I’ve been thinking about marketing and how it intersects with writing scripts lately and thought this might be worth sharing. Here’s a strategy I use to create “the logline or blurb” that goes with my stories (also known as the elevator pitch, logline, or promo). The aim of the blurb is, of course, to try and entice someone into giving the plays a read. It’s a form of elevator pitch aimed at giving folks a super-quick overall picture of the story in a way that invites curiosity and creates a desire to read it.
All of the landing pages for my plays over at www.weirdworldstudios.com present visitors with a short “blurb”, “promo”, “logline” or “elevator pitch”. I have experienced how attaching these bits of text has increased the click-through rate on my site (and they are now attached to the top of each of the plays themselves).
This technique didn’t originate with me. I learned it from Alex White, the author of “The Gearheart”, a great little fantasy steam-punk adventure (audio book) over at http://www.thegearheart.com/.
The technique is made up of four parts; the carry, the crossover, the complication, and the call to action.
The Carry
The Carry is what takes us (carries us) into the world of the story. It is the place in which I describe the ordinary world in which my protagonist(s) live. This “ordinary” world can’t be dull, however, so I also introduce the character’s basic conflict (or source of conflict) in that world.
Here are five example “carry” lines from some of my plays…
From The Alligator Menace…
Trent Stone and Tess Carter are in Star City to participate as junior members in the League of Adventure Seekers’ annual dinner.
From Predator’s Row
Reporter for the Star City Tribune, Claire Templeton, uncovers a pattern of grisly murders that look like the work of a strange new predator and presents her findings to Detective Tony Wells.
c) From The Visitor from the Gloria Scott
The case that sets Sherlock Holmes on the path that will forever dominate and define his life occurs while holidaying with a friend during his final year at university.
d) From Graduation Day
Sarah Tanner and Jeff Chase are top of their graduating class in the Solar Patrol.
e) From The Girl in the Ivy Gate
Jess is an ordinary girl at the very exclusive Seareach Boarding School. Most days all she has to contend with are the sneers of the trust-fund girls who want to look down on her for being a scholarship student.
2) The Crossover
The Crossover refers to the events that take my protagonists into the second act of the story. It establishes the protagonist’s goals and the general trajectory they are pursuing. Here’s where I try to reveal the key conflict of the story and perhaps even the antagonist.
Here are five example “crossover” lines from some of my plays…
From The Alligator Menace…
However, when the dinner (and a number of other key events throughout the city) is broken up by a horde of remotely controlled albino sewer alligators, Trent and Tess are launched into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an insane genius bent on controlling the city’s underworld.
From Predator’s Row
When Tony finds a seven year old witness to one of the murders, her unbelievable story sets him on a path that will shake his hard boiled certainty about the nature of reality to its core.
From The Visitor from the Gloria Scott
When his holiday-companion’s dog is killed under mysterious circumstances, Holmes begins an investigation that will pit him against the very forces of darkness.
From Graduation Day
When the graduation ceremony itself is interrupted by a sudden sneak attack from space pirates, Sarah and Jeff are launched into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the Galaxy’s most dangerous foe.
From The Girl in the Ivy Gate
But when her best friend is killed in a dog attack at the full moon, just in time to make way for a new and unsettling female student to become enrolled, she finds herself teaming up with the nosiest girl in school to investigate a deepening mystery with some decidedly weird complications.
The Complication
The complication is where I introduce the surprising twist and major selling point of my story. It is where I try to showcase what is unique in my story and give the potential audience a taste of what they are likely to encounter in it that is surprising, unpredictable, and interesting.
Here are five example “complication” lines from some of my plays…
From The Alligator Menace…
In order to overcome this villain our heroes must navigate a dangerous world of organised crime bosses, gang war, exploding alligators, and weird science.
From Predator’s Row
Caught in a web of intrigue between faery courts, a nightmare world where Trolls fight for scraps beneath the bridges of the modern world, and a magical sword that has an agenda all it’s own, Wells must work to uncover a murderer in order to prevent a war among the immortals from spilling over into the mundane realm.
From The Visitor from the Gloria Scott
With the help of Martha Hudson, Holmes sets out to uncover the true nature of the evil that has settled in “Donnithorpe”. On the way he encounters spectral possession, evil enchantment, and a hidden sorcerer of immense power.
From Graduation Day
In order to overcome this villain our heroes must locate and infiltrate the Pirate’s mobile base, survive capture, recruit the aid of numerous alien species, and return to earth with the secrets of the pirate’s alien technology.
From The Girl in the Ivy Gate
Mysterious books, howls in the night, strangers meeting in the nearby woods, and a misdirected attempt at blackmail leads her through an adventure that could very well cost her more than her O-levels.
4) The Call to Action
The call to action is where I ask people to give the story a try. I raise a question in the mind of my potential audience, and I invite the audience to find the answer to that question by completing an action (usually reading the play, or watching it, or listening to it). A simple clear call to action adds just the extra imperative that people need in order to take the final step of actually reading the play (or listening to it, or watching it) etc.
