The Series Bible is NOT Optional
Recently, on the Critical Drinker’s podcast, the commentators noted that part of the downfall of the new Star Trek shows was the simple laziness of its writers. In a single Trek episode (of Strange New Worlds, I think), there were seven continuity errors. Just in that one episode, including mixing up which of Jupiter’s moons they were headed to.
That’s a pretty big thing, one that would have been avoided if, like in Star Trek past, they had a person whose whole job was to review scripts for errors like this. They were the keepers of the lore, the walking series bible if you will.
Unless you’re very lucky, your fans won’t be as numerous as those who love Star Trek, but at least a few of them are just as emotionally attached. Having an emotional attachment means that sometimes they can take it personally if you flub a detail that had been established in a previous book. It’s a good problem to have.
How to Maintain Your Series Bible
Starting with book 1, open a file where you can document important aspects of your characters, world/society, locations, and any scientific research you do for the plot. Your “bible” can be in an app like OneNote or Notion. If you are writing high fantasy or complex scifi, you may want to consider sites like Campfire or World Anvil. A regular notebook is also acceptable. HOWEVER, I recommend having a dedicated notebook for your series bible. Don’t combine your regular notes with the material you’ll need to reference in the future.
Things to keep track of:
- Physical features: Most of us have our main character’s appearance memorized. But with side characters, sometimes the details can get fuzzy. Especially if they only pop up occasionally. So keep track of skin tone, eye color, and overall body type. If you have your character laying waste to a crew of assassins with a broadsword in book 1… it wouldn’t do to describe him as slender and frail in book 3. Not without explaining why he’s changed, anyway.
- Backstory: Keep track of what characters say about their past in dialogue. Obviously, they have had a whole lifetime of things that happened to them before the events of your novel. But because they happened BEFORE your novel started, they can slip your mind as you’re writing later books in the series. So jot it down when your MC mentions they used to do gymnastics as a kid but quit because of an ankle injury
- Injuries: Speaking of injuries, if your characters get hurt in book 1, be sure to take down exactly how they were hurt. This is so you can be realistic when book 2 begins. If it’s a few months after the battle of book 1, then D’Artagnan’s black eye would have definitely healed. But if he took a sword straight through his thigh… he’s probably still limping around. And there is definitely a scar.
- Plot points: This sounds obvious, but as someone who has worked on 2 series over the years, you’d be amazed how much you can forget between books, especially if you’re a slow writer. Keeping track of each plot point keeps your continuity in line, but it also helps you with character arcs. You don’t want to repeat the same character arc from book 1, so keeping those plot points handy will help you avoid retreading old ground.
- Where we left them: When you have multiple POV characters, it can be especially tricky to remember where each character was and who they were with the last time the reader saw them. Whether your next book picks up right after or after several years, it’s important there are no knowledge gaps for the reader as they get reacquainted with your characters.
The key is to create a seamless experience for your reader. Having them stop reading and think to themselves, “Wait, but I thought you said…” can be a full-on catastrophe, so keeping track of these details as you write can save you time and save your sanity.
