Premise
One or two sentences on what the story is about and what is at stake. Example: “A lighthouse keeper receives letters from a man who drowned eleven years ago.”
SERIES BIBLE TEMPLATE
A series bible template for serialized fiction.
A series bible is the single reference that keeps a long-running story consistent: who your characters are, what your world allows, and how the story should feel. Copy the five sections below into any document, or use them directly in the studio.
Genre and tone
Name the genre and describe the feel in plain words, such as “quiet, salt-worn, melancholic but hopeful.” Tone is what keeps chapter 40 sounding like chapter 1.
World rules
The facts that can never change: geography, technology, magic, social rules, timelines. Write them as short statements you can check a chapter against.
Characters
For each person: name, role, a short description, and their current status — where they are and what they are holding back right now. Update the status as chapters move on.
Where the last chapter ended
Keep the closing lines of your latest chapter in view. Starting from them is the fastest way to pick up the thread in your next session.
Common questions
What is a series bible?
A series bible is a reference document for an ongoing story. It records the premise, genre, tone, world rules and characters so that every new chapter stays consistent with what came before.
What should a story bible template include?
At minimum: premise, genre and tone, world rules, a character list with each character’s current status, and a note of where the latest chapter ended.
Why do serialized fiction authors need one?
Serials are written and published over months, often one chapter at a time. A series bible stops details like names, injuries, relationships and rules from drifting between chapters.