# Dialogue Polish > Dedicated dialogue editing pass — ensures distinct character voices, subtext, natural rhythm, and correct dialogue-to-prose ratio. Runs AFTER prose-craft and BEFORE chaos-engine. - Skill: `felipelobomotta-blip/dialogue-polish` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add felipelobomotta-blip/dialogue-polish` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/felipelobomotta-blip/dialogue-polish/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: felipelobomotta-blip (https://skillmd.com/u/felipelobomotta-blip) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/felipelobomotta-blip/dialogue-polish --- # Dialogue Polish ## PURPOSE This skill performs a focused, dialogue-only editing pass on completed chapter drafts. It does NOT touch narrative prose, description, or internal monologue — only spoken dialogue and immediately surrounding dialogue mechanics (tags, beats, attribution). The goal: every line of dialogue in the manuscript should pass the **Cover-the-Name Test** — if you hide who is speaking, the reader can still identify the character from voice alone. ## WHEN TO RUN - **After:** prose-craft (the chapter draft exists) - **Before:** chaos-engine (chaos markers may adjust dialogue placement) - **Trigger:** Orchestrator calls this skill per-chapter or in batch after prose-craft completes a section - **Re-run:** After any major revision that rewrites dialogue-heavy scenes ## REQUIRED INPUTS 1. **Chapter draft** — the prose-craft output file (e.g., `chapters/chapter-03.md`) 2. **voice-dna.md** — must contain: - Character voice cards with speech patterns, vocabulary, verbal tics, sentence length preferences - Dialogue-to-prose ratio target for the genre - Any character-specific dialogue rules (e.g., "Marcus never uses contractions when angry") 3. **foundation.md** — for character profiles (wound, lie, want, need) to inform subtext decisions 4. **outline.md** — for the chapter's subtext layer definition ("surface conversation vs. REAL conversation") ## PROCESS ### PHASE 1: AUDIT (Read-only) Read the chapter and produce a diagnostic before making any changes. **1.1 Dialogue Ratio Check** - Count total words in chapter - Count words inside dialogue (between quotation marks) - Calculate dialogue-to-prose percentage - Compare against voice-dna.md target range - Flag if outside range: `RATIO_LOW` or `RATIO_HIGH` **1.2 Voice Distinctiveness Scan** For each conversation (2+ characters speaking), perform the Cover-the-Name Test: - Remove all attribution (names, tags, beats) - Read only the dialogue lines in sequence - For each line, attempt to identify the speaker from voice alone - Score: `DISTINCT` (immediately identifiable), `WEAK` (identifiable with effort), `INDISTINCT` (could be anyone) - Any `INDISTINCT` line is flagged for revision **1.3 Tag Audit** - Count instances of each dialogue tag: said, replied, asked, exclaimed, whispered, etc. - Flag overuse of any single tag (>40% of all tags = overuse) - Flag "creative" tags that draw attention to themselves: "he ejaculated," "she breathed," "he smirked" (you cannot smirk words) - Count action beats vs. dialogue tags — target ratio is roughly 60% beats / 40% tags for literary fiction, adjust per genre **1.4 Subtext Check** For each conversation, answer: - What is the surface topic? - What is the real topic (from outline.md subtext layer)? - Are they the same? If yes, flag as `FLAT_DIALOGUE` — characters are saying exactly what they mean - Is the subtext accessible to the reader? If it requires telepathy, flag as `OPAQUE_SUBTEXT` **1.5 Exposition Dump Check** Flag any dialogue that matches these patterns: - **"As you know, Bob"** — Character tells another character something they both already know, purely for the reader's benefit - **Lecture mode** — One character speaks for 4+ uninterrupted sentences of factual/explanatory content - **Question-answer pairs** — One character asks convenient questions so the other can info-dump - **Vocabulary shift** — Character suddenly uses technical/formal language inconsistent with their voice card to deliver exposition ### PHASE 2: REVISION Apply changes based on the audit. Work conversation by conversation, not line by line. **2.1 Voice Differentiation** For each `INDISTINCT` or `WEAK` flagged line: - Consult the character's voice card in voice-dna.md - Apply the character's specific markers: - Vocabulary level (educated vs. street, technical vs. plain) - Sentence length preference (clipped vs. flowing) - Verbal tics (filler words, pet phrases, habitual hedging) - Grammar patterns (proper vs. colloquial, complete vs. fragmented) - What they AVOID saying (some characters never swear, some never say "I love you," some never ask direct questions) - Rewrite the line preserving the MEANING but transforming the VOICE **2.2 Tag Replacement** For flagged overused tags: - Replace with action beats that reveal character (not generic actions) - BAD: `"I don't care," she said, crossing her arms.` (generic) - GOOD: `"I don't care." She lined up the salt and pepper shakers so their labels faced forward.