1. Character profilesThese are great quick snapshots of who each of your main characters are. I try to do one for each of my main characters and supporting characters. Try to go beyond the traditional "blue eyes, black hair, 150lbs." Go deeper than that. I always include a little paragraph about their history as well as their preferred weaponry, language use, and growth points. List their weird quirk, the trait that sets them apart, or the first thing people notice about them. I also like to include an inspiration picture if I can find one on Pinterest. I have an example below (character names placeholders for my real ones). Male MC 1 Race - Dragonbourne Occupation - tracker Phrase Description - bad boy Hair - half shaven head with black, shaggy hair that falls into his eyes a lot. Constantly sweeping it aside. Face - chiseled jawline, scar near his ear, high cheekbones History - always a physical child, loving parents turned him out when he proved to be too much trouble, joined military young, involved with the wrong crowd. Growth point - The world is not out to get him. Weaponry - dual wielding swords Languages - common, dragonbourne You can add anything you want, those are just some of my important categories that really help me when needing to reference back. Customize these profiles to what YOU need to know! 2. Major Element ExplanationsI have not only several magical beings that need explaining, but also several items and plot points. Use your book bible to flush these elements out and over explain them so when they go into the book, you can pull the descriptions you need. I have pages about things like magical artifacts, healing potions, and creature abilities. Your book bible is where you can OVER-explain these things (whereas in your writing, you'll probably have to tone it down). Don't hold back! Go into major detail about everything so that when you pull it into your book, you can pick and choose the best parts. 3. Chapter summariesThis is extremely helpful for pacing. It gives you an overarching view of your whole book and you can see where various plot points are. However, where I find it most helpful is in looking at what chapters are valuable. If there's a chapter description that doesn't lead up to the main conflict or contribute at all, either I have to rewrite it, or delete it! I have a one-word sentence for each chapter that lets me know what happens, whose POV it is and what time of day it is (I don't know why, but I always find time of day super helpful). For example; MC is introduced to SC1 and told about quest plus religious ties. Night. Bar. 4. HistoryThis is where the world-building comes in. Separate your book bible into major sections like Government, Religion, Technology, Weaponry, Culture, Food. Then world-build, world-build, world-build! This section gives me something to refer back to when I have a character curse (would they actually say hell or an equivalent in their religion?) or work through wars or pick out clothing. Instead of making up something that doesn't make sense within the context of your world, take a look back at your history section and find something within it that will fit. I personally write a mini history of the world, cultures, religions, and government. These are my top categories that I find myself referring back to all the time. But it's different for every story and every writer! Find out what you're most often pausing to remember and dig in deep with your details in your book bible. In ConclusionI hope this helps you! What else do you include in your book bibles? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!
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AuthorM. M. Kastanek Archives
June 2022
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