Turn scattered notes into a reference you can actually use: characters, world rules, timelines, and unresolved questions with a clear place for each.
A story bible is a working reference for the facts and creative decisions that define your fiction. It records what is true in the world, what each character knows, and which details must carry from one scene to another. It is different from an outline, which describes the sequence of events.
Use XPT to organize supplied notes into that reference or to propose missing pieces for your review. Keep established canon separate from suggestions. When you accept a new detail, update your own master copy so an appealing idea does not quietly become a contradiction later.
Supply a premise, relevant notes, or an excerpt you have the right to use. Tell XPT which material is established and which is exploratory.
Ask for character records, setting rules, relationships, a timeline, and open threads. Require uncertain information to stay explicitly undecided.
Approve entries, correct contradictions, and save the version you will use. Provide relevant entries again when drafting or revising a scene.
| Section | What to record | What to keep separate |
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Goals, relationships, knowledge, constraints | Possible future arcs |
| World rules | Mechanism, cost, limits, approved exceptions | Unapproved inventions |
| Timeline | Event order, travel time, ages where relevant | Alternative versions |
| Open threads | Clues, promises, debts, unresolved conflicts | Payoffs not yet chosen |
Organize the notes below into a working story bible. Use sections for premise, characters, relationships, world rules, timeline, and unresolved threads. Extract only facts stated in my notes. For important entries, cite the note or chapter label I provide. Keep new ideas in a separate Proposed Additions section. List contradictions and missing information as questions. Do not silently resolve them. Notes: [paste notes].
These are different requests. When you already have chapters, ask XPT to extract stated facts and identify their passage labels. When you are still designing the world, ask for proposals and keep them outside the accepted reference until you approve them.
For a mixed set of notes, use three labels: Established, Proposed, and Undecided. A character's age can be established while their future allegiance remains undecided. That prevents an attractive suggestion from quietly becoming the basis of a later chapter.
Create a small foundation with only the facts needed to begin. Keep unused background as optional material so planning does not become a substitute for writing.
Build My First-Draft BibleExtract stated facts from selected chapters, then compare them. Ask for the conflicting passages and a proposed correction rather than a vague declaration that the book is consistent.
Check My Story ContinuityRecord the state of the world at the end of each installment. Separate the character's original profile from changes in allegiance, ability, relationships, or knowledge.
Prepare My Series ReferencePrepare a compact reference for a co-writer or editor. Include what they need for the assigned section, and keep spoiler-heavy or undecided material clearly identified.
Create My Writing BriefRecord each major character's goal, fear, relationships, limitations, and current knowledge. “The reader knows the secret” is not the same as “the protagonist knows it.” Keeping that distinction visible helps you check reveals and dialogue.
Explain how institutions, technologies, magic, or customs work. Give important rules a limit and list any approved exceptions. If a rule is undecided, leave it open instead of filling it with an answer that merely sounds plausible.
Arrange established events in order and track clues, promises, debts, and unfinished conflicts. Note relative timing when dates are unnecessary: the injury occurs two days before the journey, not sometime in the recent past.
Attach a chapter or note reference where possible. A short change log helps you see which facts need to be updated after a rewrite, particularly when the same event affects several character entries.
Record the changed fact, the entries it affects, and the version you accepted. If a journey now takes three days instead of one, check the timeline, the character's arrival, and any scene that depends on news reaching another location.
Compare this revised scene with the current bible entries below. List facts that changed, entries that need updating, and questions I must decide. Quote the passage labels I supplied when possible. Do not rewrite unrelated entries or accept proposed changes for me. Revised scene: [text]. Current entries: [text].
Keep a master copy you control and supply the relevant entries when continuing. This workflow does not promise a persistent canon database, whole-manuscript capacity, automatic updates, or export tools. Review the comparisons yourself; missing context can hide a contradiction.
Put the accepted reference to work: develop the manuscript, deepen a character entry, or test a new plot event against the facts you have chosen.
Bring your accepted character notes, world rules, and open threads into a novel-development brief. Use them to plan chapters and draft sections without silently replacing your existing decisions.
Try freeExpand an entry that still feels like a list of traits. Develop the character’s motives, contradictions, relationships, and voice, then review which details belong in your master reference.
Try freeTest how the next event follows from established facts. Bring a current goal, limitation, and unresolved thread to explore consequences that advance the story without adding a convenient exception.
Try freeGive your story facts a clear structure, keep uncertain ideas visible, and update the accepted version as the book changes.
Build Your Story Reference