New Ideas.

I love the scent of a new idea, like a shark enjoys going after chum.

Okay, maybe that was a slightly disturbing and disgusting analogy. All the same, I’m rather fond of new ideas.  I like the excitement of fleshing them out, discovering hidden secrets and idiosyncrasies of personalities.   It’s almost more fun than working with familiar, tried and true characters.  

Almost.

It’s the difference between taking a vacation somewhere new where you have the chance to explore everything.  And going on a trip somewhere you’ve been a hundred times, it’s familiar, enjoyable and comforting, but none of the adrenaline rush of the unknown.

When I’m working on a new idea, I usually keep a Scrivener project open to jot down ideas and thoughts.  I spend time on Pinterest looking for the perfect reference for what the characters look like, where they live, what clothes they were, what food they eat, even the types of tattoos they might have.  I might not share all the details in the story, but it helps cement who the character is and what their world is like in my head.

What do you do with your new ideas?  Or do you prefer working with the familiar?