# Dialogue pass > A skill that proposes line-level dialogue improvements — tightening, rhythm, voice consistency — as inline markup you accept or reject one line at a time. Also known as dialogue polish ## In practice Reach for a dialogue pass when characters start sounding interchangeable, when exposition leaks into speeches, or when a table read is days away and you need sharper rhythm. It refines what people already say; it will not invent a new plot or rescue a broken midpoint that still needs beat work from you. Run it on a scene, a character, or a wider scope depending on the problem in front of you. Suggestions arrive as inline markup you accept or reject one line at a time. Nothing lands without your say-so, which is the difference between a craft aid and an unsupervised rewrite of voice you meant to keep. Name a save point before a wide pass so you can restore if the tightenings go too far. Pair with a tone pass when the issue is emotional gear-shifting rather than line economy — and keep Tab for Fountain element cycling while you edit; skill review is accept/reject, not a ghost-text shortcut. [Run a dialogue pass](https://www.inkwell.software/resources/guides/dialogue-pass) ## Common questions ### Does Dialogue pass change my script automatically? No. Every suggestion waits for accept or reject. Nothing is applied until you choose, so you remain the author of every kept line. ### Can I run it on one character only? Yes — focus the pass on a single character when you want to tune one voice; its suggestions aim at that character's lines, and each still waits for your accept or reject. ### Will it invent new story beats? No. It targets line quality, rhythm, and voice consistency on dialogue that already exists — structure problems still need beat work from you. ### Should I run Dialogue pass before or after a table read? A light pass can remove clangers before actors arrive; a deeper pass after the read should target scenes the room proved were soft. ## Related terms - [AI skill](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/ai-skill): A structured AI pass that reads your document and proposes edits or findings in place — dialogue polish, continuity flags, coverage — as reviewable markup you accept or reject. - [Dialogue](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/dialogue): Spoken lines under a character cue. In Plot, a dialogue pass proposes changes, mostly to the spoken lines, that you accept or reject one at a time. - [Table read](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/table-read): Actors reading the script aloud around a table — no cameras, minimal blocking — to hear pace, jokes, and confusion before you lock a draft. - [Polish](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/polish): A late-pass rewrite focused on line quality, clarity, and rhythm — not a page-one reconception of the story. --- Canonical page: