ds-continuity

name

ds-continuity

description

Death & Sourdough series continuity checker. MANDATORY before writing or editing ANY prose chapter for the Death & Sourdough project. Ensures cross-referencing of established facts (character details, locations, timeline, objects, quoted text, relationship dynamics) against the Continuity Bible, and updates the bible after writing. Trigger whenever: (1) writing a new chapter, (2) revising or fleshing out an existing chapter, (3) adding new characters, locations, or named details to the prose.

Death & Sourdough Continuity Checker

Workflow

Writing or editing any chapter involves these steps:

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.