Canon Rules Library

10 example rules showing how PlotLens catches continuity errors

5 for novelists · 5 for writers' rooms · covering all 5 rule types

Rule Types

Attribute Relationship Timeline World Rule Fact

Canon rules are the building blocks of story continuity. PlotLens automatically extracts and enforces these rules from your manuscript or series bible, catching contradictions the moment they appear. Below are 10 real-world examples showing each of the five rule types in action — first for novelists, then for writers' rooms.

For Novelists

Character Eye Color

Attribute

What it checks

Physical descriptions remain consistent across chapters and books. If a character is established with green eyes in Chapter 2, every later reference must match.

Example violation

"Elena looked up, her bright blue eyes catching the light." — but Elena was introduced with green eyes in an earlier chapter.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens extracts an attribute rule (entity: Elena, attribute: eye color, value: green) from the first description. When the manuscript later says "blue eyes," the validator flags the mismatch with a citation back to the original passage.

Sibling Relationship

Relationship

What it checks

Character relationships stay consistent. If two characters are established as siblings, they cannot later be described as unrelated strangers.

Example violation

"Marcus introduced his colleague to the group. 'This is James — we met at university.'" — but Marcus and James were established as brothers in Book 1.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens stores a relationship rule (Marcus — brother of — James) and detects when new text describes them as mere acquaintances. The conflict surfaces both attestations so the author can decide which version is canon.

Coronation Before Rebellion

Timeline

What it checks

Event ordering remains logically consistent. If Event A is established as happening before Event B, no future passage should reverse that order.

Example violation

"The rebellion had been raging for two years before the new queen took the throne." — but earlier chapters established that the coronation sparked the rebellion.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens maintains a timeline rule (Coronation → before → Rebellion). When new text implies the rebellion preceded the coronation, the validator flags the temporal contradiction and shows the original ordering.

Magic Cannot Resurrect

World Rule

What it checks

World-building rules and system constraints are never violated. Hard limits on magic, technology, or physics must be respected throughout the story.

Example violation

"The healer channeled her power and brought the fallen soldier back from death." — but the magic system explicitly states that resurrection is impossible.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens stores a world rule ("Magic cannot bring the dead back to life," severity: critical). Any passage describing resurrection triggers an immediate critical-severity conflict, preventing the most damaging kind of continuity error.

Capital City Name

Fact

What it checks

Established facts about the world — place names, dates, titles, measurements — remain consistent in every reference.

Example violation

"They rode through the gates of Aldenmere, the kingdom's capital." — but the capital was previously named Eldoria across three earlier chapters.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens records a fact rule ("The capital city is called Eldoria"). When a different name appears for the same location, the validator flags it with the original source passages, letting the author correct the slip or intentionally retcon.

For Writers' Rooms

Character Allergy

Attribute

What it checks

Character traits established in earlier episodes remain accurate when different writers pick up the character in later episodes.

Example violation

In S03E07, Detective Park orders a shrimp stir-fry — but S01E04 established her severe shellfish allergy as a plot point.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens extracts an attribute rule (entity: Det. Park, attribute: allergy, value: shellfish) from the series bible. Every new script is validated against the full canon, catching the contradiction before it reaches production.

Mentor–Protege Dynamic

Relationship

What it checks

Interpersonal dynamics and power structures between characters are preserved across episodes and seasons, even when different writers handle the same characters.

Example violation

A new writer scripts a scene where Chen gives Rivera orders — but Rivera is Chen's mentor and supervising officer, established across multiple episodes.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens stores the relationship rule (Rivera — mentor of — Chen). When a new script reverses the dynamic without an in-story explanation, the validator flags it so the writers' room can decide whether it is intentional character development or an error.

Pilot Episode Before Time Skip

Timeline

What it checks

Series-wide chronology stays consistent. Season and episode timelines, flashbacks, and time skips must align with established events.

Example violation

A bottle episode set "three months after the pilot" references events from the Season 2 finale, which takes place a full year later.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens builds a timeline of key events across all episodes. When a script references a future event in a past-set episode, the timeline constraint is violated and flagged with the conflicting episode citations.

Faster-Than-Light Travel Banned

World Rule

What it checks

Genre rules and show-specific constraints — "no FTL travel," "vampires can't enter without invitation," "the ring has exactly one power" — are enforced across all scripts.

Example violation

A guest writer has the crew jump to a distant star system in minutes, but the show's bible specifies that FTL travel is impossible and all travel takes months.

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens stores the world rule ("Faster-than-light travel does not exist," severity: critical) in the shared project canon. Every submitted script draft is checked, and the violation surfaces before the draft enters revision.

#10

Police Precinct Number

Fact

What it checks

Recurring factual details — addresses, badge numbers, precinct names, phone numbers — stay consistent across episodes and seasons.

Example violation

The establishing shot caption reads "14th Precinct, Manhattan" — but every prior episode has used "19th Precinct."

How PlotLens catches it

PlotLens records the fact ("The precinct is the 19th Precinct") from the earliest reference. When a script uses a different number, the conflict is flagged with citations back to the original episode, preventing an embarrassing on-screen inconsistency.

Automate these checks with PlotLens

PlotLens automatically extracts canon rules from your manuscript and validates every new page against your established story. No more spreadsheets, no more missed contradictions.