Features · Checks
Eleven rules that read the whole book.
No model, no guessing: a rule is broken or it is not.
Every issue names its rule.
An issue comes with the rule that broke, the scenes, events and characters involved and a scene to jump to. Dismiss one that is intended, and undo brings it back.
The rules
What is checked.
| Code | Rule | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | In two places at once | error |
| C2 | Travelled too fast | warning |
| C3 | The dead reappear | error |
| C4 | Before they existed | error |
| C5 | Age drift | warning |
| C6 | Date and weather | warning |
| C7 | Order of time | error |
| C8 | Point of view not present | warning |
| C9 | Knows too early | warning |
| C10 | One object, two places | error |
| C12 | Beat off its mark | info |
Honest note
What checks can and cannot.
- Pre-betaRules over your data
Checks run on the events, scenes, places and routes you entered. A story with no events has nothing to check.
- Not offeredProse-level findings are low confidence
An age stated in a scene (“34 years old”) against a birth date is shown as information only.
- Not offeredNo style or grammar
Author does not edit your sentences.
Questions
About the checks.
Does it read my prose and work it out?
No. It works from events, scenes and facts you entered. A scene can state an age or a weekday, and the checks compare that with the calendar, but Author does not infer events from sentences.
Which checks are there?
Eleven: in two places at once, travelled too fast, the dead reappear, before they existed, age drift, date and weather, order of time, point of view not present, knows too early, one object in two places, and a story beat off its mark. They are rules, not a model. See the checks.
Can I dismiss an issue that is intended?
Yes. Dismiss it, and undo brings it back.
What do maps do?
You pin places on a picture or drawing and draw routes with distances. The travel check uses the routes to judge whether a journey is possible in the time the story gives it.