After writing for four hours, the writer called his wife and told her he would read out to her what he had written so far. He coughed, asked her to sit down and then in a loud voice started reading. "Once upon a time," he began, " there was a writer who wanted to write a book, but didn't have the faintest idea what he wanted to write the book about. He sat down at his writing desk with a writing pad in front of him and a pencil in his hand and thought for a moment. "All good stories begin with 'Once upon a time'," he said to himself, so he wrote down these four words, adding 'there was' after a little thought. "'There was' what?" he wondered, and decided to write a book about a writer, which is what he was himself. This writer also, he thought, could have trouble thinking what to write about, so he wrote this down and read what he had written, which was - "Once upon a time there was a writer who wanted to write a book, but didn't have the faintest idea what he wanted to write the book about." The writer thought again, trying to imagine what the character would have done next, and decided the following sentence would be - "He sat down at his writing desk with a writing pad in front of him and a pencil in his hand and thought for a moment." The writer stopped writing. Now that the character had "thought for a moment" he would have to have something for him to think about. "Ah!" said the writer, "He could think about how the story should start, just like I did. So I'll make the next sentence - ' "All good stories begin with 'Once upon a time'," he said to himself, so he wrote down these four words, adding 'there was' after a little thought." Then perhaps the writer could think, "'There was' what?" so he wrote this down. The whole sentence was as follows: "'There was' what?" he wondered, and decided to write a book about a writer, which is what he was himself." This set his mind working quickly and he wrote another, longer sentence: "This writer also, he thought, could have trouble thinking what to write about, so he wrote this down and read what he had written, which was - 'Once upon a time there was a writer who wanted to write a book, but didn't have the faintest idea what he wanted to write the book about.'" Then the writer would probably try to imagine what his character would have done next, so our friend wrote down these words: "The writer thought again, trying to imagine what the character would have done next, and decided the following sentence would be - 'He sat down at his writing desk with a writing pad in front of him and a pencil in his hand and thought for a moment.'" This was going well now, and without stopping he continued with the next couple of sentences, which were - "The writer stopped writing. Now that the character had 'thought for a moment' he would have to have something for him to think about. 'Ah!' said the writer, 'He could think about how the story should start, just like I did. So I'll make the next sentence - "'All good stories begin with "Once upon a time",' he said to himself, so he wrote down these four words, adding "there was" after a little thought.'" Then the writer thought that the writer he was writing about could think that the writer he was writing about could think "'There was' what?" so he wrote this down. The whole sentence was as follows: "'There was' what?" he wondered, and decided to write a book about a writer, which is what he was himself." So what do you think of the story so far?"
His wife looked at him sadly. "It's the stupidest story I've ever heard," she said, "and it really makes me wonder why I ever married you."
"How about this then. I'll put you into the story. Listen to this: 'After writing for four hours, the writer called his wife and told her he would read out to her what he had written so far. He coughed, asked her to sit down and then in a loud voice started reading. "Once upon a time," he began, " there was a writer who wanted to write a book, but didn't have the faintest idea what he wanted to write the book about. He sat down at his writing desk with a writing pad in front of him and a pencil in his hand and thought for a moment. "All good stories begin with 'Once upon a time'," he said to himself, so he wrote down these four words, adding 'there was' after a little thought. "'There was' what?" he wondered, and decided to write a book about a writer, which is what he was himself. This writer also, he thought, could have trouble thinking what to write about, so he wrote this down and read what he had written, which was - "Once upon a time there was a writer who wanted to write a book, but didn't have the faintest idea what he wanted to write the book about." The writer thought again, trying to imagine what the character would have done next, and decided the following sentence would be - "He sat down at his writing desk with a writing pad in front of him and a pencil in his hand and thought for a moment." The writer stopped writing. Now that the character had "thought for a moment" he would have to have something for him to think about. "Ah!" said the writer, "He could think about how the story should start, just like I did. So I'll make the next sentence - ' "All good stories begin with 'Once upon a time'," he said to himself, so he wrote down these four words, adding 'there was' after a little thought." Then perhaps the writer could think, "'There was' what?" so he wrote this down. The whole sentence was as follows: "'There was' what?" he wondered, and decided to write a book about a writer, which is what he was himself." This set his mind working quickly and he wrote another, longer sentence: "This writer also, he thought, could have trouble thinking what to write about, so he wrote this down and read what he had written, which was - 'Once upon a time there was a writer who wanted to write a book, but didn't have the faintest idea what he wanted to write the book about.'" Then the writer would probably try to imagine what his character would have done next, so our friend wrote down these words: "The writer thought again, trying to imagine what the character would have done next, and decided the following sentence would be - 'He sat down at his writing desk with a writing pad in front of him and a pencil in his hand and thought for a moment.'" This was going well now, and without stopping he continued with the next couple of sentences, which were - "The writer stopped writing. Now that the character had 'thought for a moment' he would have to have something for him to think about. 'Ah!' said the writer, 'He could think about how the story should start, just like I did. So I'll make the next sentence - "'All good stories begin with "Once upon a time",' he said to himself, so he wrote down these four words, adding "there was" after a little thought.'" Then the writer thought that the writer he was writing about could think that the writer he was writing about could think "'There was' what?" so he wrote this down. The whole sentence was as follows: "'There was' what?" he wondered, and decided to write a book about a writer, which is what he was himself." So what do you think of the story so far?" His wife looked at him sadly. "It's the stupidest story I've ever heard," she said, "and it really makes me wonder why I ever married you." How about that then?'
His wife rolled her eyes and walked quietly out of the room.