Polish
Also known as polish pass
A late-pass rewrite focused on line quality, clarity, and rhythm — not a page-one reconception of the story.
In practice
Polish assumes the spine holds. You are hunting limp lines, redundant action, unclear entrances, and rhythm problems — not inventing a new midpoint. If a note asks you to reconceive the want, stop polishing and reopen structure before you sand dialogue that may not survive the rebuild ahead.
Work pass by pass: dialogue clarity, then action economy, then typos and format. Mixing structural invention into a polish pass hides the real problem and makes feedback harder to judge later. Table reads are excellent polish detectors; silent pages often forgive what voices will not forgive aloud.
Create a named save point before a polish week so you can restore any cut that went too far. Reviewable skills like Dialogue pass or Save lines can propose tightenings as markup; accept only what matches the voice and pace you are protecting on purpose for this draft.
Common questions
How do I know I am polishing too early?
If major turns still move every draft, polish is premature. Lock the spine first, or you will rewrite pretty scenes that no longer belong.
What should I cut in a polish?
Repeated information, throat-clearing action, and dialogue that explains what the audience already saw. Keep the line that advances want, tactic, or reveal.
Is a polish the same as a dialogue pass?
A dialogue pass is one tool inside polishing. Polish can also trim action, fix clarity, and clean format — always with you accepting any suggested edits.
Should I polish before a table read?
Do a light clarity pass so actors are not fighting typos, but leave deeper line surgery until you hear what dies in the room.