An aspiring writer—who writes daily, passionately—must read how to write a gripping logline before meeting his true love for dinner in mere minutes. He reads a tip on Screenwriting.LifeTips.com. It is an adequate example of a logline. He learns, and makes his dinner date.
You write a killer screenplay. It takes months, or maybe a year. You had to write three drafts. You battled perfectionism at times, procrastination at others. But you did it. Now what? Find ways to promote your story to your market, whether that market is major-player Hollywood, independents, or both. You can't solely write and expect to make money. That's like hiding your new screenplay under a bush. Get it out there! Pitch it! Make contacts!
If pitching troubles you, or if you have done very little, try starting with the phrase “This is a story about,” or “I have written a story about.” Follow those words with a succinct description of your main character and your story's unique, compelling conflict, and you have a good chance of drawing the attention of someone in Hollywood.
Logline is synonymous with the shortest version of a pitch. In three or four sentences, you have to sell your idea.
Write your logline. Rewrite it. Practice it. Eat a celery stalk. Practice it again. (Celery stalk optional.)
Selling your writing will almost certainly depend somewhat on your sales ability. Don't worry that you have to sit through an all-day self-improvement conference on sales techniques. You just need to realize that you must promote yourself and your work to be a success in any highly competitive creative field, like screenwriting.
To add another alluring layer to your pitch, after you describe the main conflict, add some version of “and along the way,” then finish the sentence with a description of unexpected results for your main character.
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