My voice is changing...

No, I'm not a teenage boy. I mean my writing voice. Why is it happening, and how? Well, you may ask. It shocked the heck outta me!

My first finished manuscript is a contemporary paranormal so there are a few pop culture references (not so many as to date it - I hope), strong language, and sexual content. I've also injected a bit of dry humor and in one spot almost campy humor. What can I say? I'm eclectic.

The manuscript on which I am now working is a medieval paranormal. Everything is different with this one. First, the language is more formal. I left out the thees and thous, but included yeas and nays and it takes more words to say the same thing - they talked more flowery back then. Check it out - Shakespeare probably takes two sentences to say, "I gotta pee." Prithee good sir, where may I find a privy? My innards threaten to burst.

Sorry - I had to try it. But I digress...

The biggest difference I'm finding is how I write the love scenes. I always write sex graphic and hot. That hasn't changed. What has is the way I describe things. Body parts get described a bit more euphemistically. I wouldn't call it lyrical or purple prose, but it isn't contemporary either. As an intellectual exercise, noting the differences is fascinating.

For example I can not imagine using the word clitoris in any kind of historical romance, but especially not in a medieval. The term is too clinical and modern. Instead I used nub or nubbin. Now, happily the word cock was in use back then, but I have trouble imagining a lady knowing or using the term. I decided to have my lord use it to describe himself, but the heroine uses manhood. Yeah, I know...I don't like the word either...too flowery. Somehow it works here. Although on their wedding night, the hero introduces the heroine to his word. Once that happens she can scream it all night if she wants to...and she does. ;-)

Now that was a fun scene to write!