Chasing Cyrano

That's your theme. Embroider it. Embroider it. So says Roxanne as Christian confesses his love without the help of Cyrano.

This is the distinct phase which I am entering. For events like NaNoWriMo the goal is to get the story out. Commit the actions and the basic premise to the page. The prose is rough, at time choppy and bare. The second phase is the all important - Embroider!

I'll give you an example -

Before: She gritted her teeth only allowing herself a deep breath as the ice melted between her shoulder blades. Holding the crouch was making her left knee ache. After: She allowed herself only one shuddering breath as the ice melted between her shoulder blades. She wouldn't lose this opportunity, not to a handful of errant snow. Nor would she lose it to her stiffening left knee. She tried to shift her weight to relieve the strain.

Both are ways of presenting the same information to the reader. The first is bare bones. As you read it, listen to the meter of the words. Then compare that to the second version of the same information. There is a difference in the sense of the scene. Whereas the first telling was short and clipped, which is more appropriate to action - the second iteration takes a lower and quieter tone, as if the reader was also crouching in wait among the winter evergreens. For me this is one of the most enjoyable parts of the writing cycle. This is where I can explore the language and the nuances of a scene. I hear how the characters speak to one another, and to themselves. Personalities come forward and details are filled in. Personal quirks of the characters become visible. The first writing is the sketch. This phase is where two dimensions evolve into three.