This is What Happened

Stephen King writes eloquently here (and in another less-publicized essay titled "Great Hookers I Have Known") about the power of great first lines. Look, his introductory line to the supremely underrated The Mist is still one of the very best you'll find in literature, and it's been recycled probably dozens of times. Here it is:

This is what happened.

I love it. Absolutely have to push forward with that one, if nothing else than for its stark ambiguity. If you love stories, the dare is right there.

Come with me, that line says. Let's get to the bottom of this...