Death & Sourdough Continuity Checker
Workflow
Writing or editing any chapter involves these steps:
- Pre-write: Load continuity context
- Read Death_and_Sourdough_Continuity_Bible.md in the project folder - Read A_Crust_of_Suspicion_Chapter_Breakdown.md for the target chapter's planned beats - Read Death_and_Sourdough_Dramatis_Personae.md for character reference - If the chapter references events from earlier chapters, read those chapters
- During writing: Cross-reference established facts
- Before using any character name, check the bible for established spelling and details - Before describing any location, check the bible for established physical details - Before quoting or paraphrasing Gran's journal, check the bible for verbatim established quotes - Before referencing timeline or days, check the bible's timeline table - Before writing relationship dialogue, check the bible's relationship dynamics section - Before describing baking, check the baking progress tracker for what has been established
- Post-write: Update the continuity bible
- Add any new characters introduced (with physical descriptions, names, roles) - Add any new locations or location details established - Add any new Gran's journal quotes (verbatim) - Update the timeline table with new events - Update the baking progress tracker - Update relationship dynamics with new significant beats - Add any new backstory breadcrumbs planted - Add any new unresolved threads introduced - Flag any potential discrepancies discovered
What to Check
Names: Full names, spellings, titles. Geoffrey's niece is Claire Finch. The parish council chair is Margaret Aldridge (not Patricia). Margot's surname is Prescott (never Chen).
Numbers: Ages, dates, durations, word counts, distances. Gran was born 1938. The bakery was established 1962. Check years of service, days elapsed, times of day.
Physical details: What characters look like, what they wear, what buildings contain. These must not change between chapters unless the change is deliberate and noted.
Inscriptions and signs: The bakery sign, Gran's headstone, "Mother"'s label, pub signs. These are fixed text. Copy verbatim from the bible, never paraphrase or alter.
Quoted journal text: Gran's journal passages are established canon. Never alter previously quoted text. New passages must not contradict established ones.
Timeline: What day it is, how many days have passed, what has happened in what order. Cross-reference the timeline table before writing any temporal reference.
References
The Continuity Bible lives at: Death_and_Sourdough_Continuity_Bible.md in the project folder. It is a living document and must be updated after every chapter.