How do I create my first universe?
A universe is where one series lives: its books, chapters, characters, places, factions, items and lore. To create one, sign in, choose New universe on Your universes, give it a name, and choose Create.
If you'd like to look around before setting up your own, choose Explore the sample instead. You can have both, and delete the sample later.
Create a universe
- Sign in at the sign-in page.
- On Your universes, choose New universe.
- Enter the Series or world name (for example, The Ashen Crown) and, if you like, a short description.
- Choose Create. The universe opens on its Overview.
You can rename it or change the description later in Settings → General.
Or explore the sample
Choose Explore the sample (or Add the sample universe if you already have universes). It creates The Ashen Crown (sample): two books, a custom calendar with ten months and an era, a noble house, a knightly order, a crown, a magic system, and four deliberate continuity mistakes. Open Continuity to see the checker find them.
What to do next
An empty universe opens with Fill your bible, which offers three ways to start. Mix them as you like.
| Start with | Where | Good when |
|---|---|---|
| Your manuscript | Books & chapters → Upload manuscript | The books already exist as .docx, .md or .txt |
| Your AI | Prompts, then Import | You want ChatGPT or Claude to do the first read |
| Entries by hand | Any type under Bible, or ⌘K | You're planning, or prefer to type it yourself |
Two settings are worth a minute early on:
- Settings → Calendar. If your world has its own months or eras, set them before you add many dates.
- Settings → General → Attributes that can have several values. Add things like "ally", "skill" or "title" so the continuity check doesn't treat a second ally as a contradiction.
One universe per series
Keep each series in its own universe. Books in the same series share a universe, so book three's facts are checked against book one's. If two series share a world and characters, keep them in one universe so the checker can compare them.
The free plan includes one universe with up to three books. The sample universe doesn't count toward it. Pro, coming soon, has unlimited universes and books. See Pricing.
For a full walkthrough, see How to use Who Where When.
Common questions
What is a universe in Who Where When?
A universe holds one series or world, with its books, chapters, characters, places and lore. A standalone novel gets its own universe too.
Can I delete the sample universe?
Yes. Open it, go to Settings, then General, and choose Delete universe at the bottom.
Keep your story straight
Who Where When keeps every character, place and date in your books, and tells you when the story contradicts itself.
Start your story bibleMore in Start here
- What is Who Where When?Who Where When is a web app that keeps a novelist's story bible, checks it for continuity errors and can publish a spoiler-safe reader wiki.
- How do I upload my manuscript?Upload a .docx, .md or .txt file to a book and Who Where When splits it into chapters, counts appearances and suggests names to add.
- Does Who Where When work for a single novel?Yes. A standalone novel gets its own universe with one book. Everything works, though the reader wiki can only hide spoilers book by book.
Related
- How to use Who Where WhenA step-by-step tour of Who Where When, from signing up to a continuity check and a published, spoiler-safe reader wiki.
- How do entries, facts and sources work?Entries are the people, places and things in your series. Facts record details about them, with dates, a source chapter and a quote.
- Story bible templateA free, copyable story bible template for characters, places, factions, items, lore and the timeline, plus how to fill it in without it becoming a chore.