A strong screenplay logline can instantly create intrigue in your project and talent. It creates an instant association with your level of professionalism and ability to write a great script. Seems wild, but it’s true; a messy logline suggests your screenplay is messy. A clean, tight, compelling logline suggests the same about your work. Needless to say, our logline should be clear and concise, conveying the basic premise of the story and the main conflict or goal of the protagonist. Using something like our logline generator will help check some of those much-needed boxes. Additionally, your logline should be compelling and interesting, making the reader want to know more about the story. It should give an idea of the genre and tone of the screenplay and it shouldn’t be more than two sentences.

Now that we’ve covered the overview, let’s dive into how to make your next logline a winner. Aim for your logline to be:

Concise: It should be brief and to the point, usually one sentence or a phrase.
Compelling: It should be interesting and make the reader want to know more about the story.
Clear: It should convey the basic premise of the story and the main conflict or goal of the protagonist.
Unique: It should stand out from other loglines and convey what makes the story special.
Genre & Tone: It should give an idea of the genre and tone of the screenplay.
Protagonist: It should introduce the protagonist and their goal.
Conflict: It should hint at the main conflict or obstacle that the protagonist will face.
Stakes: It should convey the high stakes or importance of the protagonist achieving their goal.
Emotion: It should evoke an emotional response in the reader.
Hook: It should have a hook that makes the reader want to know more.

Conversely, here’s a list of what your logline shouldn’t be:

Vague: It may not clearly convey the basic premise or main conflict of the story.
Boring: It may not be interesting or compelling.
Confusing: It may be difficult to understand or follow.
Generic: It may not convey what makes the story unique.
Too long: It may be too wordy or lengthy, making it difficult to grasp the main idea quickly.
No protagonist: It may not introduce the protagonist and their goal.
No conflict: It may not hint at the main conflict or obstacle that the protagonist will face.
No stakes: It may not convey the high stakes or importance of the protagonist achieving their goal.
No emotion: It may not evoke an emotional response in the reader.
No hook: It may not have a hook that makes the reader want to know more.

Scriptmatix offers a free logline generator. It’s a series of simple questions that will generate an ideal logline. Try it out and modify the best options. They probably won’t come out perfect first try, but they will be on track and can lead to that professionally polished logline that you need.