Loglines versus Premise lines

Writers often get confused about the difference between a logline and a premise line. The word logline gets bandied about so much that it’s become a bit of a catch-all.

In the Wave-inatrix’s view, a logline is the very short summary of the plot, usually only used on the top of coverage reports or as the shorthand for industry professionals.

A huge shark terrorizes a town.
A little boy can see dead people.
Tourists are kidnapped so their organs can be harvested
A young woman becomes a mule for Columbian drug dealers
A young man under house arrest sees crimes happening next door
An actor dresses as a woman, gets cast in a soap opera and becomes a star
An unlikely horse becomes a champion race horse and media darling

Loglines are brief encapsulations of the script. I have walked down the hall of production companies and had an exec pull me aside and say – hey, you know that script you just read, BLAM FRANCISCO? What was it about? And I have to cough up a quick sentence: A chemist's experiment gets out of control and San Francisco is blown into the stratosphere.

Loglines are a tool to quickly describe a script but not necessarily to sell it or to be useful to the writer beyond that.

A premise line is a completely different animal and is primarily for the writer’s use, whether in developing the story or in selling it in a pitch or query letter. A premise line is generally a one or two-sentence description of the story with a beginning, middle and an end. It should definitely include the main character, the antagonist and the main source of conflict. If the premise is for selling purposes, end it with a cliff hanger. If it’s for you, the writer, you can be a bit more detailed. Sometimes writers will have many iterations of the same premise line:

One for development
One for a query letter
One for a competition application
One that will grow into a pitch.

The premise line initially is only for you, the writer. It can be as messy, disorganized, stupid and derivative as you like. At first. It is a tool; it is meant to be stretched and pinched and beat up. Jump up and down all over that thing. Prove to yourself that you really have a good idea.

Writing a good logline is pretty simple and the more you do it the easier it gets. Writing a good premise line for a query or pitch is an art form unto itself. It reminds me of haiku a little bit: write the most descriptive couple of sentences in the least amount of words. Choose words with the most “oomph”, words that really wring out of your premise the most exciting, dangerous, scary or romantic feelings you are trying to convey.

Many writers complain loudly about having to distill their idea or completed script into a premise line. How can they describe the script in so few words?!
Writing a good premise line is, in the Wave-inatrix’s opinion, really the test of your mettle as a writer. We are wordsmiths, after all; language is our business. We tell the best lies, we exaggerate about what happened at the party, we write fabulously entertaining emails and letters – so we can write a great premise line. Your sale might just hinge on it.

Let's review:

A logline is a very brief summary.
A premise line is a tool for development and later, a tool for selling.

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