The Screenwriter’s Guide to Writing a Strong Logline
If you’ve ever struggled to explain what your screenplay is about, or gotten stuck halfway through Act 2 and couldn’t figure out why — your logline might be the missing piece.
A well-written logline isn’t just a tool for pitching your script to someone else. It’s also one of the most useful story development tools you can use for yourself.
So let’s look at how to craft a clear, compelling logline — and how to use it to spot story problems before they derail your screenplay.
What is a logline?
To put it most simply, a logline is a very short synopsis of your story. It’s a sentence (or sometimes two) that captures the spine of your screenplay and conveys what the movie will be.
Story analyst Christopher Lockhart puts it like this:
“A logline conveys the dramatic story of a screenplay in the most abbreviated manner possible. It presents the major throughline of the dramatic narrative without character intricacies and sub-plots. It is the story boiled down to its base.”
In other words, a logline tells your story in one sentence.
How to write a logline
As concise and simple as the end result may be, writers often struggle with writing loglines. So here’s my method — and fair warning, it’s not magic. It’s all about getting clarity, because that’s the only way to write a clear and effective logline.
To write your logline, start with the story’s core elements. The next step will be to shape them into a clear, concise, and compelling sentence, but take these steps one at a time. (If there is any magic here, that’s it.)
The essential ingredients are:
A character
A goal
An antagonistic force (or central obstacle that drives the conflict)
Stakes
That’s the bare minimum. Once those basics are in place, you can add other context if it’s helpful and if it makes the logline more impactful.
For example, the unique world of the story, or how the character plans to pursue their goal can also be necessary elements to convey exactly what’s happening in the screenplay and why the story is compelling. But put the core in place first, and then determine if these additional elements need to be included.
And, when you’re using the logline to develop and test your story idea, clarity matters more than cleverness. You don’t need the perfect turn of phrase. You just need to know what your story is about.
A quick example:
A single mom has seven days to solve the mystery of a cursed videotape before the curse reaches full effect and kills her too. (The Ring)
Is it the most elegant logline ever? Maybe not. But it works. In one sentence, you understand who the character is, what she’s trying to do, and what happens if she fails.
Character: single mom
Goal: solve the mystery
Antagonistic force: killer curse
Stakes: her life
Why your logline is more than a pitch tool
A logline isn’t just for query letters or pitch meetings. It can actually reveal whether your story has a strong enough foundation to sustain a screenplay.
If your logline is missing one of the essential elements — character, goal, conflict, or stakes — that might mean your story is missing something too. Fixing the logline is simple once you know what you’re looking for. But it’s not just about having the right pieces — it’s about making sure they’re strong enough to hold up a movie.
Is your character’s goal big enough for a movie?
Here’s where a lot of loglines — and screenplays — run into trouble. The character may have a goal that sounds dramatic, but doesn’t actually provide enough fuel for an entire movie.
A strong screenplay goal should take most of the film to achieve. It should require effort, strategy, and multiple attempts, not something that can be done in a single scene.
Watch out for verbs like:
Decide
Choose
Discover
Realize
These words seem like actions, but they often describe internal moments that happen quickly — and don’t provide enough external, on-screen activity to drive a full narrative.
Instead, aim for goals that suggest a process, such as:
Investigate
Rescue
Escape
Win over
Prove
Take down
These kinds of goals are meatier. They invite opposition, and imply challenges, setbacks, and effort. They create space for the story to unfold across many scenes and sequences.
Testing your logline (and your story)
Once you’ve written a logline that includes character, goal, conflict, and stakes, zoom in on that goal and ask:
What does pursuing this goal look like onscreen?
Can you imagine several scenes that would be part of the character trying to accomplish this?Is this goal something that could be completed in a single scene?
If so, it might not carry enough weight for a full screenplay.Are there multiple steps or stages involved?
A strong goal often requires a sequence of attempts, each one revealing something new.Are there different types of actions the character might take?
Variety is a good sign. It means your character won’t be repeating the same beat over and over.
Example: Die Hard
John McClane’s goal is “to save the hostages from the terrorists.” It’s clear right away that this goal involves multiple steps and a lot of resistance. In Act 2 alone, that could include:
Locating the hostages
Evading or confronting terrorists
Trying to signal for outside help
Creating distractions
Disarming traps or bombs
Even if you don’t end up using every single action you brainstorm, just being able to think of a variety of them means your story likely has the complexity and momentum it needs.
The bottom line
A great logline doesn’t just tell us what your movie is — it helps you build it. When your story goal is clear, active, and difficult to achieve, you’re setting yourself up for a screenplay that’s easier to write (and more satisfying to watch).
So before you dive into Act 2 — or if you’re stuck there now — take a closer look at your logline. Especially the goal. Is it complex enough to carry a feature-length film? Does it give your character something to do?
A little extra time upfront can save you from pages of wheel-spinning later on.
Use your logline as a tool — not just a tagline — and give your screenplay the solid foundation it deserves.
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Want more help? Logline Shortcuts walks you through the process with templates, real examples, and step-by-step guidance to help you write a strong, working logline — fast. Available in ebook and audiobook formats!