Hi Rock Stars!
In recent years I’ve really tried to make an effort to develop my understanding of what makes good storytelling, whether it is in book form, movie, or even music. Storytelling is everywhere, and though catching the difference between a good story and a bad one can be second nature to most writers, naming the reasons why, is another matter entirely.
I stumbled onto the idea of loglines many years back, and whether people refer to them as premises, elevator, pitches, or even one-line summaries, it all comes down to the same principles of development. A logline is the powerhouse behind any good story because it is the framework onto which your story can thrive. As writers we sometimes start our creative process backwards. We write the book and then worry about narrowing the story down to a single sentence in order to pitch it to agents and publisher. But I learned recently that working from the logline can unleash creativity ten fold, and it makes the writing process easier.
So what is a logline? In essence, a logline is the premise of your story stated in a single sentence. In the words of John Truby, “it is the simplest combination of character and plot, and typically consist of some event that starts the action, some sense of the main character, and some sense of the outcome or resolution.” That seems like a tall order for a single sentence if you ask me. But you would be surprised with how effective this technique is in helping you develop a story from seed to first draft. Here are some examples from Anatomy of Story to help you draw from:
The Godfather: The youngest son of a Mafia family takes revenge on the men who shot his father and becomes the new Godfather.
Star Wars: When a princess falls in mortal danger, a young man uses his skills as a fighter to save her and defeat the evil forces off a galactic empire.
Edge of Tomorrow: After gaining the alien power to restart time whenever he dies, a cowardly futuristic soldier must join forces with a skilled female warrior, and die over and over until they can locate and destroy the alien leader.
A Christmas Carol: When three ghosts visit a stingy old man, he faces the fallen state of his soul and regains the spirit of Christmas.
Those loglines summarize the stories entirely, even if it is to a bare bones level. But the process is so powerful that when you think of a story or a concept (if you go straight to creating the logline), you can develop an entire premise before you write a single word. Maybe even store up ideas for later development.
The premise doesn’t have to be perfect from the get go. It is something you need to give time to develop, weeks even, as you mull it over in your mind and continue to go back to it for additional development. Just make sure it has the main aspects of the story in it:
- Main character(s)
- Description of main character(s)
- Set up or triggering event
- Antagonist(s) or central conflict
- Goal or single cause and effect pathway
- Outcome or resolution.
If you look at all the premises I shared above, they each have these steps in them.
It’s your turn. Try it out. Play with it. Think of other story ideas you have and try to condense them into single sentences. For more info on logline development, check out these sources:
Screenwriting Tips from Master Class
The Difference Between Story Concept and Story Premise from Helping Writers Become Authors
John Trudy On Premise via Medium
Did you like this post? Then consider joining my VIP Circle and don’t miss out on all my additional content (monthly messages, inspirational quotes, bookish recommendations, giveaways, and much more!). Click HERE.
And if you want to collaborate with me don’t be shy. I love to work with fellow writers, spotlight authors, and host writing challenges. I’ve also been known to swap short critiques on occasion. Reach to me here.
Melissa Muhlenkamp 