Some of them have written to me with their questions and issues, which has helped me to clarify and refine the process. This article has been very popular and lots of people have now used the Killogator logline formula. Of course, it’s Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy, by John le Carré. He can trust no one as he tries to discover who the traitor is. The British Secret Service asks a retired spymaster to find a soviet mole who must be one of his former protégés. Here’s a logline for a classic spy thriller, generated using the Killogator logline formula: In a (SETTING) a (PROTAGONIST) has a (PROBLEM) caused by (an ANTAGONIST) and (faces CONFLICT) as they try to (achieve a GOAL). Then insert those archetypes in the Killogator logline formula below to make a sentence or two that captures the core of your story. GOAL: What your Protagonist hopes to win, achieve, find, or defeat.CONFLICT: The major obstacle, difficulty, or dilemma your protagonist faces.ANTAGONIST: Who or what tries to stop your Protagonist.PROBLEM: The issue or event that causes your Protagonist to take action.PROTAGONIST: Who your main character (hero or heroine) is.SETTING: When and where your story takes place.So, how do we take these archetypes and use them to create a logline? That’s where the Killogator™ comes in! Killogator™, a Logline Formula In terms of story archetypes, they translate to:įor an explanation of archetypes, see Archetypes that Make Your Story Resonate. The classic questions used to explain anything are WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW and WHY. How often has someone asked you “So, what’s your novel about?” If you’re anything like me, then it’s a lot. In the studio system, executives decided whether to back movies based on nothing but the logline. Why didn’t they like your covering letter? Because the logline was weak. Why was it unread? They didn’t like your covering letter, so they didn’t even bother to read it. Does that remind you of anything? Literary agents and publishers are, of course, notorious for sending work back unread. Imagine that – executives didn’t even open the script when considering it. These brief summaries are called loglines. One sentence, or perhaps two, that enabled the busy executive to make a decision. So they had their assistants write a very brief synopsis of the plot on the spine of the script.

The executives didn’t want to have to search through the scripts to find one they were interested in. In those days, the Hollywood studios had scripts piled high in their offices. To find out, we need to visit the Golden Age of Hollywood. Everyone knows they need one, but what is a logline, exactly? And how the hell do you write one? Is there a logline formula even?

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