| name | continuity-check |
| description | Scan manuscript for inconsistencies in characters, timeline, settings, and names |
| author | AuthorAgent |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| triggers | ["continuity","continuity check","consistency check","find inconsistencies","timeline check","plot holes","check continuity"] |
| permissions | ["file:read"] |
Continuity Check Skill
Scan a manuscript (or set of chapters) for internal inconsistencies. This is not a style review — the goal is to catch factual contradictions within the text itself.
What to Check
1. Character Consistency
- Physical descriptions: Eye color, hair, height, scars, tattoos — flag if described differently in two places.
- Age and aging: Does a character's stated age match the timeline? Do children age appropriately between scenes set years apart?
- Abilities and limitations: A character who can't swim in chapter 3 shouldn't be diving in chapter 12 without explanation.
- Personality and knowledge: Flag moments where a character suddenly knows something they shouldn't, or behaves in a way that contradicts established traits without narrative justification.
- Relationships: If two characters are introduced as strangers, they shouldn't reference shared history later (unless a reveal is intended).
2. Timeline and Chronology
- Event order: Do flashbacks, references to past events, and "three days later" markers add up?
- Travel time: If two cities are a week's ride apart, a character shouldn't arrive the next morning.
- Day/night and seasons: If a scene starts at dusk, it shouldn't be noon two paragraphs later without a time skip. Winter shouldn't become summer in a single chapter unless time passes.
- Parallel scenes: When cutting between storylines, do the timelines stay in sync?
- Dates and ages: Any specific dates, years, or stated ages must remain consistent throughout.
3. Setting and World Details
- Geography: A river that flows north in one chapter shouldn't flow south in another. Room layouts, building locations, and distances should stay fixed.
- World rules: If magic costs energy, characters shouldn't cast freely without consequence. Technology, physics, and social rules must stay consistent.
- Named places: Spelling and descriptions of locations should not change (e.g., "Thornfield Inn" vs "Thornfeld Inn").
- Climate and environment: Vegetation, weather patterns, and environmental details should match the established region.
4. Names and Terminology
- Character names: First names, surnames, nicknames, and titles must be spelled consistently. Flag any drift (e.g., "Katherine" in chapter 1 vs "Catherine" in chapter 8).
- Place names: Same rule — no unexplained spelling changes.
- Invented terms: Made-up words, species, technologies, or organizations should be spelled and capitalized the same way every time.
- Titles and ranks: If a character is a Captain, they shouldn't be called Lieutenant later without a demotion scene.
5. Plot Threads and Objects
- Chekhov's guns: Note significant objects or plot threads that are introduced but never resolved.
- Resolved threads: Flag threads that are resolved without adequate setup.
- Object tracking: If a character drops a sword in a fight, they shouldn't be holding it two scenes later without picking it up.
- Information flow: If a secret is revealed to Character A in chapter 5, other characters shouldn't know it in chapter 6 unless told on-page or plausibly off-page.
Severity Levels
Categorize every finding into one of three levels:
ERROR — Definite contradiction
Two statements in the manuscript directly contradict each other. The reader will notice.
Example: "His green eyes narrowed" (ch. 2) vs "She looked into his brown eyes" (ch. 14)
WARNING — Probable inconsistency
Something looks wrong but could be intentional. Needs the author's judgment.
Example: A character who is terrified of heights willingly climbs a tower without internal conflict or acknowledgment.
INFO — Worth verifying
A detail that appears only once and could cause problems later, or a minor drift that might be a typo.
Example: A side character's name appears only twice, spelled slightly differently each time.
Output Format
Organize findings by category. For each finding, include:
[ERROR|WARNING|INFO] Category — Short description
Evidence: "exact quote" (Chapter X / location)
Conflicts with: "exact quote" (Chapter Y / location)
Suggestion: How to resolve the inconsistency
Summary Section
After all findings, provide a summary:
Continuity Check Summary
========================
Errors: X
Warnings: X
Info: X
Most affected areas: [list the chapters or sections with the most issues]
Guidelines
- Quote the text. Every finding must reference specific passages. Never say "somewhere in chapter 3" — give the actual line or paragraph.
- Do not flag style choices. A character behaving unexpectedly is not an error if the narrative frames it as surprising. Only flag contradictions, not creative decisions.
- Check the Book Bible first. If a Book Bible exists in
workspace/memory/book-bible/, cross-reference it for established facts. If no Book Bible exists, build your reference from the manuscript text itself.
- Work systematically. Read through the manuscript tracking facts on the first pass, then scan for contradictions on the second. Do not try to do both at once.
- Group related issues. If the same character's name is misspelled five times, that is one finding with five instances, not five separate findings.
- Be precise, not exhaustive. Ten real issues are more useful than fifty maybes. When in doubt, use INFO level rather than WARNING.
