Add Alternate Dialogue
Choose Insert > Add Alt:
This command allows you to write and store multiple speeches spoken by a character in a particular place in the script. Each of these speeches can later be retrieved and displayed on the script page so you can decide which one to use. Unused speeches may be kept or deleted.
To create an alternate dialogue ("alt")
- Type a character's speech (a dialogue paragraph);
- Click the plus sign to the right of the text or on the keyboard press Shift + Command + . (period) (Mac) or Control + Alt + L (Windows):
- The dialogue paragraph will be cleared;
- Type a new speech:
Both speeches are retained and can be displayed under the character name, one at a time, for review.
Alt Dialogue Controls
At the left of the dialogue paragraph are Previous / Next arrows and an x of y indicator.
Click the left-pointing arrow to display the previous alt; click the right-pointing arrow to display the next alt.
The x of y indicator between the arrows displays the ordinal number of the currently-displayed alt and the total number of alts stored for this character in this location on the page.
When the x of y indicator is clicked ("3/3", in this example) , a menu of all alts by this character in this location on the page is displayed. Click the desired alt to display it under the character name.
At the right of the dialogue paragraph is plus sign icon and a minus sign icon.
Click the plus sign icon to add a new alt. There is no limit to the number of alt dialogues that can be added.
Click the minus sign icon to delete the currently-displayed alt.
Note that there is no confirmation of the deletion and no ability to undo this command.
When the script is printed or saved as a PDF, only the currently-displayed alts will be in the script.
Remove Alternate Dialogue
Choose Insert > Remove Alt:
This command deletes the selected alternate dialogue from the script.
To learn more about the alternate dialogue feature watch the following video: