Does anyone else wear lots of hats? Does anyone else have a hard time introducing themselves because there are so many facets to their existence? Depending on the moment (and the audience), I might introduce myself as a Lyme disease survivor (advanced neurological issues in my spine, brain, and organs), a wife of almost 30 years (my husband changed his entire career to find a cure for me), a mom of four AMAZING young adults, an entrepreneur and business owner, a consultant for medical practices that are struggling, a life coach, a high-ticket sales rep, or just because I didn't have enough hats, I've added a new one—a Life and Health insurance agent.

Exercising Your Brain

BUT—here on Stage 32, my favorite titles are: Moderator, Double Recommended Script Writer, Short Proof of Concept Film Producer, and proud mom of a SAG-AFTRA actress. I love to write and compose creatively! My "day jobs" are often very left-brained, and it's such an incredible release to come here to "play" and be around amazing humans.

One of my favorite things is to throw out a writing exercise and let people go to town writing loglines, lyrics, plot beats, or even describe how they would score a movie based on an image or a phrase (more on this later)…

Loglines: My Mortal Enemies

I used to HATE trying to write loglines. I once spent an entire month on nothing but loglines. I got books (man, I have a stack of those), read articles on anything related to this, tried the Save The Cat method, used AI (those were extra horrible), all to no avail.

I was familiar with doing pitches, elevator speeches, pitch decks, and all things sales with my business experience, but I just couldn’t crack the Logline Nut! Until Stage 32! Even there, I was riding the struggle bus hardcore! It took getting into the VIP Writer’s Room lounge before I really got the knack of it. So many supportive people helped me craft my script logline with suggestions, helpful questions, structure and format, and even word choice. Using the Pitch Tank and the practice pitch sessions weekly also really helped me to hone it further. Even if I didn’t pitch, hearing how other people phrased their loglines often helped me to fill in the blanks. I’ll share the evolution of my loglines as we go along. This was one of my earliest drafts… feel free to do an lol here!

Finding the Love

Now, I LOVE writing loglines. It’s a skill and a muscle I’ve been building for over a year, and I recognize I’m not the only one who had/has a love-to-hate relationship with this. If our story is complex or we just don’t know how to encapsulate all of our script ideas, it can be maddening to even consider writing something so brief. After all, what if you focus on the wrong thing? What if you just don’t know how to summarize that briefly? What if you use words that are thrown around way too often in loglines? What if it’s just plain awful?

This is your script/project’s “calling card,” and so you rightly put a lot of emphasis on getting it right. So let’s just dive into these common fears and see if we can help you find your voice!

What if You Focus on the Wrong Thing?

This is so common. We can get so dialed in on the minutiae that we don’t actually tell the logline reader what the story is about. This is especially true if we’re doing a complex world-build or a large cast of characters. Ask yourself, if you had to explain this to a six-year-old, how would you? What questions would they have after you shared? Start there! Here’s a logline I created that totally missed the mark and the tone of the story I was trying to tell…

What if You Just Don’t Know How to Summarize That Briefly?

Start asking for structural help here on Stage 32. There are no “perfect” structures, and there are a whole lot of smart moderators and Double Recommended writers who love to help with loglines. We can’t read your mind, so ASK for help! Put your logline out there and be open to feedback. It’s the quickest way to get a workable summarizing statement and eventually a logline.

What if It’s Just Plain Awful?

Truth, again? It’s not awful—it’s AWESOME because at least you wrote something! Staying in your own head and tripping over yourself are the biggest mistakes you can make, so put your logline out there and ask for help! I haven’t met too many people who get everything right their first time. Instead of judging, get creative, ask questions of yourself and your community, and recognise that this is a judgement-free zone of creative magic (how often do you find a unicorn like that????) Here’s my next iteration and progress.

What if You Use Words That Are Thrown Around Way Too Often in Loglines?

I’m probably going to make some enemies here, and I don’t mean to step on your awesome logline’s toes, but sometimes we just need the truth. Okay, I’m even stepping on my own toes. Do your homework. Read lots of loglines, especially in your genre. Dust off the thesaurus and get creative. These are the top 10 words I try to steer clear of when writing a logline. If you must, use them sparingly:

• Ultimate
• Journey
• Fate
• Revenge
• Discover
• Struggle
• Unlikely hero
• Race against time
• Unexpected twist
• Against all odds

Rules Were Made to Be Broken

Remember this, above all else: this is a creative process. Whatever format, rules, or structures you’re following were created by someone who did it differently first. Maybe you need to bend or break a rule to communicate your idea. Try it, put it out for feedback, and see what you learn. Sometimes, for instance, you just haven’t found another word that works and you have to (at least temporarily) use a more common logline word or phrase. That’s okay. For instance, look here at the logline I ULTIMATELY embraced for my feature-length script:

“After uncovering her fiancé's double life, a young nurse crafts The Husband List—a set of impossible expectations as a dare to God—to find the perfect partner, ultimately discovering the true meaning of love within her close-knit Southern community.”

I utilized the word ULTIMATELY because it ULTIMATELY was my best word choice— at least for now!

A Little Exercise for Fun

Maybe you don’t have a script or a project, maybe you’re not an author. We’re humans, which means we’re all storytellers. No matter if you are a writer or not, this is a fun exercise you can try using anything: a book, a song, a political viewpoint, or even your life. So let’s play a little game, one I often do in the lounges: Write a title and a logline, lyrics, or summary for your life’s story (or a portion of it). Share in the comments, and also give us your insights on what you’ve learned.

I’ll start using the small summary I shared earlier: if I had to write a title and logline for my life, it would have to be.... TITLE: Still Amazed, A True Story.
LOGLINE: After a likely terminal diagnosis rocks a family to its core, two young parents fight to find a cure and share their knowledge even when faced with incredible odds to raise the next generation of world changers.

Now it's your turn: What would your LIFE'S Lyrics, Score, Logline, or Title be—or you could do mine. Ready, Set, Play!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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