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"And Then The Murders Began"

Added 7 years ago / Updated 22 days ago
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In case anyone decides to be pedantic, the first line is just words not a sentence.
!http://cdn.mspaintadventures.com/storyfiles/hs2/04286.gif!
Nicholas Pegg @NicholasPegg Follow The Mole had been working very hard all morning, spring-cleaning his little home. And then the murders began.' Yep Marc Laidlaw @marc laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETS LIKES 23 138
Eric Geller ericgeller et Follow 、 We the People of the United States...do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. And then the murders began Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETS LIKES 158 400
Kyle Treasure @Kyle Treasure + Follow 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. Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began.
Stig Abell @StigAbell + Follow "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And then the murders began." Marc Laidlaw @marc laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETSL 160 12:55 PM-3 Mar 2017 529
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About • Origin • Spread • Various Examples • Search Interest • External References • Recent Images

About

"And Then The Murders Began" refers to a series of tweets testing the theory that the first line of any story can be improved if its second sentence is changed to "And then the murders began."

Origin

On March 3rd, 2017, author Marc Laidlaw tweeted "The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, 'And then the murders began.'"[1] The tweet gained over 1,600 retweets and 347 replies.

Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw Follow The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, "And then the murders began." RETWEETSL 1,587 2,791 1:37 AM-3 Mar 2017

Spread

Twitter users were immediately enamored with Laidlaw's theory and began writing "And then the murders began" after famous first lines of literature. For example, @ldlapinski[2] applied it to the first line of Peter Rabbit and gained over 130 retweets (shown below).

L.D. Lapinski @ldlapinski Follow Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter. And then the murders began Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began.

Neil Gaiman dubbed the theory #LaidlawsLaw[3] when he paired it with the first line from Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The replies Laidlaw received were compiled into a Twitter Moment[4] that afternoon.

Various Examples

Neil Gaiman @neilhimself Follow Marley was dead: to begin with. And then the murders began Yup. @marc-la.dlaw #LaidlawsRule RETWEETS LIKES 49 400 6:13 AM-3 Mar 2017 4,94 t349 400
Damon Young @damonayoung et Follow 、 "I wonder what Piglet is doing," thought Pooh And then the murders began Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETSL LIKES 370 764
Stig Abell @StigAbell + Follow "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And then the murders began." Marc Laidlaw @marc laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETSL 160 12:55 PM-3 Mar 2017 529
Kyle Treasure @Kyle Treasure + Follow 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. Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began.
Eric Geller ericgeller et Follow 、 We the People of the United States...do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. And then the murders began Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETS LIKES 158 400
Nicholas Pegg @NicholasPegg Follow The Mole had been working very hard all morning, spring-cleaning his little home. And then the murders began.' Yep Marc Laidlaw @marc laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETS LIKES 23 138

Search Interest

Unavailable

External References

[1] Twitter – @marc_laidlaw

[2] Twitter – @ldlapinski

[3] Twitter – Neil Gaiman

[4] Twitter Moments – 'And then the murders began'

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"And Then The Murders Began"

"And Then The Murders Began"

Part of a series on Hashtag. [View Related Entries]

Updated Jan 29, 2025 at 07:24PM EST by LiterallyAustin.

Added Mar 03, 2017 at 02:46PM EST by Adam.

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About

"And Then The Murders Began" refers to a series of tweets testing the theory that the first line of any story can be improved if its second sentence is changed to "And then the murders began."

Origin

On March 3rd, 2017, author Marc Laidlaw tweeted "The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, 'And then the murders began.'"[1] The tweet gained over 1,600 retweets and 347 replies.


Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw Follow The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, "And then the murders began." RETWEETSL 1,587 2,791 1:37 AM-3 Mar 2017

Spread

Twitter users were immediately enamored with Laidlaw's theory and began writing "And then the murders began" after famous first lines of literature. For example, @ldlapinski[2] applied it to the first line of Peter Rabbit and gained over 130 retweets (shown below).


L.D. Lapinski @ldlapinski Follow Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter. And then the murders began Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began.

Neil Gaiman dubbed the theory #LaidlawsLaw[3] when he paired it with the first line from Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The replies Laidlaw received were compiled into a Twitter Moment[4] that afternoon.

Various Examples


Neil Gaiman @neilhimself Follow Marley was dead: to begin with. And then the murders began Yup. @marc-la.dlaw #LaidlawsRule RETWEETS LIKES 49 400 6:13 AM-3 Mar 2017 4,94 t349 400 Damon Young @damonayoung et Follow 、 "I wonder what Piglet is doing," thought Pooh And then the murders began Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETSL LIKES 370 764 Stig Abell @StigAbell + Follow "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And then the murders began." Marc Laidlaw @marc laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETSL 160 12:55 PM-3 Mar 2017 529 Kyle Treasure @Kyle Treasure + Follow 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. Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. Eric Geller ericgeller et Follow 、 We the People of the United States...do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. And then the murders began Marc Laidlaw @marc_laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETS LIKES 158 400 Nicholas Pegg @NicholasPegg Follow The Mole had been working very hard all morning, spring-cleaning his little home. And then the murders began.' Yep Marc Laidlaw @marc laidlaw The first line of almost any story can be improved by making sure the second line is, And then the murders began. RETWEETS LIKES 23 138

Search Interest

Unavailable

External References

[1] Twitter – @marc_laidlaw

[2] Twitter – @ldlapinski

[3] Twitter – Neil Gaiman

[4] Twitter Moments – 'And then the murders began'

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