Horrifying Tag Lines, Log Lines, and Other Descriptions by Kate Bemis

So, you have one sentence to get across everything that matters. 

What do you say?

…I have no idea. Seriously. No idea. 

I hate tag lines. You’re going to tell me that, of the 88,000 words I’ve just written (each one as excruciating as the next), I need to cut them down to 10? And of those 10, it needs to get across the entire story arc I’ve built? 

The political subtext. The societal implications. The world building. And it needs to be catchy?

I’m screwed. 

Whether it be for books or movies, TV shows or games, they all require something to make you go, “Oh, yes, I want to read that!”

So how do you pull it off?

Have a voice.

Your opinions, your quirk and charm, what matters in your writing doesn’t stop once the story is over. What gives it sizzle? Flavour? Use contradictions. Light and dark, big and small. 

Let’s say, you have a retired chef turned serial killer. He hunts down all of his negative critics, cuts them up, and bakes them into a golden-crusted pie. How do you explain this in as few words as possible?

Some might start with… ‘A chef takes revenge on his critics by murdering them, then cooking them and serving to his customers’.

Yes, that is what is in THIS tin.

Or, you could say: “Chef turned killer. Either way, he’s sharpening his knives.”

Make it a question for the audience. “The menu? His critics… “

And then personalize it. “You’ll never leave a negative Trustpilot review again.”

To wrap it all up, you have: “Chef turned killer. He’s sharpening his knives. The menu? His critics… You’ll never leave a Trustpilot review again.”

Genre clarity.  Let the genre influence the words you choose. Maybe you’re threatening the audience. Maybe you’re making fun of the protagonist. Maybe there are key elements of the story that should be emphasized.

Fight Club‘s log line was “Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.”

Tommy Boy‘s log line was “If at first you don’t succeed, lower your standards.”

Edward Scissorhands‘ log line was “His story will touch you, even though he can’t.”

Of course it’s not a black-and-white process.And there’s plenty of art and craft to practice too.

Just make it count. Have fun. Be flexible in how you approach it. The more personality in a tagline, the brighter the story shines. 

Until next time…

Don’t go killing off too many characters. Or do.

Just remember to enoy it!