TL;DR
Copy the tables below into a document or spreadsheet and fill them in as you draft, starting with the next scene. The template covers the book at a glance, characters, places, rules, a two-column timeline, plot threads, style decisions and open questions. Every entry has a type and a source, so revision becomes a check instead of a hunt.
A story bible is the reference document for your book: the facts, names, rules and timeline that your manuscript has to stay consistent with. A useful one is short, current and easy to search. These are the sections novelists use most, in tables you can copy into any document, without fields you will never fill in.
The thinking behind a bible is in how to build a story bible and the glossary entry. What follows is the form itself.
How to use the template
- Start small. Fill in the book at a glance and one character, one place and the facts the next scene needs.
- Mark every entry. Use F for fact (the manuscript establishes it), B for belief (a character holds it, possibly wrongly) and Q for open question.
- Record a source. The scene or note where the entry comes from. A planning note records an intention; a scene shows what made it into the book.
- Update after each session or each chapter. A bible you update weekly stays accurate. One you update at the end is a reconstruction.
- Review after revision. Use the checklist at the end.
Section 1: The book at a glance
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Working title | |
| Genre and subgenre | |
| Target length | |
| One-sentence premise | |
| Protagonist and want | |
| Central conflict | |
| Ending (or direction, if undecided) | |
| Point of view and tense | |
| Structure chosen (for example three acts) | |
| Themes, in a few words |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Section 2: Characters
One row per character. Keep it short; use the character profile template for major characters.
| Name and aliases | Role | Want | Key facts | Knows (and when) | Source | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Add a row for every name that appears on the page, even minor ones, so you do not reuse a name by accident.
Section 3: Places
| Place | Role in story | Facts that limit action | Controlled by | Source | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Include travel times between places that characters move between. Write them in the units the story uses, such as hours or days.
Section 4: Rules of the world
| Rule | Cost | Exceptions | Source | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Rules cover magic, technology, law, custom and anything else that constrains what characters can do. A rule with no cost deserves a second look.
Section 5: Objects and organizations
| Name | What it is | Who has it or runs it | Why it matters | Source | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
This is where the sealed letter, the cursed ring or the harbor guild goes. Anything that moves between scenes or people belongs here.
Section 6: Timeline
A story has two orders: the order events happen and the order the reader learns them. Track both.
| Event | When it happens (story time) | First shown to the reader | Who knows, and when |
|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Uncertain dates can stay uncertain. "Before the storm" is a useful constraint even if you do not have a calendar date. Add a row when a flashback or a delayed reveal moves an event out of order.
Section 7: Plot threads
| Thread | Starts | Escalates | Resolves | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main plot | ||||
| Subplot | ||||
| Mystery or secret |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Status can be planned, drafted, revised or dropped. Dropped threads matter because loose ends in a draft are often a thread you stopped tracking.
Section 8: Style decisions
| Decision | Choice | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling (UK or US) | ||
| Numbers (words or digits) | ||
| Dialogue tags and punctuation | ||
| Names and titles (capitalization, hyphens) | ||
| Terms invented for the world | ||
| Words to avoid |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Style decisions look minor and cause many small fixes in revision. Write them the first time you decide.
Section 9: Open questions
| Question | Why it matters | Needed by | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Do not let an open question quietly become a fact. Leave it marked Q until you decide.
A filled-in example
The rows below come from an imaginary harbor-city novel. They show the level of detail that tends to be enough.
| Name and aliases | Role | Want | Key facts | Knows (and when) | Source | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mara Venn, "Ven" | Protagonist | Find who sealed the letter | Ferry clerk; right-handed; 29 | Believes the seal is real; acquisition time still to be recorded | Opening scene | F |
| Tomas Venn | Brother | To stay hidden | Arrested at the west gate | Knows who signed the log | Chapter 2 | F |
| Registrar Ilse Dorn | Antagonist | To keep the archive closed | Holds the only key | Knows the seal is Tomas's | Planned, ch. 9 | Q |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
| Event | When it happens | First shown to the reader | Who knows, and when |
|---|---|---|---|
| The letter is sealed | Three nights before chapter 1 | Chapter 6, in a recollection | Tomas; Ilse Dorn |
| Mara finds the broken seal | The afternoon after | Chapter 1 | Mara, then the friend in ch. 4 |
| Tomas is arrested | Dawn, the next day | Chapter 2 | The whole quay |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
The timeline shows why two orders matter: the letter is sealed before the story opens but the reader learns that in chapter 6.
Keeping it alive
A template stays useful only if it changes with the book. A few habits help:
- Add entries as you write, not before. Record what a scene established or decided.
- Date major changes. When you move a scene or change a motive, note what the entry used to say.
- Check the source after revision. A fact cited to a scene that no longer contains it is stale.
- Keep research outside the main tables. Link to a separate file instead of pasting long extracts.
- Save a recoverable copy before a major restructure.
Revision checklist
- Every character who appears on the page has a row.
- Every place has its travel times and constraints.
- Rules each have a cost.
- The timeline lists story time and reading order.
- Dropped or unresolved threads are noted as such.
- Style decisions match the manuscript.
- Rows marked Q have a decision or a reason to stay open.
- Cited scenes still contain the facts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a story bible?
A story bible is a reference document that records the facts of your book: characters, places, rules, timeline and plot threads. It helps you keep the manuscript consistent, especially in long books and series.
What should a story bible include?
At minimum: a book summary, characters, places, rules of the world, a timeline and open questions. Add plot threads, objects, organizations and style decisions as your book needs them.
When should I start a story bible?
Start as soon as you have details to lose, which for most writers is the first few chapters. Keep it small at first and expand as you write.
How is a story bible different from an outline?
An outline plans what will happen. A story bible records what is true in the book, including what has already happened on the page. Outlines change as you draft; the bible tracks what the manuscript has actually established.
Do I need special software for a story bible?
No. A document or spreadsheet works. Software helps when the book is long, when you have a series or when several people work on it, because links back to the manuscript save searching.
Where Musael helps
Musael keeps the manuscript beside World records, source annotations, beliefs and events. These tables are useful in any document; in Musael, create only the records that help the next revision.
Use the template's “knows and when” field as a planning note, then record acquisition and scene-specific uses explicitly if you want the knowledge check to compare them. Story time and chapter order are separate. Change impact traces recorded dependents, not every unlinked sentence.
Refresh evidence checks after revising a source passage. The report may show an early recorded use with unverified evidence; that is a reason to inspect both the timing and the passage, not a guarantee that a character actually revealed a secret.
