What's the Hook?
Writing a Logline that Sells
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific)
One of the most important steps in writing a great script is to write a great logline—a one- or two-sentence summary of your screenplay that has enough emotion and conflict to hook a potential buyer.
For instance:
When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.
It may look easy—how hard can it be to write a sentence or two? But crafting a logline with the right hook takes a lot of finesse. And it’s the best thing you can do for yourself, before you formally begin to write your story.
No matter how frustrating and even maddening the process can be, committing to this one step will keep things from being even more frustrating and maddening down the road.
Once you have your logline, you’ll have a steady and unerring guide through the whole process of writing your script. And you’ll also have the key to selling your script once it’s done.
Now you have the opportunity to work with Jeff Arch, screenwriter of the blockbuster Sleepless in Seattle, to create a strong logline, turning your idea into a road map that you can follow straight through to success.
Register for one of his two-hour workshops and receive a personalized small-group experience, working with Jeff and five other students to write a logline that sells.
Here’s how the course will unfold:
In this workshop, you’ll learn what constitutes a solid workable logline, with lots of back-and-forth discussion and feedback to write a logline that has a memorable hook.
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Are loglines used for books as well as screenplays?
- What's the purpose of a logline? How is it used?
- What's the difference between a logline and a synopsis or summary?
- What do you include in your logline, and what do you leave out?
- How do you describe the central conflict of your story in a few words?
- What creates a strong hook—a central idea that will stick in the minds of agents, managers, and studio execs?
- Are there rules to follow in writing loglines? And if so, when can you break the rules?
- How do you know when your logline works?
Because each two-hour workshop is limited to six students, you'll receive personal attention as Jeff works with you to develop the best logline for your script.
Faculty
Registration fee: $79 for two hours of instruction.
