“I can't think of a story that doesn't have something terrible in it. Otherwise, it's dull. So when I embarked into the world of picture books, my first thought was to do something about the dark.” ThinkingWorldFirstsI CanBookStoriesDarkTerribleDullPicture Books Author:Daniel Handler
“I'd written my first novel for adults, which was called Basic Eight and was set in a high school, and we were having a devil of a time selling it. It ended up in the hands of an editor of a children's publishing house, for which it was entirely inappropriate. She said, "Well, we can't publish this, but I think you should write something for children," which I thought was a really terrible idea.” ThinkingShouldWritingFirstsWellsChildrenSaidIdeasHandsSchoolHouseNovelWrittenTerribleHigh SchoolDevilAdultsEightSellingEditorsPublishingPublishInappropriatePublishing House Author:Daniel Handler
“I'd finished the first two [books] and they were going to to be published, and [editor] said, "We need you to write a summary that will drive people to these books." And it took forever. I couldn't think of a thing to say. I looked at the back of other children's books that were full of giddy praise and corny rhetorical questions, you know, "Will she have a better time at summer camp than she thinks?" "How will she escape from the troll's dungeon?" All these terrible, terrible summaries of books, and I just couldn't.” PeopleThinkingKnowsNeedsWritingFirstsChildrenSaidTwoBookForeverTerribleSummerPraiseFinishedEditorsCampsCornyNeed YouChildren's BooksDungeonsTrollRhetoricalSummaryGiddySummer CampRhetorical Question Author:Daniel Handler
“The Basic Eight and Watch Your Mouth both have first-person voices, and I ended up investigating those voices and investing so much in them that I think many people took them more seriously than they ought to have.” PeopleThinkingFirstsPersonsVoiceWatchesOughtMouthsInvestingEightFirst PersonInvestigating Author:Daniel Handler
“I have this fantasy that the second movie would begin with a brief statement by all of the young actors who had played the children in the first movie, explaining how it had ruined their lives, so we would catch up with Emily Browning drinking heavily in the back of a burlesque bar, and maybe Liam Aiken would be living underneath a bridge, and then instead of the twins who played Sunny, we would just try to find the oldest woman in the world, and get an interview with her sitting in a trailer park.” WorldTryingFirstsChildrenWould BeYoungActorsFantasySittingDrinkingBarsStatementsBridgesInterviewsParksTwinsRuinedExplainingSunnyTrailersEmilyYoung ActorsLiamBurlesqueTrailer Park Author:Daniel Handler
“When it was first optioned, I was told that the chances of The Basic Eight becoming a film were slim because no one was making teen movies, and then later, I was told that the chances were slim because there were so many teen movies, and then I was later told that the chances were slim because teen films were over. I'm not sure when the magic window of opportunity was, but perhaps it's still on the horizon.” FirstsStillsFilmOpportunityChanceMagicBecomingWindowEightNot SureHorizonSlimWindow Of Opportunity Author:Daniel Handler
“I first told the idea to an editor I had met who, after reading one of my novels for adults that was set in a high school, had an idea that I might write something for children.” WritingFirstsChildrenIdeasMightSchoolReadingNovelMetsHigh SchoolAdultsEditors Author:Daniel Handler
“When I was researching my very first novel, "The Basic Eight," I was calling right-wing political and religious organizations and asking them to mail me their material so that I could mock them in my novels.” FirstsPoliticalReligiousNovelMaterialsCallingOrganizationAskingWingsEightMailRight WingMock Author:Daniel Handler
“Lemony Snicket. Now, I'm told - the books, of course, starting from the very first one, became hugely popular, selling millions and millions. And I understand that when you used to go around to talk to your very young fans, you would appear as Lemony Snicket's representative or agent.” FirstsBookYoungUsedCoursesMillionsFansStartingSellingAgentsRepresentativesSnicket Author:Daniel Handler
“I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong.” IfsKnowsFirstsImpressionUnfortunateFirst ImpressionUnfortunate EventsSeries Of Unfortunate EventsWrong Impression Author:Daniel Handler
“At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.” WorldFirstsBelieveLooksMayHardEnoughFactsSeemsMightStepsJourneyEventsSeriesHard TimesFirst StepsUnfortunateSinisterUnfriendlySnicketUnfortunate EventsSeries Of Unfortunate Events Author:Daniel Handler
