After being kidnapped during a violent war, an innocent boy must find his way home.

For mine, your log line captures none of the compelling elements of this outline. There is plenty in it to hook the audience which could be used.

The soldiers come across several children and kill them, sparing one child - What made this one particular child special? Why was he/she singled out and spared?

He is taken and sold and then ?adopted? by a wealthy family - are these 3 separate events, or do you mean he is sold to a family who then consider it a form of adoption?

Eventually (as an adult) he searches out his family - how did he gain his independence? One moment he is essentially a captive child, next he is a free adult?

Essentially though, the original log line is too vague and contains none of the interesting elements of your proposed story.

Yes, ?the logline needs to be fleshed out with more details. ?How old is the boy? ?What is the setting, what war (or civiil war) in what time period? ?Why was he kidnapped? ?For ransom? To be used as slave labor? ?To be compelled to fight in the war?

Yes, ?the logline needs to be fleshed out with more details. ?How old is the boy? ?What is the setting, what war (or civiil war) in what time period? ?Why was he kidnapped? ?For ransom? To be used as slave labor? ?To be compelled to fight in the war?