# Serial Continuity Ledger

A free, manual worksheet for keeping track of what happened, who knows about it, and what a later chapter must respect. Copy it into a notebook, spreadsheet, or Markdown file. No account, upload, payment, or AI tool is required.

## Start with one scene

Record facts the accepted scene actually establishes. Keep planned events and possible twists in a separate section until you choose them. A character's suspicion is a belief; it is not automatically a fact about the world.

| Chapter / scene | Established event or fact | Who witnessed it or learned it, and how? | What does the reader know? | Consequence or open question |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

For each important character, add a short knowledge note:

| Character | Knows / believes | Source scene or conversation | Still does not know | Next opportunity to learn |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

## Worked example: the missing ferry token

This example is invented.

In chapter 3, Mara hides the ferry token beneath a tavern stool while Jon is outside. The reader sees her do it. When Jon returns, he notices mud on Mara's sleeve.

| Chapter / scene | Established event or fact | Who witnessed it or learned it, and how? | What does the reader know? | Consequence or open question |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 / tavern | Mara hides the token beneath the stool. | Mara performed the action. Jon was outside. | The token's location and Mara's involvement. | The token remains there unless a later event moves it. |
| 3 / Jon returns | There is mud on Mara's sleeve. | Jon sees the mud. | The mud may be a clue; its cause is not established. | Jon can ask about the mud or investigate. |

| Character | Knows / believes | Source scene or conversation | Still does not know | Next opportunity to learn |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mara | She hid the token beneath the stool. | Her own action in chapter 3. | Whether anyone later moved it. | Return to the tavern or receive a credible report. |
| Jon | Mara has mud on her sleeve. | His observation in chapter 3. | Who took the token and where it is. | A search, witnessed action, admission, or other evidence. |

In chapter 4, Jon can notice the mud or become suspicious. If he confidently names the hiding place, the story needs a source for that knowledge. Mara can know where she left the token without knowing whether it is still there. The reader can know more than either character.

## Before publishing the next chapter

1. **Check knowledge:** Can each important statement or decision be traced to something that character witnessed, learned, or reasonably inferred? Label an inference as an inference.
2. **Check consequences:** Did a lost object, injury, promise, deadline, or broken relationship quietly disappear? Record what changed or keep the consequence active.
3. **Check the reader's experience:** Is a repeated explanation necessary? A clue can stay implicit even when your private ledger spells it out.

When you revise a chapter, update affected rows and note the revision. Keep rejected alternatives outside the accepted-facts table.

## Optional AI review prompt

> Compare this proposed scene with only the accepted excerpts and ledger I provide. List possible continuity conflicts. For each, quote a short relevant passage from my supplied text and identify the character's knowledge source. Separate established facts, character beliefs, and uncertain inferences. If evidence is missing, say "unknown." Do not invent a missing scene, decide an unresolved twist, or rewrite the prose.

Check the suggestions against your manuscript before changing it. This worksheet is a manual resource, not an automated Castlori feature.

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From [Castlori](https://castlori.com/), a platform for original stories, comics, and manga. Prepared with AI assistance. You can use the worksheet independently of Castlori.

Related resources: [five-line scene planner](SCENE-WORKSHEET.md) · [worked scene example](worked-example.md) · [free creator guide](https://guide.castlori.com/).