If you were in an elevator with your dream agent and you had one shot to pitch your story before the elevator door opens, how would you summarize your story in one sentence? Your one sentence pitch is called a logline.
The term, "logline" is borrowed from the movies, but many agents appreciate loglines because a logline lets them know immediately where you're going with your story.
Here's an example for the movie, Little Miss Sunshine.
Logline: A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.
If you've seen the movie you know this logline works because it sums up the entire story in this succinct one sentence. If you haven't seen it, rent it. It's hilarious.
So here's what to think about to write a killer logline for your story:
THE WHO: Your protagonist & antagonist.
THE WHAT: The problem that pushes the protagonist into action.
THE WHERE: The time / place / setting of your story.
THE HOW: The central conflict the protagonist must overcome.
THE WHY: The goal the protagonist hopes to achieve.
If you look at the logline for Little Miss Sunshine again, you'll see it answers those 5 questions in that one sentence. That's what you want your pitch to do.
A good logline can help you expound on your story too, while keeping its heart at the forefront. Master the logline. It's the key to a great pitch.
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