What is a log line?
One sentence can make you want to read a whole story. This kind of sentence reveals the basis of the story with hints of the coming conflict to intrigue the reader to open the book and embark on the adventure. You’ll see several of them below advertising a free story!
You’ll also see them frequently in marketing blurbs and on the page in the front of the book that everyone skips because it’s full of names and numbers in tiny font that people really only reference for book reports.
Did you know that there’s a technical term in the publishing industry for this special sentence? In fact, there are several names for it! The “log line” and “one-sentence hook” both describe this succinct summary of a story. If it’s spoken out loud, it’s also called the elevator pitch, meaning it’s short enough to relay to someone in the time it takes the elevator to get to the next floor. Authors agonize over these trying to get them just right so the reader or publisher says, “Tell me more.”
Examples of log lines
Here’s an example from one of my recent posts about the best classic fantasy books to read. This is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis:
During World War II, four young siblings discover another land inside a magical wardrobe where they must defeat the evil witch imprisoning the country in eternal winter.
Let’s look at a few more in different styles:
A hero prophesied from ages past transcends the bonds of time and space to free his people from a deadly curse while changing the course of history forever.
A prince infiltrates the traitors’ camp to win back their loyalty in the guise of a harmless peasant child, but when he reveals his true identity, will they believe him?
He’s willing to give up everything to save those he loves—and even take on death and the devil himself in the bargain.
The rest of the story
Do any of these stories sound intriguing? They’re actually all the same story: God the Father loves the world so much that he sends his only son, Jesus Christ, to earth to pay the price so that we can have life and reconciliation with him. It’s a short story but a profound one, the greatest story ever told, and a true story at that! Year after year it changes lives—because a relationship with God changes everything in life for the better.
You can read the story for free online at Biblegateway.com or in the YouVersion app. Jesus’ story is told by four of his close followers: Luke, John, Matthew, and Mark.
This Christmas, you can enter into the greatest story ever for the adventure of a lifetime, and receive a gift of love that will satisfy for eternity. If any of those log lines made you curious, then check it out!
And one more thing—Merry Christmas to all!