Create A Book Bible With Me

Every time I write a novel, I create a book bible. 

What is a book bible? 

It’s a collection of documents that helps you keep your story consistent and believable. You might include character descriptions, timelines, world building notes, and more. This process can be vital in staying organized through various revisions, especially if you’re writing a series. 

How do I create mine? 

I typically build it before I start writing. Even if I am pantsing, I have the folders organized, so that I can drop information in as I go. 

This is my organizational method:

Pitch: I always write a query letter and synopsis before I start writing my book. This helps me boil down my pitch and truly understand what I’m trying to say. I also reference it if I start to feel lost while drafting. It helps remind me of what, essentially and at its core, I am writing.Query letterSynopsisCharactersAge, descriptions (typically taken from the book), motivations, secrets  Arcs: I track my character’s purpose in the story, but I also include side characters’ personal story arcs. (I believe that every character should feel as if they are the main character of their story.) For example:Story purpose: Sascha, my side character, is meant to become best friend’s with Amoret to show that Amoret is capable of friendship.Personal story: Sascha is trying to break her sister’s curse.  (This shows that Sascha’s personal story could be its own novel, or at least short story, but it’s only a subplot in my book.)Timelines:How my characters, but especially my main characters, got to the starting point of the book Family histories where applicable (I’ve gone back as far as three generations), but typically one generation is enough World BuildingUnique words and their definitionsMagic soft/hard, limits/consequences Locations/MapInspirational pictures/link to my Pinterest boardResearch: This is often broken up into numerous topics. For instance, my recent WIP leans heavily on a STEM theme. I researched various elements to build my characters. Some of those topics needed more attention than others, so my Scrivener Binder looks a little like this:Research:Elements:CopperLithiumHeliumOtherSpaceOceanOutlinesOrganized outline for storyUnorganized ideasUnique circumstances:For dual POV, I will have two: the book order outline and the order separated by character. This helps me make sure the POVs are balanced. For nonlinear stories, I will have two: the book order and the linear order–to double check that it makes sense For unreliable narrators: I will have two: what the unreliable character thinks happened and what actually happened. That way, I’m making sure I actually know the truth and that the unreliability feel believable rather than cheap. 

This is just my setup. It may help you. It may not. What’s most important about a book bible is that it holds all the elements you need as the writer to make your book successful. 

If you have a special way of building your book bible, I’d love to hear it! I also think it helps others when fellow writers can see various ways of organizing, so please share in the comments.

~SAT