Stage directions & custom pauses

Stage direction modes

Offbook detects stage directions in your script and keeps them separate from dialogue. In Scene Controls → Stage directions, choose how they behave during practice:

• Read aloud (default): a narrator voice reads each direction, so you hear the action between the lines.
• Hidden: stage directions are taken out of the script and skipped.
• Silent: directions appear on screen but aren't read; the scene continues right away.
• Silent with pause: directions appear silently and the scene holds so you can play the action (cross the room, pour the drink) before the next line.

How long is the pause?

In "Silent with pause" mode, the hold length is automatic: longer directions get longer pauses (between 1 and 8 seconds). Want an exact length? Set a custom pause on that stage direction line (see below) and Offbook uses it instead.

Custom pauses on any line

You can add a Delay before line to any line in the scene, dialogue or stage direction:

1. Open Edit Scene (the pencil on the right).
2. Click the line's timing box.
3. Set Delay before line: the slider goes from 0 to 10 seconds, and you can type a longer value in the box. Then click Save.