THE STAGE 32 LOGLINES
Post your loglines. Get and give feedback.
SMALL TOWN GUY
By Loreen Hackett
When a sharp-witted small-town kid is pulled away from the only home he’s ever known, he tries to hold onto the memories that shaped him—only to realize they weren’t just souvenirs… they were survival.
SYNOPSIS:
Behind the redwood curtain, some towns you leave. Others never leave you.
Small Town Guy is a grounded, voice-driven dramedy about Don—a man reflecting on the small Northern California town that shaped him. He didn’t want to leave. But he did. And now, decades later, he’s discovering that the stories he keeps telling are more than memories—they’re a way back.
Told through rich narration and intimate, memory-soaked vignettes, the series unfolds like a personal mixtape of youth, family, mischief, and quiet heartbreak. Each episode is a story Don has told before—at a diner, in a car, over coffee—but this time, he’s trying to understand why they’ve stayed with him… and what they still mean.
It’s not about chasing greatness. It’s about remembering what greatness looked like before the parking lots moved in.
Because the truth is, he didn’t run from home.
He got pulled away.
And now, in the telling—maybe for the first time—he’s finding his way back.
Register / Log In
Rated this logline
Small Town Guy sounds really unique, Loreen Hackett. Catchy tagline!
I think your logline is more of a quick pitch. Here’s a logline template that might help: After/when ______ (the inciting incident/event that sets the plot in motion), a _______ (the main flaw the protagonist has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality) _______ (the protagonist’s title/job/career) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) to/so/in order to ________ (stakes).
The inciting incident can also be at the end of the logline: A _______ (the main flaw the protagonist has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality) _______ (the protagonist’s title/job/career) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) to/so/in order to ________ (stakes) after/when ______ (the inciting incident/event that sets the plot in motion).
Loglines are one or two sentences. A one-sentence logline sounds better, and it takes less time for a producer, director, etc. to read it. Try to keep your logline to 35 words or less. Long loglines can make producers, directors, etc. pass on a project.
Avoid using “must” in loglines. “Must” usually means the protagonist is forced to do whatever they need to do in the story instead of doing it willingly. You might need to use “must” in a logline though, like when the protagonist is forced by another character to do something. Using “must” to choose between two options is fine.
Names in loglines are usually for biopics, well-known stories, and franchises (like Mission: Impossible).
Sometimes I put the location and date that the story takes place in instead of the inciting incident if it’s a Period Piece script.
All stories don’t follow this logline template. Biopics, documentaries, and Experimental scripts might not follow the template. The series logline for a TV show can follow this template, but the pilot logline and episode loglines for the show might not. And I think even though Small Town Guy is a memoir-driven dramedy told as a serialized anthology, the template can help tightened up your logline.
2 people like this
Thank you!
You're welcome, Loreen Hackett. I'm looking forward to watching this!
1 person likes this
Maurice Vaughan
After he's forced to leave the only home he’s ever loved, a sentimental but sharp-witted small-town kid struggles to hold onto his past by revisiting the memories that shaped him—only to discover that distance may be the reason they’ve lasted.
I think that's better, Loreen Hackett! Is there any outside conflict or obstacles in the series you could add to the logline? If not, solid logline.
1 person likes this
Maurice Vaughan Thanks for the great direction—and for passing along some wisdom!
You're welcome, Loreen Hackett.
Rated this logline