Use this character bible to preserve the decisions that make a recurring character recognisable. Separate stable traits from events that change across episodes, and pair appearance notes with motivation and performance. The template should help a writer, artist or reviewer resolve a specific choice rather than become a long biography.
This is a reusable planning worksheet. Filled examples are fictional and are not evidence of product output or customer results.
Keep your character decisions together.
Define the reference and traits that should stay stable, then record what you observed in each shot. Matches are your manual checks. An unknown check or a different reference stays open; a drift report needs a revision. Your inputs stay in this tab and are lost when you leave. Download CSV or text to keep them. This worksheet inspects no images, verifies no rights and sends no inputs to analytics.
Original fictional presets demonstrate a reviewed row, a drift report and an unknown comparison. They contain no generated character images or product quality results.
Define one character reference
Compare each shot with that reference
Keep a stable comparison ID. Record a new comparison after revising a shot so the previous drift note remains available. “Not applicable” needs an explanation in your observation note.
Changing the character’s reference, traits or voice direction resets manual checks to unknown and keeps your notes. Downloads keep incomplete fields visible. They are planning records, not a product import file. Loading an example or starting blank replaces your current in-tab draft.
Use the interactive worksheet
Keep the character’s stable appearance, voice and behaviour decisions separate from the state of a particular scene. Record what should stay consistent, what you observed and the change needed. Leave an observation unknown until someone has reviewed the material.
The worksheet organises your manual observations; it does not inspect an uploaded image or generated clip. A completed profile is a useful reference for another reviewer. Check a new take against the approved references and record any deliberate story change before downloading the continuity record.
Record the traits that affect decisions
Begin with what the character wants, what they fear and how they usually respond under pressure. A contradiction can make the profile useful: a cautious person who protects others may break a rule when someone needs help. These notes guide action rather than simply describing personality.
Add visual and voice anchors that a reviewer can recognise. Prioritise silhouette, signature props, pronunciation and delivery patterns. Keep scene-specific emotions outside the permanent profile so a temporary reaction does not become an accidental rule for every performance.
Copy the reusable character record
Give the character a stable identifier and link accepted references wherever you store them. Describe what each reference establishes. A close portrait may define facial features while a full-body image establishes proportions; they should agree on the same character.
Use the continuity section for knowledge, relationships and object states that change. Include the episode or scene where the change becomes true.
CHARACTER ID / NAME:
PROFILE VERSION / APPROVED BY:
ROLE IN THE STORY:
IMMEDIATE WANT / LONGER-TERM WANT:
FEAR / CONTRADICTION:
TYPICAL DECISION UNDER PRESSURE:
VISUAL ANCHORS (silhouette, face, costume, props):
ACCEPTED REFERENCES / WHAT EACH DEFINES:
VOICE RHYTHM / VOCABULARY / RANGE:
PRONUNCIATION NOTES:
RELATIONSHIPS / POINTS OF FRICTION:
BEHAVIOURS TO AVOID AND WHY:
CONTINUITY CHANGES (episode, event, lasting effect):
OPEN QUESTIONS / NEXT TEST:Worked illustration: Mara the lighthouse keeper
Mara is a fictional character used to show how the fields connect. Her coat and notebook provide visual anchors, while her relationship to rules gives the writer a repeatable decision pattern. The profile leaves room for development instead of prescribing an identical response to every problem.
The continuity entry changes a relationship after a specific event. Future scenes should reflect that change while keeping the underlying personality recognisable.
Update the bible after approved changes
After an episode, add only the changes that matter later. Separate an approved design update from an isolated production inconsistency. If a shot shows the wrong notebook colour, correct the shot or flag the exception; do not silently redefine the character to match every output.
When a reviewer disagrees about behaviour, compare the choice with the character’s goal, knowledge and relationship at that point. Update an unclear rule with an example of the intended decision. Preserve superseded references in a clearly labelled history so old material does not compete with the current version.
Questions & answers
Do minor characters need a full bible?
Use a shorter record containing the traits and references that need to survive their appearances. Add detail when a recurring decision or continuity issue makes it useful.
Can the character change over time?
Yes. Record the event that causes the change and distinguish development from inconsistency. A character can remain recognisable while learning, changing relationships or replacing a familiar object.
Explore the workflow with your own idea.