Shout-out to Taylor Clemons, an existing Hatch Editorial client, who requested this topic a while ago. Thanks for your patience, Taylor!
Have you ever read through your novel, noticed a continuity error, and then realized that—oh no!—when you took a few months away from the project, you picked back up with the continuity error, which then avalanched into a major (and factually inaccurate) plot point, and now you have to overhaul what you thought was a completed novel?
[I call this “belly-shirting” because it’s akin to what would happen if you pulled a stray thread on the hem of a sweater and unraveled the whole thing.]
There are many reasons this unfortunate circumstance can happen, but if it’s happening because of your inability to keep the rules of your own world straight, look no further. I’m about to drop some knowledge on you about a supplemental document that is a game changer: the world bible.
What Is a “World Bible”?
A world bible is a document separate from your manuscript in which you list facts and figures related to the characters, places, timelines, and so on in the world of your novel or nonfiction book. I suppose it’s given the name “bible” in the slang way people use the word to mean something that is very important to them, but you can call it whatever you like.
Your world bible can be kept in a notebook or a word processing document or whatever is handiest for you. Its primary purpose is to keep you and any other reader of the working manuscript organized and straight on facts, so that you don’t slip up and make any easily avoidable continuity errors as you go.
The practice of keeping a world bible is commonplace for fantasy and science fiction writers, though it could help any writer who is manipulating a large cast of characters or who has to keep track of a lot of factual or historical information, such as an informational nonfiction writer or a historical novelist. There are a number of similar documents across media types, including style sheets that copy editors give you along with their edits and show bibles on TV shows. (Jenna Fischer has recently talked about show bibles on The Office Ladies podcast!)
How Do I Create a World Bible?
Your world bible should ideally have organized sections with plenty of space to add to, like a blank Microsoft Word document or a well-planned bullet journal.
You should create yours when you start prewriting or drafting your manuscript. Begin by creating the following sections:
Rules of the world. Does your book involve magic or a highly specialized science? What about highly involved rules of etiquette or law? If so, how does one use said magic or science? What are the intricacies of the rules or laws, including any loopholes your characters might avail themselves of?
Character descriptions and biographies. List your characters’ full names and any facts about them that appear in the manuscript (e.g., physical description, relationships to other characters, job titles, aspirations). Note that entries for main characters are likely to be longer than for minor characters and may be added to as time goes on.
Places and locations in your world. What is their usual climate? Who lives there generally? Where are they in relation to one another?
A plot timeline. If characters’ timelines diverge—such as in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, after the Fellowship breaks at Amon Hen—you might create separate timelines for each character or group. If you make these timelines run parallel to one another in your world bible, you might be better able to see where different people are at the same temporal point in the manuscript.
These four sections are a good start, but you should make room to add to them and/or to add more sections as needed.
How Do I Use My World Bible?
There are many ways you can use a world bible, though all are in some sort of reference capacity. For instance, you might use yours…
…as you’re writing to make sure that your characters’ actions make sense in light of their motivations and backstory.
…as you’re self-editing, to double-check the facts and rules of the world.
… to give to a freelance editor if they agree that it will help them review your manuscript.
…to create back matter like character lists or family trees, a timeline for the reader’s reference, and so on.
You might even “prettify” it leading up to or after your book launch and give the prettified version to your audience as bonus fun facts about the world that aren’t in the book. (Look at you repurposing your hard work as a value add!)
Have you ever used a world bible? Do you have another name for it? Do you plan to use one now that you’ve learned more about it?
Comment below with the steps you’re going to take to incorporate this supplemental reference guide into your writing life.