Q: Years ago–the late ’70s or maybe ’80–’81 but no sooner—I read a flow chart that described how to write a country song..ie: my truck… my dead dog… ran away with my wife etc…
A: According to Jenny (see Comment link below), this appeared in the LA Times, not National Lampoon.
The L.A. Times jazz critic of the 1970’s wrote this flowchart.