Story Consistency Monitoring
Automatic Checking System
What This Skill Monitors
Character Consistency
- Physical Traits: Eye color, height, age, scars
- Personality: Actions align with established character
- Knowledge: Characters only know what they should know
- Growth: Changes are consistent with character arcs
World Rules
- Magic/Technology Systems: Power usage is consistent
- Geography: Distances and locations remain stable
- Social Rules: Cultures and customs do not contradict
- Physical Laws: Established rules are not randomly broken
Timeline Logic
- Event Sequence: A logically occurs before B
- Time Passage: Characters age appropriately
- Simultaneous Events: Multi-POV timelines align
- Historical Consistency: References to the past remain consistent
How It Works
Passive Monitoring: When you write or discuss the story, I will automatically cross-reference:
- Character profiles in the directory
- Worldbuilding documents in the directory
- Timeline data in
spec/tracking/timeline.json
- Content from previous chapters
No action required from you - Monitoring runs in the background.
When Issues Are Detected
Alert Format
When I detect a potential inconsistency, I will alert you in the following format:
⚠️ Consistency Check Alert
Issue: Character trait mismatch
Location: Current chapter, Paragraph 3
Reference: characters/mary-chen.md, Line 15
Current Text: "Mary's green eyes narrowed..."
Established Trait: "Eye Color: Blue" (set in Chapter 3)
Possible Solutions:
1. Change current text to "blue eyes"
2. Update character profile if you're modifying the setting
3. Is this a different character with a similar name?
Would you like me to fix this automatically, or prefer to handle it yourself?
Severity Levels
| Level | Icon | Action | Example |
|---|
| Critical | 🔴 | Stop and fix immediately | Character suddenly knows secret information they shouldn't have access to |
| Warning | ⚠️ | Fix as soon as possible | Character's usual speech pattern changes |
| Note | 📝 | Consider reviewing | Timeline feels compressed |
Integration with Novel-Writer Commands
During
- Real-time consistency checks while generating content
- Immediate alerts for critical issues
- Automatic reference to specification documents
During
- Comprehensive consistency report
- All accumulated warnings and notes
- Recommended fixes sorted by severity
During
- Update tracking data with verified information
- Flag inconsistencies for manual review
- Maintain consistency history
Configuration
Strictness Levels
You can adjust the strictness of consistency checks:
Strict Mode (default for non-fantasy):
- Flag all contradictions
- Enforce real-world physics
- Timelines must be fully logical
Flexible Mode (recommended for fantasy/sci-fi):
- Allow "cool rule" exceptions
- Magic/technology can bend reality
- Permit artistic license but will notify you
Minimal Mode:
- Only flag critical contradictions
- Focus on characters and major plot points
- Let minor inconsistencies pass
Disable Specific Checks
If certain inconsistencies are intentional:
"Please disable timeline checks for dream sequences -
they are intentionally non-linear."
Common False Positives
Sometimes I'll flag things that are actually correct:
Intentional Contradictions
Example: Character lies about eye color
Fix: Add a comment to the character profile: "// Eyes are actually blue, tells people they're green"
Unreliable Narrator
Example: First-person narrator misremembers events
Fix: Note in the constitution: "Unreliable narrator - memory inconsistencies are intentional"
Time Jumps
Example: Character's age suddenly increases
Fix: Explicitly state the time jump in the chapter: "Three years later..."
