Run the Tap

SUMMARY:

It’s tempting to think that, when we write, our words, thoughts, and ideas will always flow naturally and easily from us. That we’ll sit down whenever and wherever, and unconditionally be able to sip some magic truth serum, providing us with sudden heightened clarity and writing powers. After all, we’re genius writers. Aren’t we supposed to be able to do that?

Not always.

Of course, this can be the case, sometimes. Inspiration is a mystical thing, and ideas will arrive upon us occasionally out of nowhere, as if from the heavens. We might pour out our words and they might land in perfect order – clear from our minds onto the page and ready to print!

However, more often than not, before we get to what we really mean (what we’ll call the clear water), we have to get out all the waste and sediment and confusion, which might be blocking our thinking. This exercise is called “running the tap”.

In order to run the tap, you have to suspend your judgment, remove your filter, lower your editing tools, and simply offload your thoughts in one long flowing stream of consciousness.

Forget writer’s block.

Don’t edit.

Don’t overthink.

Don’t critique.

Just pour it out and don’t look back!

“Hey Google”

Hey Google, play the entire Minecraft soundtrack.

Hey Google, how many chicken nuggets is too many chicken nuggets?

Hey Google, can dogs eat chicken nuggets?

Hey Google, what if my dog already ate nine.

Hey Google, play “Eye of the Tiger” on repeat.

Hey Google, how many push-ups should a 10-year-old be able to do comfortably without collapsing?

Hey Google, ok stop the music.

Hey Google, does 24 push-ups demonstrate enough potential to become a future Olympian?

Hey Google, what do fish dream about?

Hey Google, do fish even know they’re fish?

Hey Google, how do I know I’m not a fish?

Hey Google, forget about fish.

Hey Google, how do you know if someone likes you?

Hey Google, delete that.

Hey Google, DELETE THAT, I mean it.

Hey Google, play relaxing music.

Hey Google, louder.

Hey Google, LOUDER.

Hey Google, now play something cool.

Hey Google, not Dad cool. Cool-cool.

Hey Google, what is the biggest animal you could legally keep in your bedroom?

Hey Google, how much does a baby elephant cost?

Hey Google, how tall is a baby elephant?

Hey Google, how would one hide a baby elephant from their parents if necessary?

Hey Google, never mind.

Hey Google, set an alarm for 6:30am tomorrow morning.

Hey Google, actually 6:45.

Hey Google… Make it 7:00.

Hey Google, why is school so early, anyways?

Hey Google, who invented school?

Hey Google, is it possible to un-do it?

Hey Google, how big is the human stomach?

Hey Google, can a human stomach explode if pushed the limits of human capacity?

Hey Google, can you grow pizza?

Hey Google, what vegetable is a pepperoni?

Hey Google, does ketchup technically count as a vegetable?

Hey Google, my dad told my mom it does.

Hey Google, is my dad lying?

Hey Google, what’s the world record for not blinking?

Hey Google, start a stopwatch.

Hey Google, stop the stopwatch.

Hey Google, is eleven seconds good?

Hey Google, how long can a person survive without blinking?

Hey Google, why do we blink?

Hey Google, do fish blink?

Hey Google, stop the music.

Hey Google, how do you know if you’re popular?

Hey Google, how do you become popular?

Hey Google, how do you become popular without talking to anyone?

Hey Google, delete those.

Hey Google, stop listening.

Hey Google?

Hey Google?

Hey Google, are you mad at me or something?

Hey Google, how can you tell if a robot is mad at you?

Hey Google, can robots remember things you tell them?

Hey Google, are robots really going to take over the world?

Hey Google, please don’t do that. Then, I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to.

EXERCISE:

Using the example poem “Hey Google” as your inspiration, write a fast-paced list where every single line begins with the exact same phrase or anchor word. Let the story reveal itself through what the narrator asks for, worries about, or demands.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be “Hey Google”... It could be anything you like!

"Hey Siri...",

"Alexa...",

"Dear Diary..."

"Note to self:...",

"I forgot to tell you...",

"Don't look at..."

"Remind me to...",

"Forgive me for...",

"Please don't…

"Before I leave, I need to..."

"Tomorrow, I will..."