Everything a series has to keep straight across books, in one file: characters and how they change, places, objects, world rules, two timelines, open threads and a continuity log. It is plain Markdown, so it opens in any text editor, Notion or Obsidian. Or start it in Loomworld, where each section is a module linked to your manuscript.
A character's eyes change colour, a dead man walks into a tavern, a city moves a day's ride closer. Each slip is small; readers who loved book one notice all of them.
Without a bible, starting the next book means skimming the last three to remember who knows what. That is weeks of rereading instead of writing.
Editors, co-writers and audiobook narrators all need the same facts. A bible gives them one source instead of a string of questions.
Start with the logline, the series question and a table of books with the story time each one covers. Then one block per character: aliases, age at the start of each book, appearance details you will repeat, voice, secrets and who knows them, and status at the end of every book.
Places nest from country to building and record travel times, because distance is one of the easiest things to contradict. Objects record who has them and from when. World rules are written so you can check a scene against them, each with its cost or limit.
Story time and reading order are different clocks. The template keeps both: a chronological table of events, and per book the order the reader meets them, flagged as flashback or present.
Open threads track every setup with its reminders and payoff. The continuity log is the list of facts you will need to check again later, written down the moment you establish them. The style sheet fixes spellings, capitalisation and conventions for invented words.
Go through the first book once and fill in only what is on the page. Don't plan book three in it yet.
Add to the bible when you finish a chapter, not when you finish the book. Five minutes per chapter beats a week at the end.
Before drafting the next book, read the status lines, open threads and continuity log. That is your real outline.
All three work. The question is how much of the bible you want to keep up to date by hand.
| Capability | Loomworld | This template | Notion template |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan | Free | Free to paid |
| Works in any editor, no account | — | — | |
| Linked to the manuscript | — | — | |
| Appearance counts per character and object | — | Manual | |
| Timeline view with both clocks | Two tables | Date-based view | |
| Overdue foreshadowing warnings | — | — |
Compared October 2026. Notion templates vary; most are databases you fill by hand.
A series bible is the reference for a multi-book series: characters and how they change from book to book, places, objects, world rules, the timeline and open plot threads. It keeps later books consistent with earlier ones, and gives editors and co-writers one source of facts.
A story bible covers one book. A series bible spans several, so it adds what changes between volumes: ages, deaths, who knows which secret by the end of each book, and threads that pay off books later.
While drafting book one, chapter by chapter. Reconstructing a bible from finished books takes far longer than writing it as you go.
Yes. Download it, change it and use it for your own books. No account or email needed.
It is a Markdown file, so Notion and Obsidian open it directly with headings and tables intact. Any text editor can open it too.
Because a file only knows what you type into it. In Loomworld the bible is linked to the manuscript, so characters count their own appearances, the timeline links to chapters and the foreshadowing tracker warns you when a thread is overdue. The editor and bible are free.
Start a Loomworld project for free. Every section of this template is a module there, linked to your manuscript.