
