Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Make Any Book Better Instantly

This is topic Make Any Book Better Instantly in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-22-2017, 03:44 PM:

quote:

Adding "And Then The Murders Began" As The Second Sentence Of Any Book Makes It Instantly Better

By @Alfie Powell

Starting off a new book is no mean feat. Some people recommend you something that you might want to read and usually say the same thing every time, “it starts off a bit slow but it gets so good. Trust me”. But who wants to start a book boringly?

It would be handy if there was a handy little way to make a book’s intro immediately interesting. And hey, you know what? There is!

Marc Laidlaw came up with a very efficient way to make sure every book is a good one using just one sentence…

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Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw

quote:
The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, "And then the murders began."
10:37 PM - 2 Mar 2017
4,404 4,404 Retweets 7,783 7,783 likes

Genius. But does it work?

Elizabeth Meg @Scranshums

quote:
One sunny Sunday, the caterpillar was hatched out of a tiny egg. He was very hungry. And then the murders began.
#LaidlawsRule
4:15 AM - 3 Mar 2017
131 131 Retweets 223 223 likes

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Neil Gaiman ✔ @neilhimself

quote:
No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine. And then the murders began.
3:17 AM - 3 Mar 2017
290 290 Retweets 1,439 1,439 likes

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Darryl Daugherty @DarrylDaugherty

quote:
He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone 84 days without taking a fish. And then the murders began.
…
2:26 AM - 3 Mar 2017
13 13 Retweets 18 18 likes

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Kyle Treasure @KyleTreasure

quote:
Mr & Mrs Dursley, of number 4, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. And then the murders began.
…
9:39 AM - 3 Mar 2017
674 674 Retweets 1,543 1,543 likes

Damon Young @damonayoung

quote:
“I wonder what Piglet is doing," thought Pooh. And then the murders began.
…
4:42 AM - 3 Mar 2017
1,914 1,914 Retweets 3,401 3,401 likes

It also works for the Bible. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And then the murders began."

So yeah, it does work.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 03-22-2017, 08:08 PM:

And the first sentence is:

"It was a dark and stormy night...."

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 03-22-2017, 09:13 PM:

"Call me Ishmael.
And then the murders began."

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 03-23-2017, 12:51 AM:

First Witch
When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

Second Witch
When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.

Third Witch
That will be ere the set of sun.

First Witch
Where the place?

Second Witch
Upon the heath.

Third Witch
There to meet with Macbeth.

First Witch
Then the murders shalt beginneth.