Loglines and theme

I received this email from Shawn Michael Larkin about “The Quest”:

I’ve been following the amazing opportunity you’ve put out there for writers. Wow.

So regarding the loglines and concepts in general, it seems that there isn’t much room for theme.

I seem to always come from a place of “what’s this about” and it seems like that’s a second thought for most of the stories that Hollywood makes.

Curious to know your thoughts.

In the process of crafting and writing a story, it’s critical to look for and manage the multiple themes that emerge. My principle: Theme = Meaning. And I don’t mean some theoretical premise, but rather a story’s emotional meaning, tied to a character’s psychological journey.

That’s really not the logline’s function, instead a logline is about story concept, genre, and most especially grabbing a buyer’s attention.

Obviously if a logline does point to possible themes, great. But that shouldn’t be your primary concern. Your logline should be wrapped up and around the central story hook.

That’s my take. If anybody else cares to weigh in on the subject, please feel free.

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