How a random thought became a story.

Five years ago today I posted a random idea as a status on facebook, it was just a random idea I'd woken up with.

"I don't have a problem with god, He sometimes visits my head and we have a natter. Sometimes Lucifer pops in too and we have a great time thinking up new punishments for those who use his name to spread lies and hatred.
P.S. He's looking forward to meeting all the atheists and going for a drink to discuss how He doesn't exist and then leaving them with the bar tab as He's not real."
Bob the barman.

Friends on Facebook were intrigued and in the comments I added a little more.

and Lucifer is a miss understood prison guard who never wanted the job in the first place as he refereed creative dance but his dad insisted he have a real job.

By that evening I had the beginning of the story written and my story John the Barman began to take shape, the bar based on my old local and the name of the barman changed to my friend who worked there.

The bar was small, dark and twenty years the wrong side of needing decorating. It consisted of a single long room with one side dominated by the wooden bar while on the other side threadbare bench seats made up three horseshoe snugs. As usual behind the bar was John, reading a newspaper as he waited the day’s customers to turn up. The place was officially one step above a dive but that was the way the regulars liked it, he kept the toilets relatively clean and there was usually toilet paper in the cubicles and the smell from the gents wasn’t too overpowering. On the other side of the stairs that led up to the entrance was an open space dominated by a pool table, the only item in the place that was kept in good condition. The windows on the other side of the table let in enough light to keep the place dingy which made the picture on the projection screen, above the toilet doors at the opposite end of the room, visible when he turned on the music channel that usually was on mute.
John heard the first of his customers come stamping up the stairs and didn’t need to look up to know who it was. As the customer sat down on a bar stool before him John absently grabbed a bottle of brown ale from the shelf next to his chair and flicked off the lid on the bar mounted bottle opener.
“Good night at the nut house?” John enquired placing the bottle on the bar, still not looking up.
“I so hate my job, we had a load of new arrivals during the night and had a hell of a job finding accommodation for them all. I’m sure Peter is getting more choosy on who he lets in so sends them over to me as he can’t be bothered to do proper background checks.” The customer replied in a weary voice before taking a long drink from the bottle before him.
“Anyone I would have heard of?” John asked finally looking up.
“Just a few lawyers, a minor politician and some old television presenter on an emergency transfer.” The customer said with disgust. “Why I always get the scumbags I don’t know.”
“Could be because you run Hell Lucifer, kind of goes with the job.” John answered picking up a DVD case. “Let me put this on for you, cheer you up a bit.”
“What is it?” Lucifer asked with interest.
“Riverdance, and before you ask yes it’s Michael Flatley dancing the lead.” John said with a grin that was returned by Lucifer.
“You’re a star, I loved this when it came out, cried my eyes out first time I saw it live.” Lucifer spun around on the stool to face the screen. John always spent time looking for anything to do with dancing as he knew Lucifer wanted to go to dance school but his Father had forbidden it. He heard there had been a big fight that ended with Lucifer sent off to run hell. He was a nice guy but so misunderstood because of his job as head jailer for his Father. Finding a few DVD’s was the least John could do to try and cheer the fallen angel up.

This became one of my best selling short stories and the first story I posted to steemit, the tale of a bar where angels and demons got to relax after a hard days work.