What Is a Story Bible? Example & Free Template

Learn what a story bible includes, see a filled fiction example, and download a free editable template for characters, world rules, timelines and continuity.

Free editable story bible template

Download the story bible template

STORY BIBLE TEMPLATE
Book title:
Genre, tone and viewpoint:

CHARACTERS
Name and aliases:
Starting traits and relationships:
Established facts (chapter or passage):
Current state (as of chapter):
What they know, and when they learned it:
Beliefs or suspicions (not established facts):

WORLD AND RULES
Place, organization or system:
Established rule and its source:
Costs, limits and scope:
Established exceptions and their sources:

TIMELINE AND OBJECTS
Event, date or elapsed time:
Who was present:
Important object, holder and location:
Source chapter or passage:

PLOT THREADS
Question or promise:
Introduced in:
Status: open / resolved
Resolution and source:
Later consequence (a new thread):

PRIVATE PLANS — NOT YET ESTABLISHED IN THE STORY
Possible future event or reveal:
Who may know it, and when:

REVISION CHECK
Compare a new chapter against established facts.
Record deliberate changes with their source.
Keep uncertain details unspecified.
Keep future plans separate from events already on the page.

Free tools for your November draft

Prepare a small novel plan, set a daily word goal, or keep a cast reference as your story grows. These browser tools work without an account or AI and include local saving and free export.

Try free AI chapter analysis · Explore Storybible Reader on the web · iPhone & iPad coming soon