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.