Date:         Fri, 9 Jan 1998 09:36:25 EST
From: First Words Festival <mbarker@MIT.EDU>
Subject:      EXERCISE: Tell Me The Story!

From Change by Paul Watzlawick, John H. Weakland, Richard Fisch ISBN
0-393-01104-6

(p. 81) "...During one of the many nineteenth-century riots in Paris
the commander of an army detachment received orders to clear a city
square by firing at the _canaille_ (rabble).  He commanded his
soldiers to take up firing positions, their rifles levelled at the
crowd, and as a ghastly silence descended he drew his sword and
shouted at the top of his lungs: 'Mesdames, m'sieurs, I have orders to
fire at the _canaille_.  But as I see a great number of honest,
respectable citizens before me, I request that they leave so that I
can safely shoot the _canaille_.'  The square was empty in a few
minutes."

Take this scene, sketched so quickly in this paragraph.  Think about
some of the characters you might have, in the citizenry, in the
soldiers, and in the commands.  Think about the setting.

(you may even want to do some research into that era...)

Then show us this scene through your eyes, in detail.  Make it live!
Make us gasp as the soldiers point their guns right at us, and make
the tension sing as we wait for the commander to order them to fire.
And make us sigh with relief when disaster is averted...

Don't like Paris in the nineteenth century?  Translate that
plot...could this have happened in Vietnam (or another war/police
action)?  What about on a university campus during riots?  Or during
some other rioting, somewhere?  Set the scene, bring us to the brink
of death, and then..."would the honest, respectable folks please leave
so that I can safely shoot the criminals?"

Or perhaps you want to twist it a bit harder, and reapply the
principle to something even farther afield?  It's up to you.

just rewrite a few words...
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