md-manuscript/templates/snowflake/{{ cookiecutter.project_name }}/03-Story-Bible

Story Bible

Your single source of truth for all story world information.

The Story Bible is a comprehensive reference system that helps you maintain consistency, track connections, and ensure continuity across your entire narrative. Every fact about your story world should be documented here.

---

Structure Overview

03-Story-Bible/
├── _index.md                    # Master index and navigation
├── README.md                    # This file
├── CONSISTENCY.md               # Continuity tracking checklist
│
├── 01-Characters/               # All characters
│   ├── _index.md
│   ├── character_grid.md        # Quick reference table
│   └── main_characters/         # Protagonist, antagonist, etc.
│       ├── 01_character_template.md
│       ├── 01_protagonist.md
│       └── 02_antagonist.md
│   └── supporting_characters/    # Secondary characters
│   └── minor_characters/        # Background characters
│
├── 02-Locations/               # World geography
│   ├── _index.md
│   ├── regions/
│   │   └── 01_region_template.md
│   ├── cities/
│   │   └── 01_city_template.md
│   └── buildings/
│       └── 01_building_template.md
│
├── 03-Lore/                    # World-building
│   ├── _index.md
│   ├── history/
│   │   └── 01_history_template.md
│   ├── factions/
│   │   └── 01_faction_template.md
│   └── rules.md                 # Magic, tech, physics, society
│
├── 04-Objects/                 # Important items
│   ├── _index.md
│   ├── artifacts/
│   │   └── 01_artifact_template.md
│   └── weapons/
│       └── 01_weapon_template.md
│
├── 05-Relationships/            # Connections
│   ├── _index.md
│   └── character_relationships.md
│
├── 06-Timeline/                # Chronology
│   └── _index.md
│
└── 07-Themes/                  # Motifs and symbols
    └── _index.md

---

How to Use the Story Bible

1. Adding a New Character

1. Copy the template:

   cp 01-Characters/main_characters/01_character_template.md 01-Characters/main_characters/03_new_character.md
   

2. Fill in the YAML frontmatter first:

   ---
   id: unique_id
   name: Character Name
   summary: "One line the app can show in a hover card"
   slug: character-name
   type: protagonist|antagonist|ally|enemy|mentor
   status: active|draft|deceased|retired
   tags: [tag1, tag2]
   appearances: [chapter_1, chapter_5]
   related_characters: [character_a, character_b]
   ---
   

3. Complete the character sheet with all known information

4. Add to index files:

   • Update 01-Characters/_index.md
   • Update 01-Characters/character_grid.md

5. Create cross-links from other relevant entries

2. Adding a New Location

1. Choose the type: Region, City, or Building
2. Copy the appropriate template
3. Fill in details including relationships to characters
4. Add to Locations index
5. Link from character files that use this location

3. Adding Lore

• Historical Events: Copy template from 03-Lore/history/
• Factions: Copy template from 03-Lore/factions/
• World Rules: Edit 03-Lore/rules.md

4. Maintaining Consistency

• After each writing session: Update relevant Bible entries
• Before finalizing a chapter: Run through CONSISTENCY.md checklist
• Weekly review: Spend 15 minutes updating and verifying entries

---

Key Features

YAML Frontmatter

Every entry starts with YAML metadata for easy filtering and searching:

---
id: unique_identifier
name: Display Name
slug: url-friendly-name
type: category
tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]
related_entities: [entity_a, entity_b]
status: active|draft|archived
created: "2024-01-01"
updated: "2024-01-01"
---

Wiki-Links

Use [[Link Text|file-name]] or [[file-name]] to create cross-references:

- **Current Owner:** [[John Doe]]
- **Location:** [[Castle Black]]
- **Related Event:** [[The War of Ashes|history/war_of_ashes]]

Automatic Linking in the Draft

The app does not require [[wiki-links]] to connect a draft to the Story Bible — a name written in ordinary prose ("Bixby stood at the door") is matched automatically against every entry's name: and aliases:, as long as it's spelled and capitalized the same way in both places. Hovering a matched name shows a card with the entry's summary: field and a link that opens the full sheet; [[wiki-links]] and @mentions still work too, and take priority if they ever land on the same word. A character sheet with no summary: still gets matched and links open fine — the card just says so and lets you add one.

Mermaid Diagrams

Create visual relationship maps and timelines:

```mermaid
graph LR
    A[John] -->|Brother| B[James]
    A -->|Mentor| C[Robert]
```

Tables

Use tables for structured data:

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Age | 30 |
| Gender | Male |

---

Best Practices

1. Start Simple

• Begin with basic information
• Add details as they become relevant
• Don't over-document early drafts

2. Stay Current

• Update entries immediately after writing scenes
• Don't let the Bible fall behind
• Small updates are easier than big ones

3. Use Cross-Links

• Link characters to locations
• Link locations to events
• Link events to lore
• This creates a web of knowledge

4. Tag Everything

• Use consistent tags
• Filter by tags when searching
• Examples: #protagonist, #capital, #magic, #war

5. Review Regularly

• Weekly: Quick scan for obvious issues
• Monthly: Deep consistency check
• Before publishing: Full verification

---

Search Tips

Use your editor's search feature:

Search Term	Finds
[[	All cross-references
id:	All YAML IDs
status:	All status fields
tags:	All tag lists
#tagname	All entries with that tag

---

Tag Reference

Character Tags

#protagonist #antagonist #ally #enemy #mentor #romantic #family #deceased #noble #commoner #warrior #mage #thief

Location Tags

#capital #city #village #fortress #tavern #temple #ruins #wilderness #underground #floating #magical

Lore Tags

#magic #technology #war #religion #politics #history #myth #legend #prophecy #culture

Object Tags

#legendary #cursed #blessed #sentient #destroyed #lost #stolen #royal #sacred #ancient

---

Tools Integration

If your editor supports it:

• Obsidian: Native backlink support, graph view, tag search
• VS Code: Extensions for markdown preview and search
• Typora: Clean preview with YAML support
• Any editor: Basic search and replace works everywhere

---

Example Workflow

1. Write Chapter 5 where John visits Castle Black
2. Update John's entry: Add Castle Black to related_locations
3. Update Castle Black entry: Add John to residents or visitors
4. Update Timeline: Add "John visits Castle Black" event
5. Check Consistency: Verify travel time and castle description match
6. Cross-link: Ensure both entries link to each other

---

Need Help?

• Check _index.md files for navigation
• Use CONSISTENCY.md for verification
• Look at existing entries for examples
• Refer to templates for required fields

---

Remember: The Story Bible is a living document. Update it as you write, and it will save you hours of continuity fixing later.