If your logline does not mention a main conflict, then it must be presumed it is because it does not have one. If a publisher is sent your logline and there is no mention of a conflict, then he will come to that conclusion also. We often make the mistake of writing a logline or synopsis like a film trailer, where they tease the viewer but give them no payoff.

For example: A woman comes home to find something horrifying.

So what type of novel would this be? Is it a horror? A murder mystery? It could even be a comedy, but the logline gives no insight or clue. This is the result when there is no conflict in your logline. If you are a reader for a publisher, you will see at least fifty query letters and loglines in one week. Eventually, many of them will sound exactly the same, because there is no clear conflict included. Give yourself a huge advantage by making your conflict shine. The logline also has to include the following information. Who is the main character? Who is the opposing character or force? What stands in the protagonists’ way for them to reach their objective? Then include a clear conflict.

If you are writing a horror novel, include what your protagonist is running away from in your logline.

If you are writing a thriller novel, include what situation your protagonist is battling against in your logline.

If you are writing a romantic comedy novel, include what your main character's struggle is. The struggle is what will create the humour.

If you are writing a historical biopic, mention the main conflict or struggle in your character’s life. Otherwise, you are just stating a random description of events without some kind of theme fundamental to the main character's development.

Throw out the idea that a good logline includes a teasing question. The publisher needs to see a distinct conflict. They will not appreciate a logline that tells them nothing about the storyline.

For example, if we look at the example of a teaser logline - a policeman gets on a train but is horrified by what he sees.

What do you think the policeman sees? Let’s try rewriting this logline with conflict.

A policeman gets on a train, headed to his father's funeral, but is horrified to find that a younger version of his father is one of the passengers, and very much alive. The train is fast approaching a nuclear weapons factory in an alternate timeline. Now he must find a way to stop the train while avoiding guards that resemble people he knows.

Can you see that now we have added the conflict to the logline, the publisher knows that the novel is a thriller with science fiction aspects. The objective is clear; we know what goal the main character has to achieve. The logline is intriguing and the concept sounds exciting. Remember, it is the conflict that will sell the novel to the publisher.  Make your conflict stand out and let it transform your logline from a vague teaser to an engaging one that a publisher will love.