I hear that tossed around a lot - the idea that there is a book within yourself that you are too afraid to write. I thought it was my last manuscript, MEANTIME, ELSEWHERE until I read a book hauntingly beautiful and I wondered if I had it in me to write in a similar way. More literary, I suppose. Most everything I write is full of my kind of humor with dark themes, but is definitely more concept or commercial than it is literary.
So, I gave it a go and wrote MONSTERS SYNONYMOUS. Honestly, I think it's the best thing I've ever done. It was so hard to write it, but the challenge of it pushed me in ways I never imagined. It is also -quite ironically- the fastest I have ever written a book. Even though I'm aware literary books aren't as popular as commercial, I don't regret doing it. I feel like it opened up a whole new world for my writing by doing it. I look forward to writing my next one, and entertain the idea of rewriting older stuff. Yes, I'm sort of nutty like that.
Anyhoo, any of you ever tried this? Going so outside your familiar and comfortable territory - be it writing or entertainment or anything - and discovered this whole new world you'd been missing out on?
