PolyProse

As fantasy worlds grow, so do the intricacies of social hierarchies, cultural expectations, and the rules of magic. However, within this complexity lies a risk: inconsistencies. Suddenly, in Chapter 15, a detail set in Chapter 6 no longer matters. The death of one character in Chapter 9 becomes entirely illogical in Chapter 18. It’s a scary fate, but avoidable. The cure to this narrative ailment lies in manuscript annotation. 

Worldbuilding Consistency Matters

Your characters, their enemies, and the battles they engage in are like scenes on a stage. When an audience understands the dynamics of the field, they can infer the course of action. The goal is to build a world with rules as consistent as our own. When you do this, your world:

1. Creates a Believable World:

• Your fictional world should be guided by predictable, steadfast rules—whether for magic, technology, or geography. Our world is guided by the fundamental laws of physics; a consistent fictional world should also provide a grounded reality.

2. Enhances Immersion and Feels Lived-in:

• A consistent world feels authentic and lived-in because it has a history and norms that your audience can explore and understand. This allows readers to visualize how society and inventions function, as well as how characters resolve conflicts. This history and lore create a sense of studied information, even though it is not explicitly shown or readily available, much like in our own world.

3. Strengthens Your Narrative and Builds Reader Trust:

• A consistent world provides a solid foundation for your plot, characters, and themes; inconsistencies are jarring glitches that erode the audience’s trust in the story. When the rules of your world are dependable, you assure your reader that the narrative is strong and safe enough to fully immerse themselves in.

The Power of Annotation

Manuscript annotation is an integral part of an organized writing process. Think of your narrative as a strand of DNA. You are a protein responsible for unzipping the strands and ensuring that each base pair matches correctly. While unfavorable mutations may be hard to spot, by annotating, you could:

1. Prevent Plot Holes:

• Catching inconsistencies early prevents significant plot issues from developing later. If you identified something overlooked in your initial revisions, you can note it and start to correct the error.

2. Streamline Revision:

• By marking down significant details with a key, you can avoid having to reread your entire manuscript at times. You can search for specific scenes easily and create a map of interconnected events, people, and places.

3. Maintain Control:

• A key can help you uphold the rules of your intended world while allowing you to incorporate new ideas that align with established elements.

4. Improve Workflow:

• Annotating your narrative reduces the time required for future revisions. This permits you to focus more mental energy on line editing, pacing, dialogue, characterization, or any other area of improvement you wish to consider.

5. Create a Reference:

• Over time, your annotated manuscript can evolve into a comprehensive “World Bible” that contains all the rules, story arcs, and essential information about your world.

Setting Up Your Annotation System: A Step-by-Step Guide

Annotating a manuscript can be challenging, but with proper preparation, it becomes manageable.

1. Choose Your Medium:

• Digital:
  • Scrivener is one of the most popular software programs. It allows you to write notes for each section and gives you the ability to control the flow of your narrative. They incorporate labeling and color-coding features. I use Scrivener as my primary software. I found it far more valuable than other options in my price range. Here is my affiliate link: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=polyprose
  • Microsoft Word is also dependable. There are numerous resources to teach you how to personalize it for your needs. The comment feature can also be helpful.
  • Google Docs is free and online. You can write anywhere you want as long as you have an internet connection to save your edits and revisions. However, it is not optimized for novel writing. 
  • Obsidian has proven to be a valuable resource for creating a “World Bible”; however, I would not recommend it for annotation. It functions much better as a secondary reference guide.

• Physical:
  • Binders can physically hold your manuscript. You can highlight different passages and leave notes in the margins. Color-coded pens, symbols, and sticky notes are also powerful. 
  • Journals may also work to mark page numbers and write notes. Sticky notes can also be used in tandem to easily relocate your ideas. 
• Mixed Media:
  • Both electronic and physical media can be used together. Depending on your software, moving chapters around may be easier with a physical binder. You could use a journal to write notes and then edit them on your computer. However, very long manuscripts may be difficult to organize with physical paper.

My Method:

1. Scrivener: I use Scrivener as my writing software. My entire manuscript is written and edited on Scrivener. I then use colored labels to monitor my progress. Red is rough, orange means revised, and yellow requires a secondary pass through on a different day. Green indicates that the work is suitable for this revision cycle. I also use icons based on word count.
2. Google Docs: As a backup for my work, all changes I make on Scrivener are transferred over to Google Docs. This addresses the potential risks of computer damage or file corruption.
3. Canva: I use Canva to help me map out history. I can create images and workflows to show character interactions and the timeline of specific places, people, and events. Those PDFs become the “World Bible” of my narrative. I have also begun using it to create character profiles, which I will share with subscribers.
4. Journal: Rather than having to read every chapter to search for information, I write a summary of each in my journal. That way, I can easily open it up, read the summary, and find exactly what information I’m looking for. However, as I complete revision cycles, the journal must be updated.
5. Binders: After completing the first draft, I printed out the whole manuscript and left it by my bedside. After three months, I reviewed the binder, leaving behind sticky notes, colored tabs, and handwritten comments to enhance the manuscript for the second draft.
6. Index Cards: I use index cards as a sort of rough draft of my thoughts before adding them to my journal. They are also easy to move around. So sometimes I will write major plot points, character arcs, and character journeys on them. I then move them around to see what order of events works best.

