continuity-check - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: continuity-check description: Scan manuscript for inconsistencies in characters, timeline, settings, and names author: AuthorClaw version: 1.0.0 triggers: - "continuity" - "continuity check" - "consistency check" - "find inconsistencies" - "timeline check" - "plot holes" - "check continuity" permissions: - file:read

Continuity Check Skill

Scan a manuscript (or set of chapters) for internal inconsistencies. This is not a style review — the goal is to catch factual contradictions within the text itself.

What to Check

1. Character Consistency

Physical descriptions: Eye color, hair, height, scars, tattoos — flag if described differently in two places.
Age and aging: Does a character's stated age match the timeline? Do children age appropriately between scenes set years apart?
Abilities and limitations: A character who can't swim in chapter 3 shouldn't be diving in chapter 12 without explanation.
Personality and knowledge: Flag moments where a character suddenly knows something they shouldn't, or behaves in a way that contradicts established traits without narrative justification.
Relationships: If two characters are introduced as strangers, they shouldn't reference shared history later (unless a reveal is intended).

2. Timeline and Chronology

Event order: Do flashbacks, references to past events, and "three days later" markers add up?
Travel time: If two cities are a week's ride apart, a character shouldn't arrive the next morning.
Day/night and seasons: If a scene starts at dusk, it shouldn't be noon two paragraphs later without a time skip. Winter shouldn't become summer in a single chapter unless time passes.
Parallel scenes: When cutting between storylines, do the timelines stay in sync?
Dates and ages: Any specific dates, years, or stated ages must remain consistent throughout.

3. Setting and World Details

Geography: A river that flows north in one chapter shouldn't flow south in another. Room layouts, building locations, and distances should stay fixed.
World rules: If magic costs energy, characters shouldn't cast freely without consequence. Technology, physics, and social rules must stay consistent.
Named places: Spelling and descriptions of locations should not change (e.g., "Thornfield Inn" vs "Thornfeld Inn").
Climate and environment: Vegetation, weather patterns, and environmental details should match the established region.

4. Names and Terminology

Character names: First names, surnames, nicknames, and titles must be spelled consistently. Flag any drift (e.g., "Katherine" in chapter 1 vs "Catherine" in chapter 8).
Place names: Same rule — no unexplained spelling changes.
Invented terms: Made-up words, species, technologies, or organizations should be spelled and capitalized the same way every time.
Titles and ranks: If a character is a Captain, they shouldn't be called Lieutenant later without a demotion scene.

5. Plot Threads and Objects

Chekhov's guns: Note significant objects or plot threads that are introduced but never resolved.
Resolved threads: Flag threads that are resolved without adequate setup.
Object tracking: If a character drops a sword in a fight, they shouldn't be holding it two scenes later without picking it up.
Information flow: If a secret is revealed to Character A in chapter 5, other characters shouldn't know it in chapter 6 unless told on-page or plausibly off-page.

Severity Levels

Categorize every finding into one of three levels:

ERROR — Definite contradiction

Two statements in the manuscript directly contradict each other. The reader will notice.

Example: "His green eyes narrowed" (ch. 2) vs "She looked into his brown eyes" (ch. 14)

WARNING — Probable inconsistency

Something looks wrong but could be intentional. Needs the author's judgment.

Example: A character who is terrified of heights willingly climbs a tower without internal conflict or acknowledgment.

INFO — Worth verifying

A detail that appears only once and could cause problems later, or a minor drift that might be a typo.

Example: A side character's name appears only twice, spelled slightly differently each time.

Output Format

Organize findings by category. For each finding, include:

[ERROR|WARNING|INFO] Category — Short description
  Evidence: "exact quote" (Chapter X / location)
  Conflicts with: "exact quote" (Chapter Y / location)
  Suggestion: How to resolve the inconsistency

Summary Section

After all findings, provide a summary:

Continuity Check Summary
========================
Errors:   X
Warnings: X
Info:     X

Most affected areas: [list the chapters or sections with the most issues]

Guidelines

Quote the text. Every finding must reference specific passages. Never say "somewhere in chapter 3" — give the actual line or paragraph.
Do not flag style choices. A character behaving unexpectedly is not an error if the narrative frames it as surprising. Only flag contradictions, not creative decisions.
Check the Book Bible first. If a Book Bible exists in workspace/memory/book-bible/, cross-reference it for established facts. If no Book Bible exists, build your reference from the manuscript text itself.
Work systematically. Read through the manuscript tracking facts on the first pass, then scan for contradictions on the second. Do not try to do both at once.
Group related issues. If the same character's name is misspelled five times, that is one finding with five instances, not five separate findings.
Be precise, not exhaustive. Ten real issues are more useful than fifty maybes. When in doubt, use INFO level rather than WARNING.