Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

by Blake Snyder

The number one thing a good logline must have, the single most important element, is: irony.

I rarely begin writing any movie with the “who” in mind. More often it’s the idea first. And if the hero is a part of the idea — well, that’s just gravy. Many will tell you differently, and this is only my approach, but I think the “who” has to serve the “what is it?” — not the other way around. And once you have that golden idea, that winning pitch, that perfect hook, and don’t quite yet have the “who,” it’s time to go to work to enhance the idea with the right characters, especially the hero of the story. It’s all about making the “What is it?” work better.