List recurring entities
Begin with the major characters, locations, rules, and threads that appear more than once.
Story guide basics
What is a story guide?
A story guide is the reference system for facts a story must keep consistent. For a novelist, that usually includes characters, locations, chronology, world rules, relationships, plot threads, and details that will matter later.
01
The purpose of a story guide
The guide answers questions that interrupt writing: how old was this character in the flashback, which hand was injured, when did the town close the bridge, and where was the clue first mentioned? It reduces repeated searching and helps an author distinguish established canon from ideas that are still undecided.
Its value rises with complexity. Multiple viewpoints, nonlinear chronology, mysteries, invented worlds, long revision histories, and series continuity all create more facts whose relationships matter.
- People and relationships
- Places and world rules
- Chronology and backstory
- Setups, clues, motifs, and payoffs
02
Story guide versus outline
An outline describes the sequence and function of events. A story guide describes the entities and facts that remain relevant across those events. The outline may say that the protagonist returns to the observatory at the midpoint; the guide records who built it, what the protagonist remembers there, and which scenes established those facts.
The two should connect. If they live in separate documents, the author has to maintain every cross-reference by hand. A connected system lets a character, location, or thread point back to the scenes where the information appears.
03
Keep the guide useful by keeping it selective
A story guide is not a demand to document everything. Record facts that affect continuity, cause later choices, or save meaningful search time. Decorative biography with no relationship to the manuscript adds maintenance without reducing uncertainty.
Mark speculation as speculation. Canon, planned decisions, questions, and discarded alternatives should not look identical, especially in a long-running series.
A practical workflow
Put the method into the manuscript
Record story-relevant facts
Capture details that constrain a later scene or explain a character's decision.
Cite the manuscript
Link each important fact to the scene that establishes or changes it.
Review during revision
Update the guide when canon changes and use its links to audit continuity.
Questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
Do all novels need a story guide?
No. A simple short novel may need only a few character and timeline notes. A guide becomes more valuable as the cast, chronology, world, or revision history grows.
Is a story guide the same as a series guide?
A series guide extends the same idea across multiple works, preserving shared characters, settings, rules, chronology, and continuity decisions between books.
When should I create one?
You can begin before drafting, build it from an existing manuscript, or add records only when recurring facts appear. It does not need to be complete before writing begins.
What should not go in a story guide?
Avoid filling it with facts that do not affect the story or with speculative ideas presented as canon. Keep open questions and alternatives clearly labeled.
Your words stay yours
Keep the draft, the decisions, and the finish line together.
Bring the book you have, including the messy version.
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