we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story   
                Joint Writing 
 
   Remember the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"?
 
   Well, here's a prime example offered by an English professor
   at Southern Methodist University, English 44A, SMU, Creative
   Writing,  Prof. Miller.
 
   In-class Assignment for Wednesday:
 
   "Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem
   story. The process is simple.  Each person will pair off with
   the person sitting to his or her immediate right. One of you
   will then write the first paragraph of a short story.  The
   partner will read the first paragraph and then add another
   paragraph to the story.  The first person will then add a third
   paragraph, and so on back and forth.  Remember to re-read what
   has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent.
   The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached."
 
   "The following was actually turned in by two of my English
   students:
   Rebecca - last name deleted, and Gary - last name deleted."
 
   ---------------------------------------------------------------
   STORY:  (first paragraph by Rebecca)
 
   At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted.
   The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings
   at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in
   happier times, that he liked chamomile.  But she felt she must
   now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl.  His possessiveness
   was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her
   asthma started acting up again.  So chamomile was out of the
   question.
 
   -----------------------------------------------------------
 
   Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack
   squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things
   to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo
   named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year
   ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic
   communicator.  "Polar orbit established.  No sign of resistance so
   far..." But before he could sign off a bluish particle beam flashed
   out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. 
   The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across
   the cockpit.
 
   ----------------------------------------------------------
 
   He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not 
   before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically 
   brutalizing the one  woman who had ever had feelings for him. 
   Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards 
   the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. 
   "Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel," 
   Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news  simultaneously 
   excited  her and bored her. She stared out the  window, dreaming 
   of her youth-when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, 
   with no newspapers to read, no television to distract her
   from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things
   around  her.  
   "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?"  she
   pondered wistfully.
 
   ---------------------------------------------------------
 
   Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live.
   Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership
   launchedthe first of its lithium fusion missiles.  
   The dim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral 
   Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through Congress had left Earth a 
   defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined
   to destroy the human race. 
   Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian 
   ships were on course for  Earth,carrying enough firepower to 
   pulverize the entire planet. With no  one to stop them, they 
   swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. 
   The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. 
   The President, in his  top-secret mobile submarine headquarters 
   on the ocean floor off the  coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably 
   massive explosion which  vaporized Laurie and 85 million other 
   Americans. 
   The President slammed  his fist on the conference table.  
   "We can't allow this!  I'm going to veto that treaty!  
   Let's blow 'em out of the sky!"
 
   ----------------------------------------------------------
 
   This is absurd.  I refuse to continue this mockery of literature.
   My  writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic semi-literate
   adolescent.
 
   ----------------------------------------------------------
 
   Yeah?  Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts
   at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium.
 
   ----------------------------------------------------------
 
   Asshole.
 
    ----------------------------------------------------------
 
   Bitch.
 


 
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