2. Choose Your Focus:

Identify the key pillars of your worldbuilding that require consistent tracking. To maintain consistency, think broadly:

• Geography & Environment: Climate shifts, terrain, flora and fauna, celestial bodies (and their positions if required), specific migration patterns of animals, and how weather patterns influence local civilization.
• Culture & Society: Customs, traditions, social hierarchies, legal systems, social constructs, religious beliefs, languages, and how all of these interact, shaping civilizations in particular regions.
• History & Lore: Historical events, myths, legends, creation stories, timelines, causes and consequences of important events, prophecies, and how this history colors your world. 
• Magic/Technology Systems: Rules, limitations, sources, costs, consequences, societal impact, ethical implications.
• Character Details: Physical descriptions, backstory, motivations, recurring mannerisms, speech patterns, relationships, abilities, weaknesses, and flaws.
• Nomenclature: List of places, character names, specific terminology, magical abilities, creatures, and their established meanings or pronunciations.

3. Choose Your Language:

In this step, you will make a legend to quickly identify sections of your annotations. 

• Color-Coding: Assign specific colors to your categories (blue for geography, green for culture, and red for inconsistencies) or use color to show the various stages of different scenes or chapters. 
• Symbols & Abbreviations: Develop a shorthand for elements (‘M:’ for magic, ‘C:’ for culture, a question mark for potential issues). Or use asterisks, stars, or other symbols to denote themes, symbolism, characterization, or anything else.

4. Establish a “World Bible”:

This could be in the form of software, a separate notebook, organized index cards, or anything else to create a central repository for your core worldbuilding information. Whenever you introduce a new element or make a significant decision, document it and reference it in your manuscript annotations. However, do not fall into the trap of spending hours creating a “World Bible.” You do not need to mark down every single detail of your world to the point that you stop actually writing your narrative. This serves as a reference and guide to aid your writing, rather than hinder it.

Deep Annotation:

Themes, symbolism, description, narration, and prose can also be annotated.

Tracking Atmosphere:

• Pay close attention to the “Vibe.” Be cautious of your word choice and the connotations it carries. If the market you’ve described appears fun and carefree when you intended for it to be a grim, dark, dangerous place, mark it for future revision. Document sounds, smells, tastes, and textures to modify sensory descriptions for the desired experience.

Mapping Emotional Landscapes:

• Annotate character emotional responses to specific environments, events, or interactions. Also consider how each character feels about the other and how those deeply held beliefs may cause tensions, conflict, or positive resonance in different circumstances. Ensure that when these characters interact, their internal thoughts lead to believable actions and dialogue. That can also reveal subtle inconsistencies in characterization. For instance, if a character is consistently portrayed as optimistic, annotate the specific circumstances deviating from that pattern and ensure there is a significant reason why.

Highlighting The “Why”:

• What happens is not enough; the reasons must also be included. Character abilities, flaws, weaknesses, beliefs, actions, dialogue, and everything else should have purpose and explanation. Even if it’s not explicitly stated, the audience should be able to infer this.

Temporal Annotation:

• Some stories do not function on a linear timeline. There may be flashbacks, time travel, or other temporal distortions. Marking down the order of events is crucial. Create a visual timeline alongside your manuscript to avoid chronological errors.

Integrate Annotation into Your Workflow

Annotation is not a chore you rush through at the end. It may take time to integrate it into your thinking and writing process.

First Draft (Lightly):

• At this stage, telling yourself the story is the most important thing. If you don’t want to take notes, then don’t. Don’t worry about a key or abbreviating your thoughts; write freely and continue with the draft.

During Revision (Deeply):

• Dedicate specific revision passes solely to your annotation system. Read through your manuscript, looking for instances related to each of your annotation categories. Use your key and journal to keep track of them. 

Annotation as a Pre-Writing Tool:

• This advice may only function for a certain subgroup of planners. Pantsers may not connect to this advice. Before writing a scene in a new location or about a specific cultural practice, a specific magical ability, creature, or character, review your existing annotations and World Bible. Ensure your plans follow established details to maintain consistency. This proactive approach can prevent inconsistencies from appearing in the first place.

Regular Review of Annotations:

• Stories change, especially during developmental revisions. Periodically review your annotations and your World Bible to make sure they mirror your revised narrative. New plot developments or character arcs might be adjusted, and your annotations should reflect those changes.

Conclusion

Annotation is more than just a writing tool; it’s an investment in the believability and immersion of your narrative. It’s a proactive approach to catch inconsistencies, deepen your understanding of your world, and ultimately, build trust with your readers.

Implementing a systematic annotation process takes effort, but it yields significant benefits in later revisions. You can begin today with one of the actionable exercises below to test the power of annotating.

In addition to annotation, another tool that can significantly help with your revisions is QuillBot. I use it to strengthen my prose and refine sentences. You can check it out through my affiliate link here: https://try.quillbot.com/polyprose use code: WRITENOW2025 for big savings.

Actionable Exercises to Start Today

• The Timeline Challenge: Take a single plot thread and write down every significant event related to it on index cards. Then, arrange the cards in chronological order, regardless of order in the manuscript. This can quickly reveal gaps or contradictions in your story’s timeline.
• The First Appearance: When you encounter a new magical creature, a unique piece of technology, or a specific cultural practice, annotate the introduction. Then, for every subsequent mention, expand your note to flesh out the concept and ensure consistency with descriptions and rules.