Story Timeline and Continuity Tracker

Who this is for

The story's own calendar, scene by scene. Each line puts a scene on the story's timeline with its viewpoint, the characters present, the time since the last scene and the details that must stay consistent. Anything that does not add up is flagged for the next revision pass.

Novelists revising a draft with several viewpoints, parallel timelines or a long time span, where ages, seasons and injuries drift between chapters.

What this helps you track

• The order events happen in the story, not just on the page
• Which viewpoint and characters are in each scene
• How much time passes between scenes
• Ages, weather, injuries and objects to keep consistent
• Scenes flagged as clashing with the timeline

How to use it

1. Write the title and the story's start and end dates or day numbers at the top.
2. Go through the draft and give each scene a line: story date or day number, chapter and scene, viewpoint and the main event.
3. Note who is present and how much time has passed since the previous scene.
4. Record the details a reader might check, such as a character's age, the weather, a healing injury or where an object is.
5. Tick the flag column on any scene that contradicts another, then fix the flagged scenes in your next revision pass.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Should the lines follow story order or page order?

Story order shows clashes best. If your book is told out of sequence, enter the scenes in story order and use the chapter column to show where each falls in the manuscript.

What if my story has no calendar dates?

Use day numbers from the start of the story, such as day 1 or day 14, or relative markers like the second winter. The aim is a consistent sequence, not a real date.

How is this different from the series bible index?

The index records facts established across a series. This tracker follows one manuscript scene by scene through time, to catch slips during revision.

Can I use it while drafting?

Yes, though many writers find it most useful once a full draft exists. The browser version saves in your own browser and lets you add as many scenes as the book needs.