Build a story bible to keep my novel consistent
A single reference document for characters, places, timeline, and rules of your world, so details stay consistent across the draft.
The prompt
Help me build a story bible for my novel. This is step 3 of writing my novel.
Outline (from step 2, if I have it): [PASTE]
Characters: [names and what I know about each]
Setting: [time period, places, real or invented world]
Rules of my world: [magic, technology, politics, or "realistic, present day"]
Pages or notes written so far: [PASTE, if any]
Build a story bible with:
1. Characters: for each main and recurring character - name, age, appearance (only what matters), voice and speech habits, wants, fears, secrets, relationships, and where their arc goes. A short list of words they would and wouldn't say.
2. Places: each important location with key sensory details and layout facts I must keep straight.
3. Timeline: dates or day counts for each chapter's events, ages at each point, travel times, and seasons, so nothing contradicts.
4. World rules: how anything unusual works, what it costs, and its limits. Note where a rule could be used to make a problem too easy to solve.
5. Style sheet: spellings of names and invented terms, tense and point of view, formatting choices.
6. Open questions: decisions I haven't made yet.
If I've pasted draft pages, list any contradictions you find. Don't invent major facts about my story; where something is missing, mark it [DECIDE]. Return it as a document I can keep updating while I draft. Next step: once the first draft is done, I'll make a revision plan.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Creative Writing prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE
- names and what I know about each
- time period, places, real or invented world
- magic, technology, politics, or "realistic, present day"
- PASTE, if any
- DECIDE
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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