The Value of a Logline
A log line, or logline, is a simple description of a story that is only a sentence long. It boils the story down to its essence. Unlike the tagline, which is created as a marketing hook, the logline gives the basic premise of the story.
The Value of a Tagline
So a tagline is used for advertising a film or book, but what else is it good for?
As a writer, your tagline can be considered a touchstone. It may define certain elements of your story, things that you dare not vary. For example, let’s say that you chose that Alien tagline—“In space no one can hear you scream.” You begin writing, and as you’re halfway through the screenplay you decide that your heroine, Ripley, really needs a love life. So you create a nice male protagonist whom you decide will survive to the end of the story. Maybe she’ll save him from the aliens, or maybe he’ll save her.
Are You Writing a Book, or a Movie?
As a novelist, you’re most likely to tell a story in a way that your audience will experience it. In other words, you will typically stick to one or two viewpoints for major characters. You’ll tell us how the story unfolds making sure to use all of the senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, feel—and you’ll also touch deeply on the internal thoughts and feelings of your character. By doing this, you can maximize the strengths of the novel as a storytelling medium.
Writing Workshop Holiday Gift Cards
If you would like to give a writing workshop or lecture from MyStoryDoctor.com to a loved one, email David at dwolvert@xmission.com for more information on how to do just that. Here are our workshops you might be interested in: Online The Story Puzzle – The Story Puzzle covers the steps involved in prewriting and outlining […]
Now Back to the Story
What defines “good” writing when it comes to a story? That’s a question that I have to ask time and again as I’m judging contest entries. You see, there are different kinds of “good,” and there are different levels of “goodness.” One writer has a gift for plotting, another a gift for pithy metaphors. So […]
The Power of Being a Fan
On May 9, 1977, I became a Star Wars fan. My brother-in-law had seen the film in April (I believe it was) of that year at a special pre-screening and had told me that I had to go see it. So I got a seat (after failing to get into the theatre on a couple […]
Making Your Writing Future Bright
Back in the 1960s, basketball coaches learned that if a player imagined himself practicing free-throws over and over—it greatly raised the percentage of shots that the player made in real games. The brain actually “practices” the moves that the body must make in a precise order. This technique for perfecting performance has been shown to […]
Writing for the Holidays
The midwinter is actually my favorite time of the year to write. There aren’t many conventions or writing workshops in January and February, since organizers know that their customers are busy with family affairs, so I like to focus on work. But there are some things that you should know as a writer. First, this […]
Writer Beware: the High Cost of Author Visits
As a new author, you will undoubtedly be asked to make author visits to various functions. You may be asked to speak at libraries, visit schools, go to conventions, teach workshops, and so on. It’s very easy to become so popular that you bankrupt yourself, and I see new authors who do it all of […]
Investing in Your Writing
As a young writer, I used to set a rather simple writing goal: spend at least $500 per year to grow my skills as a writer. In the early days, at the age of 17, I bought my first used typewriter, purchased some writing books from the university, and then got a subscription to some […]