# 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.

- Topic: Creative Writing
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Writing, Plan, Fill-in Template, Step-by-step
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/build-a-story-bible-to-keep-my-novel-consistent

## Prompt

```text
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.
```

## 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

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.