 Mystery: July 12, 2023 Issue [#12062] |
This week: The Canon and the Bible Edited by: Carol St.Ann  
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Several years ago, I received a review for a chapter in my novel in which my reviewer showed me I’d repeatedly changed my main character’s eye color. That reviewer is an Angel in my world of books. And my explanation was simple enough, and a quick easy fix set me back on track in no time. But what if she hadn’t pointed it out? I’m sure I’d never have caught it.
Oh no. This would never do.
Enter the canon and the bible. |
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Recently, another writer asked me how I manage to keep all my facts straight in my novel. The truth is I hadn’t always been able to keep it straight. But I fixed that.
Let’s get to it.
Story Canon: comes from the idea of sacred text. Facts of the original story to which subsequent stories in the series must adhere, in order to maintain continuity and authenticity.
The Story Bible: the full facts. Consists largely of backstory and development that might never make its way into the story. (Look at it as the backbone.)
Set it up as a list, a spreadsheet (my personal favorite), index cards, or post-it notes in a scrapbook … any design that suits your story’s needs will do. The story bible is fully derived from the canon; it lists every pertinent fact. All characters, and their personal information and traits: birthdate and age; orientation; personality; ethnicity; parents; childhood; skin, eye, and hair color; physical ailments; issues, or scars; traumas; stature; body type; loves & hates; siblings; pets; friends; teachers; lovers; past lives… neighbors and neighborhood; favorites… External effects like sets, weather, climate, time of year. Anything that makes the characters who they are and anything a character might recall (this can be as seemingly insignificant as the color of the character’s childhood home). For fantasy or sci-fi mysteries it will be far more extensive.
Bottom line: If it’s information in the book, it’s story canon and should be in the story bible.
Is this a lot of work. It does seem so, but no. The set up takes some deep thought about design and what works best for you and your pace, space, and style, but that’s the worst of it. Once your story canon and bible are developed, keeping them updated can be a snap.
Today’s readers, especially mystery readers, are too savvy to miss a mistake, but they may determine it’s a clue. Believe me, once the reader realizes a careless mistake has made it’s way to print, you’ll have lost them forever.
A series requires flawless continuity. With a bit of work to develop it, your story canon and bible will make success an effortless achievement.
Happy writing until we meet again!
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| What’s your method for keeping facts in line when writing a novel length story? |
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