While at the gym this morning, I had an epiphany. An entire book popped into my head. Characters, plot, conflict. Opening scenes, turning points, big black moment, resolution. The entire thing. This has never happened to me before. Not with such utter clarity and well-developed GMC. The problem? It’s not the genre I write.

The book is paranormal. I write romantic suspense. Technically, the book would be paranormal romantic suspense because I can’t write a book without murder and mayhem, but it’s definitely paranormal. And if you can’t tell from the picture I uploaded here, it deals with one of my favorite topics: Greek Mythology.

I could see this being a series. If, of course, someone loved the first idea enough to take a chance on it. There are big possibilities here but I’m hesitant to mention it to my agent at this point. I need to mull it over more. Plus, it’s completely different from what I’m writing now. And I keep hearing over and over about “branding” as an author. Especially as a new author.

On the flip side, this could be the biggest form of avoidance behavior on the planet. I’m struggling through the wip. I love the idea, love the characters, but this book is KILLING me. It’s much more complicated than anything else I’ve ever written, bigger all around. At times I have these thoughts I should shelve it and work on it when I’m a better writer. And then I tell myself writing it will MAKE me a better writer. Such a conundrum.

My agent probably thinks I am the slowest writer on the planet. At this point, she’s not far off the mark.

And yet…this new paranormal idea continues to percolate in my head…

Anyone ever go through a similar situation? Are you writing in two genres or do you primarily stick with one?