That’s the stuff sticky stories are made of

Loglines are fascinating to me.

If you’re not familiar with this term, it’s a brief summary of a television program, film, or book that states the central conflict of the story, synopsis of the plot, not to mention a titillating emotional hook to stimulate interest.

Jaws, for example, has the following logline:

A police chief, with a phobia for open water, battles a gigantic shark with an appetite for swimmers and boat captains, in spite of a greedy town council who demands that the beach stay open.

Somebody take my money, that sounds like an awesome movie.

Now, as a massive fan of movies and books myself, it’s been a fun experiment to think about how my own story about wearing a nametag everyday might be framed within this narrative device.

Years ago, I spent two days making a list of all the potential loglines to the movie about my journey. It was delicious fun. Here’s a sampling of them, along with the potential genres they might cover. ]

A lonely college student, struggling for social acceptance, starts wearing a nametag everyday, despite public ridicule and overwhelming doubt.

That’s probably the most accurate to my life as a twenty year old.

But maybe we should raise the stakes a bit. After all, the hero of the story not only strives for something, but stands against an antagonistic force.

How about this one?

A reclusive college student who seeks social connection starts wearing a a nametag everyday, despite, legal and ethical implications and disrupts the balance of a conservative, conformist university.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Perhaps the next step is to start the movie stronger with what screenwriters call the inciting incident.

Campbell referred to this stage in the hero’s journey the herald. It’s when the story announces the challenge and begins the hero on his journey. The herald is the person or piece of information which upsets the sleepy equilibrium in which the hero has lived and starts the adventure.

Maybe the guy loses a bet to his best friend? Or he gets a strange recommendation from a suicide hotline? What if he receives an unorthodox assignment from his therapist?

Perhaps this event has to happen first in order to compel this young man to wear a nametag in the first place. Good thinking. Would definitely help to make the film a classic romantic comedy, maybe an inspiring tear jerker after school special.

But then again, my personal preference for movies and books are often post apocalyptic thrillers.

You know the ones. Where the booming voice of god leads into the trailer with those famous three words.

In a world.

The purpose of this narrative tool is to give viewers a snapshot of the unbearable state of affairs people will experience if they continue their careless behavior.

Divergent, one of my favorite novels and movie franchises, comes to mind. Check out this logline:

In a world divided by factions based on virtues, one women learns she’s divergent and won’t fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy her kind, she and a mysterious man must find out what makes them dangerous before it’s too late.

Once again, take my money.

This example tells me that my nametag movie needs to double down on drama and consequence. No problem. Here are a few more loglines that came out of my twisted skull:

In a world where technology has replaced human interaction, a lonely college student who seeks social belonging, starts wearing a nametag despite public ridicule and journeys towards social enlightenment.

That one is surprisingly but sadly accurate for today’s culture.

Try this one.

In a world where a fascist government regulates all of our conversations, a campus minister who views human interaction as a spiritual practice, starts wearing a nametag every day, despite institutional pressure to edit himself.

Wow, that movie puts the fun in fundamentalism., doesn’t it?

One more.

In a world where people are only allowed to talk through screens, a quirky journalist who hopes to reinstate human connection, starts wearing a nametag everyday, despite forbiddance from the people he loves most.

For the record, my parents never disowned me for the nametag thing, but wearing it every day did ruin most of my dates in my twenties. Good times.

Okay, what about science fiction? Stories where you change just one core rule in the universe?

Check this out.

In a world where it’s illegal to have more than thirteen friends, a man who can’t function without human connection, comes out of hiding and illegally starts wearing a nametag everyday.

Finally, this movie is my chance to get arrested for something cool.

Next logline.

In a world where saying hello can get you killed, a gregarious street performer wages a war against the status quo by wearing a nametag every day and outrages his fellow citizens.

Forget about prison, let’s go full hog with certain death. Nice.

Matter of fact, let’s get even weirder.

In a world where hospitals inject newborn babies with prefabricated personalities, a lifelong outcast on a quest to remember himself, starts wearing a nametag despite the culture’s aim to manufacture his identity.

Jesus, that escalated quickly.

Here’s one last logline:

When a man’s girlfriend becomes unfaithful and eventually leaves him because she can’t handle his quirkiness and introversion, he starts wearing a nametag everyday to create a new version of himself and attract the right partner.

None of these movies will likely ever get made.

But you have to admit, these loglines raise questions that evoke curiosity and stir up potentiality.

Why? Because the hero, this guy who decides to wear a nametag everyday, is sympathetic. He’s getting undeserved misfortune, and that gets the audience on his side.

They begin to have hope because they want someone and something to believe in for a hopeful world.

That’s the stuff sticky stories are made of. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
If your life was a movie, what would the logline be?