Experimenting with new styles

I’ve been trying to do some work on a new novel. I really would like to do something more serious rather than action oriented, but the switch is not easy. The story often feels slow and bland compared to what came before. It’s like simmering a pot of water over a long time rather than boiling then cooling boiling then cooling. It’s going to take some time to get used to.

I had started on the first chapter of the novel, but trying to go from where I left off has been tough for the second chapter and I’m questioning if I’ve told too much of the story rather than letting people see it in the first. It might be that I’m rushing the story to try and keep it busy in the way my fantasy stories are.
I think I’m going to experiment with some short story writing in different style that I can use to figure out how I want to write.

Has anyone else had much experience changing styles? Can anyone give me some advice?