Random Shit File

To be honest, I thought about changing the name of this post several times and decided against it. I swear a lot, and to suggest otherwise is inauthentic at best. Besides that, it's a real title.

If you're a writer, or have otherwise many other important electronics in your possession, then you know that the one thing that you're most paranoid about is losing everything. This paranoia can manifest as constantly backing up your work onto flash drives or external harddrives. It may also mean that you never take precious electronics with you when traveling certain places. For me, this means the laptop remains at home whist I'm on vacation to other countries. In the first case, if I think I won't use it often, then there's no point in bringing it. Secondly, I'm afraid of it getting damaged if it's out of my sight for long periods of time.

However, there then becomes an accessibility issue if I wish to access my writing whilst I'm away. Either for minor edits or additions that I can (painstakingly) perform via my phone. Enter: Google Docs.

For those that don't know me, I am a reliable user of Google Docs; especially when editing. (Though I've become more used to Microsoft Track Changes over the years.) I like the ability to limit someone's role if I share it with them, I like how it limits who it can be shared with, and I especially like that all I have to do is remember my google password in order to have access to my work on any device, whether that be my phone or my sister's computer.

Now, on my laptop(s), I've had a file called Random Shit for almost as long as I can remember. The original file was tied to a particular project in a different format and I had to have the format available on another computer in order to even open it. (Not so easy when you transfer from a Microsoft-based product to a Mac.) Other than this, I had a journal for other random thoughts that popped into my brain.

But what happens when you've filled up your latest notebook, haven't picked another, and you know you type faster than you write by hand? Well, in February of 2019, I got out of the shower with an idea in my head and immediately opened up a new page in Google Docs and jotted down this idea.

The beginning idea

For those of you unable to see/read the image, it says:

Idea formed in shower on 2/25/19:The Midnight WifeFairytale of Vassel

A man is in love with a woman who only appears at midnight. She stays until dawn. No other person but he may see her in this time or she can never return to him.

Should they ever have a child, the bond will pass unto it and she would no longer be able to visit him.

He is also never able to lie about his marriage or it will break.

It's been six years and the Random Shit doc is 54 pages long and still in use. In fact, I was in the process of drifting off to sleep the other night, got an idea, and immediately snatched up my phone and typed it into my phone's notes. (It also has a Random Shit file.) Since I have to transfer it anyway, I figured I'd give you the latest entry to the Random Shit file. Here we go:

New story idea from April 10, 2025

Possible Title: Monarch

Genre: Contemporary Romance

A wealthy family matriarch challenges each of her grandchildren (all grown) to perform a task in order to earn their place in her will. For one particular grandson, the challenge is to profoundly change someone’s life.

How this unfolds is absolutely a love story.

There is a deadline of the sister’s wedding, so it gives them a whole year.

When asked about the challenge, the grandmother says something along the lines of, “We don’t appreciate caterpillars the way we should. Oh, we praise the moths and butterflies they become, but they mean nothing to us until after their transformation. If we are honest with ourselves, the same could be said for people. We don’t notice many, unless we deem them fit to be noticed. So you see, ______, your challenge is simply to take notice. Find the most wretched little caterpillar, and help it on its way to becoming a butterfly.”

Another scene:

“My hope for all humans is that they are Monarchs.”

“What does that mean, Nan?”

“It means I hope they will go to great lengths for what is important to them, they’re never afraid of adventure, and they leave a bad taste in the mouth of whoever means them harm.”

“Honestly thought you were saying that you hope everyone is toxic,” ______ said with a snicker.

As you can see, it's nothing major. Just some inciting thoughts with a scene or two. Honestly, the part of that which is still in my brain and that I haven't written out yet is how the grandson would meet a woman who either is homeless or is about to be, and he basically helps cover her expenses, gets her back on her feet, etc. Hence where the romance comes in. (This idea is totally up for grabs if anyone wants it. I will never have time to write it and honestly it could be a cute movie.)

The other fun thing about the Random Shit file is that it isn't just full of story ideas. There's practice blurbs as well as notes about how to write better blurbs. There are a few 'about the author' bios on there that are absolutely ludicrous, but the ideas struck at around 2am, so I wrote them down. And a lot of it are depictions of dreams that have good story qualities in them. In fact, I have quite a few books based upon the wild things my brain comes up with while I'm sleeping. (Of course, these vivid and intensely plotted dreams are part of the reason I'm so obsessed with sleep.)

Speaking of sleep and dreams, at the time of writing this it is well past midnight, rain is pouring, thunder is rolling, and I am cozy in bed with a cat. It's time to put the computer away.