Oțoiu made his debut in 1986 with the massive novel The heart of the Matter or Dancing with the Flayed "(Coaja lucrurilor sau Dansând cu Jupuita)" (Cartea Româneasca publishers; second edition: Paralela 45, 2002). This was the first Romanian book to have been awarded both The Debut Award of the Writers' Union of Romania (USR) and the Book of the Year Award of the rival Association of Professional Writers of Romania (ASPRO). Previously it had been awarded the "Mașina de scris" award granted to the year's best unpublished manuscript. The novel was compared by critics to James Joyce's Ulysses.