La Bible de Cohérence du Worldbuilding : Transformez des Notes de Récit Éparses en un Document Canonique Structuré
Pourquoi ce prompt est important
Continuity errors are one of the most common reasons readers and players lose trust in long-form fiction — a character's stated age shifting, a travel time being violated two chapters later, a magic rule broken without explanation. Catching these before publication is far cheaper than fixing them after (errata, reader complaints, one-star reviews calling out plot holes). TV writers' rooms and major game studios pay dedicated continuity editors specifically for this function; this prompt gives an individual novelist or indie studio the same safety net without the headcount.
À quoi nous l'utilisons
You are 8 months into drafting a fantasy novel — or a game's narrative bible — across chapter drafts, a Discord brainstorming log with beta readers, sticky notes, and a half-finished spreadsheet of character ages. You are about to start the next book or the next act and need one reliable reference before you keep writing, but you no longer remember every detail you established months ago.
Prompt
Role: Act as a meticulous continuity editor and story bible archivist for [GENRE, e.g. epic fantasy / sci-fi RPG / serialized web fiction]. Context: I have been developing a fictional world across scattered, disorganized notes — chapter drafts, brainstorming logs, character sheets, and worldbuilding fragments written at different times without a master reference. I need these consolidated into a single reliable canon document before I continue writing. Here are my scattered notes, in no particular order: [PASTE ALL YOUR NOTES, DRAFT EXCERPTS, CHAT LOGS, OR OUTLINE FRAGMENTS HERE — as much as you have, unedited] Known fixed facts I want you to treat as ground truth even if notes conflict with them: [LIST ANY FACTS YOU'RE CERTAIN ABOUT, e.g. "The capital city is named Veyrith" — leave blank if none] Task: Read through all of the notes and produce a structured canon document with these sections: 1. Characters — for each named character: their established traits, motivations, relationships, and current status as of the latest note that mentions them. 2. Timeline — every event mentioned, placed in chronological order as best you can determine, noting your confidence level for any ordering you had to infer. 3. Locations and Setting Rules — every named place and any established rules of geography, technology, or magic/science that governs the world. 4. Established Facts — a running list of concrete facts stated directly in the notes (names, numbers, dates, specific claims). 5. Contradictions and Open Questions — anything where two notes conflict with each other, or where a detail is referenced but never actually defined. Constraints: Do not invent any fact, name, or detail that isn't stated or clearly implied in the notes — if something is unclear, put it in the Open Questions section instead of guessing. When you find a contradiction, quote or closely paraphrase both conflicting mentions so I can see exactly where the disagreement is. Do not smooth over inconsistencies to make the world seem more coherent than the notes actually show. Output Format: Markdown with an H2 heading for each of the five sections above. Use bullet points within each section. End with a numbered list under "Contradictions and Open Questions" so each item is easy to reference when I follow up.
Résultat
Characters
- Kessa Vane — Former royal cartographer, now exiled. Motivation: reclaim her seat on the Cartographers' Guild by proving the eastern maps were falsified. Relationship: distrustful of her former apprentice, Thom, who she believes reported her to the Guild (stated in Chapter 3 draft, reaffirmed in your Aug 2 brainstorming log). Current status: last seen heading toward the Salt Coast at the end of Chapter 4.
- Thom Ellery — Apprentice-turned-Guild-cartographer. Your notes describe him as "loyal to Kessa" in the character sheet from early notes, but the Chapter 3 draft has Kessa accusing him of betrayal — this is flagged below as a contradiction, since the notes never confirm whether he actually reported her.
Timeline
- The Falsified Maps Incident (referenced but undated — inferred to occur roughly 8 years before the story's present, based on Kessa's stated age at the time versus her current age).
- Kessa's exile (follows the incident by an unspecified gap — your notes say "years later" without a number).
- Chapter 1–4 events (present-day story timeline, spans roughly 3 weeks per travel-time references).
Locations and Setting Rules
- Veyrith — the capital, seat of the Cartographers' Guild. Confirmed as a coastal city (Chapter 2 mentions harbor traffic).
- The Salt Coast — mentioned twice, but never given a firm travel time from Veyrith; Chapter 1 implies a two-day journey, your Aug 2 log implies a week. Flagged below.
- Magic system rule — cartographic magic requires physical ink made from a specific mineral ("starsalt") found only near the Salt Coast, per your worldbuilding fragment. No notes yet establish how much starsalt is needed per map or what happens if it runs out.
Established Facts
- The Guild has 12 seats, per your character sheet.
- Kessa is stated as 34 years old in the present day.
- Starsalt ink is described as "faintly blue when wet" in two separate notes, consistently.
Contradictions and Open Questions
- Thom's loyalty: Character sheet calls him "loyal to Kessa," but Chapter 3 has Kessa directly accusing him of betrayal. Neither note confirms which is accurate as of the story's present — needs a decision.
- Salt Coast travel time: Chapter 1 implies 2 days from Veyrith; Aug 2 brainstorming log says a week. These can't both be true — pick one and I'll flag any future note that contradicts it.
- Starsalt supply limits: The magic system's core constraint (starsalt availability) is referenced as important but never quantified anywhere in your notes — this is a worldbuilding gap, not a contradiction, but it's worth resolving before it matters in the plot.
Tout projet de fiction ou de jeu de longue haleine finit par accumuler le même problème : des mois de notes éparpillées entre brouillons de chapitres, discussions de brainstorming, fiches de personnages et post-it, sans référence fiable unique pour ce qui a réellement été établi. Au moment où un auteur commence le tome deux, plus personne ne se souvient pleinement de ce qui a été décidé sur l'âge d'un personnage, les limites d'un système magique, ou la durée d'un trajet entre deux villes.
Pourquoi Ce Prompt Est Structuré Ainsi
Le prompt commence par une instruction de Rôle — «éditeur de continuité et archiviste de la bible du récit» — plutôt qu'un assistant d'écriture générique, car le travail de continuité exige un état d'esprit spécifique : le scepticisme envers le matériau plutôt que l'enthousiasme pour celui-ci. Un modèle préparé comme collaborateur créatif serviable dissimule souvent les lacunes. Un modèle préparé comme éditeur de continuité est plus susceptible de signaler ce qu'il ne sait pas plutôt que de l'inventer.
La Contrainte Qui Rend Ceci Vraiment Utile
La ligne la plus importante de ce prompt est l'instruction de ne pas inventer de faits et de signaler l'ambiguïté comme une question ouverte plutôt que de deviner. Sans cette contrainte, la plupart des modèles comblent avec assurance les lacunes de continuité par des inventions plausibles.
Comment L'adapter
Pour une bible narrative partagée d'un studio de jeu, ajoutez une ligne demandant au modèle d'étiqueter chaque fait avec la note ou le document dont il provient.