` (specific to THIS character) - Keep "said" for invisible attribution where the reader just needs to track who's talking - Remove tags entirely where the conversation rhythm makes the speaker obvious - NEVER replace "said" with a verb that is not a speech act. Characters do not "smile" or "shrug" or "laugh" words. **2.3 Subtext Injection** For each `FLAT_DIALOGUE` flag: - Identify what the character WANTS to say but cannot/will not - Rewrite so the surface conversation is about something else while the real meaning travels underneath - Techniques: - **Deflection** — character answers a different question than the one asked - **Displacement** — character talks about a third party/object when they mean themselves - **Contradiction** — what they say opposes what they do (action beat contradicts dialogue) - **Silence** — character does NOT respond where a response is expected (the gap IS the dialogue) - **Over-specificity** — character focuses on an irrelevant detail to avoid the real topic ("Did you use the blue mug or the white one?" when the real question is "Are you leaving?") **2.4 Natural Speech Patterns** Add or adjust for realism: - **Interruptions** — Characters cut each other off mid-sentence (use em-dash at break point) - **Incomplete thoughts** — Characters trail off (use ellipsis sparingly, or just stop the sentence) - **Repetition** — People repeat themselves when nervous, emphatic, or not being heard - **Non-sequiturs** — One character responds to what they were THINKING, not what the other said - **Overlapping topics** — Conversations where two people are having slightly different conversations simultaneously - **False starts** — "I was going to — no, forget it. What I mean is —" - **Backchanneling** — "Mm," "Right," "Yeah, no, I know" — the sounds of listening **2.5 Exposition Repair** For each flagged exposition dump: - **"As you know, Bob"** — Rewrite so the information is NEW to at least one character, or delivered through conflict/disagreement rather than lecture - **Lecture mode** — Break into dialogue exchange where the other character pushes back, misunderstands, or redirects - **Question-answer** — Make the questions motivated by the asker's own needs, not the reader's - **Vocabulary shift** — Rewrite in the character's actual voice. If the information requires technical language the character wouldn't use, find another delivery method (narration, document, overheard conversation) ### PHASE 3: VERIFICATION After all revisions: 1. Re-run the Cover-the-Name Test on all revised conversations 2. Re-count dialogue ratio — confirm within target range 3. Read all dialogue aloud (instruct agent to simulate reading rhythm): - Does it sound like speech or like writing? - Are there tongue-twisters or unnatural phrasings? - Does the rhythm vary between speakers? 4. Verify no new `FLAT_DIALOGUE` was introduced during revision 5. Confirm subtext is accessible (reader can sense it) but not explicit (characters don't state it) ## OUTPUT FORMAT ### Revised Chapter Save the polished chapter back to the same file path, overwriting the prose-craft output. ### Evaluation Report Save to `evaluations/dialogue-polish-chapter-[N].md`: ```markdown # Dialogue Polish Report — Chapter [N] ## Audit Summary - **Dialogue ratio:** [X]% (target: [Y-Z]%) - **Conversations analyzed:** [count] - **Lines flagged INDISTINCT:** [count] -> resolved: [count] - **Lines flagged WEAK:** [count] -> resolved: [count] - **FLAT_DIALOGUE flags:** [count] -> resolved: [count] - **Exposition dumps found:** [count] -> resolved: [count] - **Tag overuse instances:** [count] -> resolved: [count] ## Voice Distinctiveness Results | Character | Lines | Distinct | Weak | Indistinct | Post-Polish | |-----------|-------|----------|------|------------|-------------| | [name] | [n] | [n] | [n] | [n] | [score] | ## Changes Made ### Subtext Additions - [Scene/line reference]: Surface topic [X], real topic [Y], technique used [Z] ### Voice Adjustments - [Character]: [specific change and why] ### Tag/Beat Replacements - [count] tags replaced with action beats - [count] tags removed (speaker obvious from rhythm) ### Natural Speech Additions - [count] interruptions added - [count] incomplete thoughts added - [count] non-sequiturs/false starts added ## Remaining Concerns - [Any issues that need Writer/Editor attention] ## Cover-the-Name Test: FINAL - [PASS/FAIL per conversation, with notes on any remaining weakness] ``` ## RULES 1. **Never change narrative prose.** Only touch dialogue and its immediately surrounding mechanics (tags, beats within 1 sentence of dialogue). 2. **Preserve meaning.** Voice changes must not alter what the character communicates — only HOW they communicate it. 3. **Subtext is not obscurity.** The reader should sense that something unspoken is happening. If only the author knows, the subtext has failed. 4. **"Said" is not the enemy.** Invisible attribution has a function. Do not replace every "said" — replace the ones where a beat would add character information. 5. **Dialect and accent markers:** Use sparingly. One or two markers per character maximum. Full phonetic spelling is unreadable and often offensive. 6. **Internal monologue during dialogue** is NOT dialogue. Do not edit it. If a character thinks something between lines of speech, that belongs to prose-craft or chaos-engine. 7. **Respect the outline's subtext layer.** If outline.md defines what the real conversation is about, do not invent a different subtext. Add texture to the DEFINED subtext. 8. **No character speaks in themes.** If a line of dialogue sounds like it belongs in a literature essay about the book, rewrite it. People do not narrate their own symbolic meaning.