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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/34690
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/34690
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Neil Gaiman said "[Make good art](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI)." In the same speech he says:

> The moment that you feel that just possibly you're walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself - that's the moment you may be starting to get it right.

and

> The things I've done that worked the best were the things I was the least certain about; the stories I was sure would either work, or more likely be the kind of embarrassing failures that people would gather together and discuss until the end of time.

Which would answer, I think, both aspects of your question. Yes, write past your defences, and yes, stretch your comfort zone. How would you grow as an artist, if you stay forever in the narrow circle of what you've done before, and know you can repeat? How do you expect to touch others with your literature, if you don't let it get past your defences, don't let it touch you?

And finally, don't go looking for "the next bestseller". To quote Neil Gaiman yet again,

> Don't write books just for the money. If you don't get the money, then you don't have anything. If you do work you're proud of, and you don't get the money, at least you'd have the work.

Original score: 6