Here are five example “call to action” lines from some of my plays…
From The Alligator Menace…
Can they locate the villain before his plans reach their fruition? Tune in to “The Alligator Menace” and experience this exciting adventure for yourself.
From Predator’s Row
Can he solve this mystery in time before the world of nightmares becomes a reality for all humanity? Tune in to “Predator’s Row” and marvel at a world of magic and intrigue that lies just beneath the surface of the world you know.
From The Visitor from the Gloria Scott
Will Holmes’ deductive abilities and expertise in folklore carry the day? Tune in to “The visitor from the Gloria Scott” and uncover the terrifying truth for yourself.
From Graduation Day
Can they locate the base before another devastating attack on the Earth is launched? Tune in to “Graduation Day” and experience this exciting adventure for yourself.
From The Girl in the Ivy Gate
Will she be able to uncover the secrets hiding within Seareach before the body count rises to include her own? Tune in to “The Girl in the Ivy Gate” and thrill as the investigation progresses towards its startling conclusion.
These may not be the best written “blurbs” or “pitches” in the world, but I have proven in my own experience that my work gets a larger audience with these “blurbs” than without.
FIVE COMPLETE BLURBS
Here are the above five example “blurbs” with all the elements (from the examples) put together.
From The Alligator Menace…
Trent Stone and Tess Carter are in Star City to participate as junior members in the League of Adventure Seekers’ annual dinner. However, when the dinner (and a number of other key events throughout the city) is broken up by a horde of remotely controlled albino sewer alligators, Trent and Tess are launched into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an insane genius bent on controlling the city’s underworld. In order to overcome this villain our heroes must navigate a dangerous world of organised crime bosses, gang war, exploding alligators, and weird science. Can they locate the villain before his plans reach their fruition? Tune in to “The Alligator Menace” and experience this exciting adventure for yourself.
From Predator’s Row…
Reporter for the Star City Tribune, Claire Templeton, uncovers a pattern of grisly murders that look like the work of a strange new predator and presents her findings to Detective Tony Wells. When Tony finds a seven year old witness to one of the murders, her unbelievable story sets him on a path that will shake his hard boiled certainty about the nature of reality to its core. Caught in a web of intrigue between faery courts, a nightmare world where Trolls fight for scraps beneath the bridges of the modern world, and a magical sword that has an agenda all it’s own, Wells must work to uncover a murderer in order to prevent a war among the immortals from spilling over into the mundane realm. Can he solve this mystery in time before the world of nightmares becomes a reality for all humanity? Tune in to “Predator’s Row” and marvel at a world of magic and intrigue that lies just beneath the surface of the world you know.
From The Visitor from the Gloria Scott…
The case that sets Sherlock Holmes on the path that will forever dominate and define his life occurs while holidaying with a friend during his final year at university. When his holiday-companion’s dog is killed under mysterious circumstances, Holmes begins an investigation that will pit him against the very forces of darkness. With the help of Martha Hudson, Holmes sets out to uncover the true nature of the evil that has settled in “Donnithorpe”. On the way he encounters spectral possession, evil enchantment, and a hidden sorcerer of immense power. Will Holmes’ deductive abilities and expertise in folklore carry the day? Tune in to “The visitor from the Gloria Scott” and uncover the terrifying truth for yourself.
From Graduation Day…
Sarah Tanner and Jeff Chase are top of their graduating class in the Solar Patrol. When the graduation ceremony itself is interrupted by a sudden sneak attack from space pirates, Sarah and Jeff are launched into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the Galaxy’s most dangerous foe. In order to overcome this villain our heroes must locate and infiltrate the Pirate’s mobile base, survive capture, recruit the aid of numerous alien species, and return to earth with the secrets of the pirate’s alien technology. Can they locate the base before another devastating attack on the Earth is launched? Tune in to “Graduation Day” and experience this exciting adventure for yourself.
From The Girl in the Ivy Gate
Jess is an ordinary girl at the very exclusive Seareach Boarding School. Most days all she has to contend with are the sneers of the trust-fund girls who want to look down on her for being a scholarship student. But when her best friend is killed in a dog attack at the full moon, just in time to make way for a new and unsettling female student to become enrolled, she finds herself teaming up with the nosiest girl in school to investigate a deepening mystery with some decidedly weird complications. Mysterious books, howls in the night, strangers meeting in the nearby woods, and a misdirected attempt at blackmail leads her through an adventure that could very well cost her more than her O-levels. Will she be able to uncover the secrets hiding within Seareach before the body count rises to include her own? Tune in to “The Girl in the Ivy Gate” and thrill as the investigation progresses towards its startling conclusion.
Do you have a method or technique you find particularly helpful? Please share it on the thread.
This article is © 2018 by Philip Craig Robotham – all rights reserved.
So, what’s your opinion on loglines and how they should be used? Do you agree with our point of view? Do you disagree? Let us know in the comments below.
