Create a story or series bible for your NaNoWriMo 2020 project.

This electronic swap is all about exploring the different types of story bibles, and choosing or creating one that works for you.

So what is a story bible? First thing: the bible is a lowercase b and has nothing to do with religion. A bible for a novel or a series is the place where you keep all of the continuity details for your story world be it real or imagined.

Think of it as your ultimate reference guide to the novel or series you are writing or plan to write. It can include everything from character descriptions and maps of your story world to links for reference material and calendar pages from the year your work is set in.

If you're writing a series that has three or more books, you will not remember the little details from Book 1 unless you have that information recorded somewhere. Some examples:

• the coffee house on the corner of Main and Washington in Book 1 is at the corner of Main and Portsmouth (three blocks away) in Book 4, but it hasn't moved or changed owners.

• a character's gray eyes become hazel; the eagle tattoo starts on the left bicep and migrates to the right one; the RussetDelta sector of a planet your protagonist lands on becomes RustDelta, and so forth.

You've probably seen continuity errors in films and on TV (there are lots of those to get lost in on the internet). Let's not make those errors in our novels. Your readers will find them and call you out!

There are a lot of articles and videos on story bibles. Here are a few to get you started:

How to Create a Story Bible for Your Novel

Tips on Creating a Story Bible

How to Create a Series Bible for Your Fiction

The Story Bible: What it is and Why You Need One

There is no one way to create this personal reference tool. It can be digital or print, large or small, be in a spiral notebook or in Scrivener. It's up to you.

Templates

You can download free (newsletter subscription may be required) templates at these sites:

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Love Pinterest? You'll find lots of additional templates.

So, what am I doing for this swap, you ask?!

• Create, in the format of your choice, a story bible for your NaNo 2020 project.

• Email a pic of your story bible to your partner with a note that explains three pivotal features you decided to include.

Electronic. International. Group membership.