Find and fix contradictions

You don't have to run anything to find contradictions. Each time you save a scene of at least 100 words, NovelCanon reads it, records the facts it states and compares them with the rest of your book. Any disagreements appear in the editor's ⚠ Consistency panel and on the project's Consistency page. To fix one, choose the correct version with Keep "…", then change the wording in any scene that still says the other.

What does the Consistency Engine check?

It checks at three points:

• As you type (all plans). About two seconds after you stop typing, the editor checks the scene against your Story Bible and the facts already recorded. It flags a character name that looks misspelled, an eye or hair color that differs from the established one, a number (such as an age) that doesn't match, and a character acting after their death. These checks run in your browser and use no AI.
• After each save (all plans, needs an AI key). NovelCanon reads the scene and records its facts: a character's eye color, where someone was born, a rule of your magic system. It then compares them with every other scene. New issues usually appear within a minute.
• Check for contradictions (Pro). A whole-book check that also looks for dropped plot threads, broken world rules, relationship conflicts, and characters acting on something they haven't learned yet. See How do I check the whole book?

Which contradictions get flagged?

Contradictions are flagged for facts that shouldn't change during a story: eye color, name, birthplace, date of birth and handedness. Hair color and height are flagged as warnings, because characters do sometimes dye their hair.

Facts that naturally change, such as age, job or where someone is, are treated as the story moving on: a later scene's version replaces the earlier one. These are flagged only when a single scene states two versions. Travel times and the events on your Timeline page aren't checked.

Before showing an issue, NovelCanon reads both passages where it has them, and drops the issue when both can be true: one passage is a rumor, a lie, a disguise or a flashback, or it's about someone else.

Where do I see contradictions?

• In the editor: click ⚠ Consistency above the scene. The Inline tab lists the as-you-type warnings, which are also underlined in your text (yellow for a warning, red for critical). The Issues tab lists contradictions under This scene and Other scenes.
• On the Consistency page: click Consistency under Tools in the project's left sidebar. Issues are sorted into Open issues, Resolved and Dismissed, and every recorded fact is listed in the Fact registry.
• After an import: the import window says how many possible contradictions it found and offers See contradictions.

How do I fix a contradiction?

Each issue shows the competing versions under Which is correct?, each with the passage that states it and the scenes it appears in.

1. Decide which version is right, and click Keep "…" next to it. That version becomes canon, the official version every scene is checked against.
2. If a scene still uses the other version, the issue stays open as a reminder: Still written as "…", followed by those scenes.
3. Click → fix next to a scene. It opens at the passage in question.
4. Change the wording. When you save, the reminder clears itself.

You can also just fix the text without clicking anything. Once no scene states the wrong version any more, the issue moves to Resolved on its own.

Issues from the whole-book check, such as a dropped plot thread, have no versions to choose between. They show a 💡 suggestion and → open links to the scenes involved.

What if the contradiction is deliberate?

• It's intentional: for a disguise, an unreliable narrator or any change you meant. It adds an exception covering the scenes involved and resolves the issue. Exceptions are listed in the Exceptions tab on the Consistency page; delete one there and those scenes are checked again.
• Ignore: for anything that isn't a real problem. The issue moves to Dismissed and isn't raised again. To bring it back, open the Dismissed tab and click Reopen.

How do I correct a fact NovelCanon got wrong?

Open the Fact registry tab on the Consistency page. Facts are grouped by character, place or thing, each with the passage it came from and a link to its scene. Use Search facts… to find one.

• Dismiss removes a fact NovelCanon misread. It's no longer checked, and it won't be recorded again from the same text.
• Show dismissed lists removed facts. Restore brings one back, as long as a scene still states it.
• A fact marked superseded was replaced by a later version. Revert restores the earlier version instead.

Facts follow your text: delete or reword the sentence that states a fact, and once no scene states it, the fact retires by itself. You never need to clean up the registry after editing.

How do I check the whole book?

The whole-book check is part of Pro.

1. On the Consistency page, click Check for contradictions.
2. Review the estimated cost, which is charged by your AI provider. You can pick a different Analysis model: the default is fast and economical, and a stronger model catches subtler issues for a higher cost.
3. If you've edited scenes since your Story Bible was last updated, the window suggests Scan for new entries first, for a more accurate check.
4. Click Confirm & check.

The check runs in the background while the button reads Checking…, and new issues appear under Open issues. It also clears issues you've already fixed.

Contradictions are found from your text alone. Plot-thread, relationship and world-rule checks compare your text with the plot threads, relationships and world rules in your Story Bible, so they find problems only with entries that exist. Knowledge slips, where a character acts on something before they learn it, are checked for what you record on the character's Knowledge timeline tab with the scene they learn it in.

Where do Story Bible suggestions come from?

Your Story Bible entries, such as characters, places, world rules and plot threads, are what the AI and the Consistency Engine know your story by. NovelCanon suggests them from three places:

• As you write (all plans): a character or place named in at least two scenes that isn't in your Story Bible yet is suggested, at no extra AI cost.
• When you import (Manuscript, Pro and the trial): the whole Story Bible is drafted from your book. See Import your manuscript.
• Scan for new entries (Manuscript and Pro): on the Story bible page, this finds what you've written since the last scan.

Nothing joins your Story Bible until you accept it. The number beside Story bible in the sidebar is how many suggestions are waiting: Accept or Reject each one, or use Accept all / Reject all. When a suggestion looks like someone already in your Story Bible, Add as alias of that character avoids a duplicate. A name you reject is never suggested again.

Troubleshooting

Why does the Consistency page say "Nothing checked yet"?

No facts have been recorded in this project yet. Facts need a connected AI key and scenes of at least 100 words, and they're recorded when a scene is saved. See Why aren't any facts appearing?

Why wasn't a contradiction I can see flagged?

Check these in order:

• The scene is shorter than 100 words, so it hasn't been read.
• It's a fact that's allowed to change, such as age, job or location, stated in different scenes (see Which contradictions get flagged?).
• You ignored it earlier: look in the Dismissed tab.
• An exception covers those scenes: look in the Exceptions tab.
• It needs the whole-book check, such as a dropped plot thread or a character knowing something too early.

Why was something flagged that isn't a mistake?

If NovelCanon misread the text, Dismiss the wrong fact in the Fact registry. If the text really does say both things on purpose, click It's intentional. Otherwise click Ignore.

Why does the Consistency page say "Fact analysis paused"?

NovelCanon couldn't read your latest scene, usually because of a problem with your AI key or credit. See Fact analysis paused.