" I've been challenged by Winamop to write a short story. But I
don't know how to write a short story or what to write a short story
about."
"Write a short story about writing a short story and then you'll
find out how to write one."
"But that would be boring."
"It's not boring so far."
"But surely something has to happen in a story or it isn't a
story?"
"Yes, there has to be a surprise."
"What happens in a story is a surprise?"
"The surprise in this story would be that you discover you've
written a short story."
"You mean this one?"
"Yes."
"But I haven't written it. You have."
"That's the surprise that makes the story."
"Well, it's a cheat."
"All plots are cheats. Life doesn't have plots. It has events
and irony and they make stories."
"And this story has those?"
"Great Horps! So it has!"