Define What Polishing May Change
“Make it better” states an ambition without defining editing authority. Oh Story’s deslop method changes expression. Its chapter revision workflow distinguishes a local edit, a chapter rewrite under the existing outline, and revising the outline before rewriting. The table translates those boundaries into an author’s brief.
| Task | Permission to specify |
|---|---|
| Prose polish | Change expression in the named passage; preserve events and information distribution |
| Local revision | Name the event or dialogue that may change; preserve the other paragraphs |
| Chapter rewrite | Supply the chosen outline and neighboring context; state whether plot changes are allowed |
Sometimes “Polish only; she still refuses the key” is enough. Use the facts the passage depends on and the author’s chosen style, rather than inventing a book-wide specification for a small edit.
Check Results and How Characters Know
Extract the facts that must survive: who is present, where objects are, what people do, whether a decision is carried out, how information is learned and what the reader currently knows. An unspecified motive is also a boundary; polishing cannot replace it with a definite explanation.
A stylistic change can conceal an event change. “He put the key in front of her” becoming “He pressed it into her hand” changes possession. Replacing a disconnected-line message heard after dialing with “she knew the number was disconnected” removes the knowledge-gathering action. Compare actions, results and sources as well as fluency.
Preserve the author’s chosen long sentences, direct emotion or narrator commentary when they work. A style preference does not authorize revealing secrets early or adding experiences to a character’s history.
Original Comparison: The Key Was Never Accepted
Original
Xie Ning put the key on the table. Tao He looked at it without taking it. She said she would decide after the landlord fixed the leak. Xie Ning returned the key to his coat pocket. Neither mentioned the move again.
Revision beyond the brief
Tao He accepted the key, finally deciding to give this home a chance.
The key changes hands, a conditional wait becomes acceptance, and “home” adds a relationship interpretation.
A fact-preserving polish
Xie Ning set the key on the table. Tao He looked at it but did not reach. “I’ll decide after the landlord fixes the leak.” He put the key back in his coat pocket. The subject of moving ended there.
The phrasing changes, while setting down, not taking, stating a condition, taking back and ending the topic remain. Tao He has neither agreed to move nor learned that repairs are scheduled. This original editorial example demonstrates a checkable boundary; it is not a reported model run.
Request a Revision You Can Compare
Supply scope, style and protected facts, then request the revised passage and a short change note. Check a small result before expanding the assignment. This is a manual brief, not a new skill mode.
Polish only [passage]. Preserve [actions, results, knowledge sources and unrevealed information]. Use [book style]. Add no experiences, objects, explanations or decisions. List plot problems separately without fixing them. Return the revision and main expression changes. Identify any passage you cannot improve within these boundaries for my decision.
Compare each protected fact, then read the preceding ending and following opening for references, time and possession. Revert an unauthorized chapter rewrite while retaining useful suggestions. If you choose to change an event, use chapter revision and check later dependencies.
FAQ
Can polishing also fix a plot problem the AI discovers?
List the problem, location and effect for the author’s decision. A real defect does not authorize an unrequested plot replacement. Event changes also require checking later dependencies.
Do it with the skill
Use /story-deslop in Claude Code or $story-deslop in Codex with the scope, style and fact brief above. It handles expression; authorized event changes belong in story-long-write’s chapter revision workflow.
Read the method: Preserve intent with minimal changes · Author style priorities · Chapter revision scope and joins · Separate style from facts