8-Chapter Challenge

Story Logline and Pitch

Pitching is an opportunity to get your story looked at by Wattpad's content team. The pitch you submit for this challenge could lead to a discussion with one of Wattpad's story experts. 

Please note, that we are unable to provide feedback on your logline, pitch, or story. Only you will know the best approach as we are not familiar with your story. Take your time to practice and write a few examples to see what feels good for you.

How to pick a good story title?

Your title should be genre-appropriate and descriptive. For example, if you're writing a lighthearted contemporary romcom, a title like "The Devil's Damsel" isn't going to give the

reader the right idea as to what the story is about. Choose words that convey the overall feeling of your story.

How to write a good logline?

A logline is a one-sentence description of your story designed to quickly grab a reader's

attention. Think of an elevator pitch for your story.

A logline will generally contain the following elements: 

Protagonist + Inciting Incident + Protagonist's Goal + Central Conflict

> The Protagonist is the main character of the story

> The Inciting Incident is the moment that kicks off the plot

> The Protagonist's Goal is the thing the protagonist is trying to achieve

> The Central Conflict is the main problem or question the protagonist is trying to solve.

Try this formula as a way to get a feel for writing your logline:

When [Inciting Incident] happens, [Protagonist] must [action] in order to [Goal]

How to write a good summary to pitch?

Writing a good summary takes practice but it's an important tool in any writer's arsenal. We suggest you keep your summary pitch under 500 words and focus on the major plot beats of your story. It's okay if the story is still ongoing and in that example, think of it like the first season of a TV show, where there's an overarching plot that structures the season, but there's still room to keep going beyond that into Season 2 and onwards.

What are the major plot problems that arise from your Inciting Incident and how do they develop? The inciting incident is the moment when it all changes for the protagonist. This is considered to be a good place to start the story and hook the reader in the first chapter.

What are the major conflicts your characters are moving through, and why do those conflicts matter?

What are the conflicts and stakes that will be driving the plot forward over the course of your story?

We want to get to know your story engine and the Goals, Motivations, Conflicts, and Stakes

that keep the story moving. 

Things to keep in mind with a summary:

1. Do spoil things. We want to know what happens in your story!

2. Don't focus on backstory. While backstory may be important to your characters and the

reader experience, we want to focus on the story's present.

3. Do focus on the plot conflict. Character is important here, but we're looking to find out what happens here, not so much who it happens to.

You will need to submit a Logline and Pitch as part of your submission, failure to do so will result in your submission being excluded from entry.