Save The Cat by Blake Snyder, Summary of Chapter One – What Is It?
A log line is a movie/screen writing term for a one or two line description of the story. Snyder says screenwriters can sell their screen play if they have the following 4 elements.
1) Irony- A good story will have a twist.
Identify the conflict. Mention the protaganist (Hero/Heroine) and the antagonist to involve the readers emotions.
2) Target Market.
For the author of novels this would be the publisher and genre. Does the description provide an idea of the reader/market?
A bookstore is divided by genre to engage the target market. Readers that enjoy romance, young adult section, mystery, scifi, etc. head to the labeled section. A blurb on the back, though longer, tells the reader what the story is about.
3) Create a mental picture.
Does the description give the potential reader a visual idea of what the book/movie is about?
4) Killer Title.
Snyder says if the logline has these elements your pitch will be successful. Even better condense the movie for the marquee and – voila!
So we may not be screenwriters, but as authors if we heed Snyder’s advice we have a better chance of selling our book to the publisher and the reader.
What books do you think are good examples?
After sharing your good examples, I thought a look at some well known books would be interesting. I love all these books but if someone hadn't recommended Outlander I never would have read Gabaldon's work. What title and description would you give for any of the following?
Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter), Laurell K. Hamilton
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2 comments:
Oh, to Kill A Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books. I would never have read it, after watching the movie, had my English Lit major daughter suggested it.
Maybe . . . Humanity lost -- innocence found.
Uh-oh, maybe I should preview before I post. My daughter suggested it, which is why I read the book. I didn't care for the movie at all.
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