I keep my ideas for stories with me like a pouch full of interesting stones I collect during my walks.
When I get home, I load them all into a rock tumbler, add abrasive, and let the drum turn for a few hours.
I stop the drum, and pour it out on the table.
The surviving stones have had the rough edges knocked off of them, and one or two are nice and shiny.
And the rest have been pulverized to grit and dust.
Not all is lost, because they will serve as the abrasive for other ideas I have.