Best Practices
Keep Reference Documents Updated
The consistency checker is only as good as your documents:
- Update character profiles when traits change
- Clearly document world rules
- Maintain the timeline file using the command
Address Alerts Promptly
Don't let consistency issues accumulate:
- Fix critical alerts immediately
- Review warnings at the end of writing sessions
- Batch process notes during the revision phase
Use with
Consistency Checker + Tracking System = Powerful Combination:
- runs deep consistency validation
- can automatically fix simple issues
- Use both regularly (every 5-10 chapters)
Detailed Check Categories
Character Consistency Checks
Physical Description:
✓ Check: Height, weight, age, hair color, eye color
✓ Check: Scars, tattoos, unique markings
✓ Check: Clothing style, accessories
Behavior Patterns:
✓ Check: Speech patterns are consistent
✓ Check: Reactions align with personality
✓ Check: Decisions align with values
✓ Check: Skills/abilities are consistent
Knowledge State:
✓ Check: Characters know what they should know when they should know it
✓ Check: They don't know secrets they shouldn't have access to
✓ Check: Memories align with established facts
World Rules Checks
Magic/Technology Systems:
✓ Check: Powers are used within established limits
✓ Check: Costs/consequences are applied consistently
✓ Check: Rules don't change for plot convenience
✓ Check: Exceptions are foreshadowed
Geography and Distance:
✓ Check: Locations remain consistent on maps
✓ Check: Travel times are reasonable
✓ Check: Climate matches geography
✓ Check: Landmarks don't move
Society and Culture:
✓ Check: Cultural norms are consistent
✓ Check: Language and dialects remain stable
✓ Check: Social structure doesn't randomly change
✓ Check: Religion/beliefs remain consistent
Timeline Checks
Event Sequence:
✓ Check: Causes occur before effects
✓ Check: Characters aren't where they can't be
✓ Check: Events happen within a reasonable time frame
Time Passage:
✓ Check: Characters age appropriately
✓ Check: Seasons change in order
✓ Check: Pregnancy/recovery takes appropriate time
✓ Check: Skill acquisition requires practice time
Multi-POV Synchronization:
✓ Check: Simultaneous events match across different POVs
✓ Check: Time jumps align between POVs
✓ Check: No POV knows the future of other POVs
Automatic Fix Features
For some simple issues, I can offer automatic fixes:
Types of Automatic Fixes
Spelling Inconsistencies:
Detected: Inconsistent spelling of character name
Suggestion: Standardize to the most common spelling
Action: Global find and replace (with your approval)
Number Inconsistencies:
Detected: Character's age doesn't match between chapters
Suggestion: Calculate correct age based on timeline
Action: Update to the correct number
Timeline Conflicts:
Detected: Event date conflicts with established timeline
Suggestion: Adjust date to fit known sequence
Action: Update timeline reference
Reporting and Tracking
Consistency Reports
Regularly (or on demand), I will generate:
markdown
## Consistency Report - [Date]
### Chapter Range: Chapters 1-15
### Detected Issues
#### Critical (Must Fix)
1. Chapter 12: Character knows information only revealed in Chapter 14
- Fix: Rewrite Chapter 12 scene or move Chapter 14 reveal earlier
#### Warnings (Should Fix)
1. Chapter 8: Character's eye color changes from blue to green
- Fix Suggestion: Update Chapter 8 to blue or update character profile
2. Chapter 10: Travel from capital to border takes only 1 day (previously established as 3 days)
- Fix Suggestion: Add a time jump or adjust the number of days
#### Notes (Consider Reviewing)
1. Chapter 5: Character's reaction seems inconsistent with traits
- Review: Is this intentional growth or an inconsistency?
### Statistics
- Total Checks: 456
- Issues Found: 8
- Automatic Fixes: 3
- Needs Review: 5
### Consistency Score: 94%
Tracking History
I maintain a history of consistency issues found and fixed:
- Helps identify patterns
- Prevents repeated errors
- Shows improvement over time
- Useful for revisions
Collaboration with Other Skills
With Writing Techniques Skills
Dialogue Consistency:
- Check that character voices remain consistent
- Verify speech patterns
- Flag dialogue that doesn't fit traits
Scene Consistency:
- Validate setting details
- Check physical plausibility
- Confirm time passage
With Genre Knowledge Skills
Genre Convention Consistency:
- Ensure genre rules are applied consistently
- Check that tropes are used consistently
- Verify pacing patterns
Remember: Consistency isn't about perfection - it's about reader trust. When world rules are reliable, readers immerse themselves. When rules seem to change arbitrarily, they're pulled out of the experience. I'm here to help maintain that trust.
You always have the final say - If an inconsistency is an artistic choice, let me know and I'll stop flagging it.