“A long time ago, there was no such thing as school, and children spent their days learning a trade, a phrase which here means "standing around doing tedious tasks under the instruction of a bossy adult." In time, however, people realized that the children could be allowed to sit, and the first school was invented.” PeopleFirstsMeanChildrenLongSchoolLong TimeAdultsStandingTasksTradePhrasesInstructionLong Time AgoTediousBossy Author:Daniel Handler
“I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong. You can look at a painting for the first time, for example, and not like it at all, but after looking at it a little longer you may find it very pleasing. The first time you try Gorgonzola cheese you may find it too strong, but when you are older you may want to eat nothing but Gorgonzola cheese. Klaus, when Sunny was born, did not like her at all, but by the time she was six weeks old the two of them were thick as thieves. Your initial opinion on just about anything may change over time.” IfsKnowsWantTryingFirstsLooksMayLittlesTwoStrongBornOpinionWeekExamplePaintingSixFirst TimeImpressionThickThievesCheeseInitialsSunnyLike HerFirst ImpressionChanges Over Time Author:Daniel Handler
“For Beatrice, when we first met, I was lonely, and you were pretty. Now I am pretty lonely.” FirstsMetsLonelyI Am Pretty Author:Daniel Handler
“and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.” FirstsMayFactsSeemsMightStepsJourneyEventsSeriesFirst StepsUnfortunateUnfriendlyUnfortunate EventsSeries Of Unfortunate Events Author:Daniel Handler
“What should we call him?" Klaus asked. "You should call him Dr. Montgomery," Mr. Poe replied, "unless he tells you to call him Montgomery. Both his first and last names are Montgomery, so it doesn't make much difference." "His name is Montgomery Montgomery?" Klaus said, smiling. "Yes, and I'm sure he's very sensitive about that, so don't ridicule him," Mr. Poe said, coughing again into his handkerchief.” ShouldFirstsSaidLastsNamesDifferencesSensitiveDrsRidiculeMontgomeryFirsts And LastsHandkerchiefsCoughing Author:Daniel Handler
“The expression "following suit" is a curious one, because it has nothing to do with walking behind a matching set of clothing. If you follow suit, it means you do the same thing somebody else has just done. If all of your friends decided to jump off a bridge into the icy waters of an ocean or river, for instance, and you jumped in right after them, you would be following suit. You can see why following suit can be a dangerous thing to do, because you could end up drowning simply because somebody else thought of it first.” IfsFirstsMeanEndsDoneWould BeWaterBehindsDangerousExpressionWalkingOceanRiversDecidedFollowingInstanceSuitsCuriousBridgesThings To DoClothingsDrowningDangerous ThingsIcyMatchingSuits You Author:Daniel Handler
“If you don’t care about something, one way to demonstrate your feelings is to say the word and then repeat the word with the letters S-C-H-M replacing the first letters. Somebody who didn’t care about dentists, for instance could say ‘Dentist, schmentists.” IfsWayFirstsFeelingsCareLettersDon't CareInstanceOne WayRepeatsDentist Author:Daniel Handler
“I opened my mouth and kissed you then, the first time all night, attacked you and surrendered completely, and let’s get out of here. I’m ready, I’m finished, let’s not break up, no, no. Take me home, my boyfriend, my love.” FirstsHomeNightBreakReadyMouthsFirst TimeFinishedTake MeAll NightMy Boyfriend Book:Why We Broke Up Source: Why We Broke Up
“There's an easy method for finding someone when you hear them scream. First get a clean sheet of paper and a sharp pencil. Then sketch out nine rows of fourteen squares each. Then throw the piece of paper away and find whoever is screaming so you can help them. It is no time to fiddle with paper.” FirstsHelpingEasyPiecesPaperFindingsMethodCleanNineSquaresScreamSheetsPencilsFourteenFiddleFinding SomeoneSharp Pencils Author:Daniel Handler
“Sometime during your life—in fact, very soon—you may find yourself reading a book, and you may notice that a book’s first sentence can often tell you what sort of story your book contains.” FirstsMayBookFactsStoriesReadingSentencesFinding Yourself Author:Daniel Handler
“Do the scary thing first, and get scared later.” FirstsInspirationScaredScaryScary Things Author:Daniel Handler
“Just about everybody has written a first novel that they throw away before writing their actual first novel.” WritingFirstsNovelWritten Author:Daniel Handler
