So I was re-reading Today We Choose Faces (by Roger Zelazny, one of my favorite authors, probably best known for his Chronicles of Amber series and for Lord of Light). In it, there are vast city spaces-in-a-single-building, connected by slidewalks and existing on many worlds. And so the little story idea/sphinx looked up at me and said "Imagine a house of many doors."

Little did I imagine that house of many doors has other meanings, but it immediately evoked in me an image of a vast, endless interdimensional house, calling to mind the Avengers HQ that Hank Pym created (Marvel) and Doctor Fate's home (DC), which has some spaces that are very Escher-like.

Now, I already have a 2013 NaNo novel idea I've been chipping away at, but sphinxes are persistent and a little scary (don't let them see you're afraid). So I'm thinking of all the dark adventures that could occur in such a house (yes, Rowling's Hogwarts had shifting staircases; and Howl's Moving Castle had a door that could open in different cities; still, it isn't the base idea but what you do with it to make it your own). The faint glimmer of characters start shimmering in the corner shadows... Or are those the eyes of other sphinxes?

It can be tempting to follow a sphinx... but I will likely just jot down some notes and file the idea away for later...

What do you do when other story ideas come visiting?

I usually let them take over, tugging me down the rabbit hole with them. Its fun

I have a word document of nearly every story idea I came up from the last few years. Whenever I get a new idea (and especially during NaNoWriMo time), I it down along with the date. Then every so often I open it up and read through it to see if there's anything worth expanding upon.

Personally, I don't like to write novellas/novels using an idea that has been simmering in my head for less than a year. I need time to learn the characters, world build, plot, and most importantly, to learn if I really like the idea or if the idea is more like a one night stand.

Thanks for the advice! I had a dream last night about the House. And a character (Chase) emerged, a lone boy wandering the (haunted) halls of a very strange and changing House.

• There is no outside. There are doors that lead outside, but everything that is outside is really inside the House...
• Ghosts and other creatures wander the halls but Chase very much feels that he is the only one in the House.

I will have to see whether this idea continues to grow or if it will leave my current NaNo idea in peace (you can't let them see you're afraid).