Instead of grousing about writing loglines, I’m sharing my go-to list when composing them. My husband, the scriptwriter, calls this list a formula. Although the following doesn’t make my grousing cease, it does temper it and, truthfully, makes approaching writing loglines less stressful:

1. Start off by describing the hook that kicks off your protagonist’s journey
2. Carry on with describing the protagonist, their goal, who/what is trying to stop them
3. Describe the stakes if the protagonist fails
4. Try making steps 1-3 form 1 complete concise sentence
5. A model: When/After [inciting incident happens], a [specific protagonist] must/struggles to [accomplish goal / overcome obstacles] by [time factor] or else [what’s at stake]
6. Omit stakes and time factor if they are implied by the goal or inciting incident
7. Try starting the logline with what if

If I’m still stuck, or even if I’m not, I Google show me loglines

PS. IMO creating loglines with a side of peanut butter cup ice-cream takes an edge off grousing.

Yours in loglines,

PB