How to Write a Novel Series with Claude AI & Fact Files

8/10/2025

A Writer's Guide: How to Author a Novel Series Using Claude Code & Fact Files

Hey there, fellow writer. So, you’ve got an idea. Not just any idea, but a BIG one. The kind that doesn’t fit into a single book. You’re thinking about a series, a sprawling epic with characters your readers will love, hate, & grow with over multiple installments. It’s an exciting prospect, right? But also… a little terrifying.

Honestly, the thought of keeping everything straight across three, five, or even ten books is enough to make anyone’s head spin. How do you maintain continuity? How do you keep your characters consistent yet evolving? How do you manage a plot that unfolds over hundreds of thousands of words without losing the thread?

I’ve been there. Staring at a mountain of notes, a tangled web of plotlines, & a cast of characters that could rival a small town. But here's the thing: it’s totally doable. You just need a system. A modern system.

Forget the old-school image of a writer drowning in a sea of index cards and crumpled-up notes (though, let’s be real, there will probably still be some of that). Today, we have some pretty cool tools at our disposal that can make this whole process not just manageable, but genuinely fun & creatively fulfilling.

We're going to talk about a two-pronged approach that has been a game-changer for me: combining the raw power of AI, specifically Anthropic's Claude, with the meticulous organization of fact files, or what’s often called a "story bible." Think of it as marrying cutting-edge technology with time-tested storytelling wisdom. We'll even get into what I like to call "Claude Code," a way of structuring your ideas that turns the AI into your ultimate writing partner.

So grab a coffee, get comfortable, & let’s dive into how you can build your fictional universe without losing your mind.

The Foundation: Why a Series Needs a Different Blueprint

First things first, writing a series isn't just writing one book after another. It's a different beast entirely. You're building a world that needs to feel consistent & real over the long haul. A standalone novel is a sprint; a series is a marathon.

The core idea is that you have one massive, overarching story that’s told through smaller, self-contained stories—your individual novels. Each book needs to have its own satisfying arc, its own resolved conflict. Your protagonist should have a clear goal in each book & either achieve it or fail spectacularly by the climax. But, & this is the crucial part, the larger story of the series continues to bubble under the surface, with some plot threads left tantalizingly loose at the end of each installment.

It's a delicate balancing act. You need to give the reader a complete, satisfying experience in each book, but also leave them wanting more. A common mistake is to end a book on a massive cliffhanger that feels cheap. A better approach? Resolve the main plot of that specific book but leave a subplot hanging or introduce a new complication that sets up the next book.

One of the trickiest parts is handling backstory. In book two, you have to remind readers of what happened in book one without boring them with huge info-dumps. It's a fine line to walk, weaving in just enough information to keep everyone on the same page.

This is where having a solid plan from the get-go becomes SO important. You don't have to have every single detail mapped out for all eight books you're planning, but you do need a general outline for the entire series. Think about the beginning, the central conflict that drives the whole saga, & the ultimate end. This overarching plot is your North Star.

Enter the Fact File: Your Series' Single Source of Truth

This brings us to the most critical organizational tool for any series writer: the fact file, or as it's more traditionally known, the story bible. Seriously, if you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: START A STORY BIBLE. I know, I know, it sounds like a lot of work, but trust me, you will thank yourself later.

A story bible is exactly what it sounds like: a centralized document that holds all the essential information about your fictional world. It's your single source of truth for everything from character eye color to the political history of your invented kingdom. It's been a staple for screenwriters for decades—how else could a show like Game of Thrones or the Marvel Cinematic Universe keep all its lore straight across so many years & different writers?

Your story bible is a living document. It starts as a place to gather your initial research & ideas, grows as you write & add new details, & becomes an invaluable resource during editing to ensure consistency. Did you mention a character has a cat in book one? Your story bible will remind you not to have them mention they're allergic to cats in book three.

What to Include in Your Fact File:

Characters: This is the big one. For every major & minor character, you should have a profile. This includes physical descriptions (hair color, eye color, height, scars, tattoos), personality traits (maybe even a Myers-Briggs or Enneagram type), backstory, motivations, fears, quirks, & how they speak. Keep track of their relationships with other characters & how those relationships evolve.
Setting & Worldbuilding: Describe every significant location. What does the protagonist's house look like? What's the layout of the main city? What's the climate like? If you're writing fantasy or sci-fi, this section will be even more extensive, covering magic systems, technology, political structures, religions, & history.
Timeline: A chronological timeline of major events is a lifesaver. This includes events that happened before your story begins (backstory) & the key plot points of each book in the series.
Plot & Subplots: A summary of the overarching series plot, as well as the main plot of each individual book. You can also track subplots here to make sure you're weaving them in & out effectively.
Objects & Technology: Are there any important objects, like a magical sword or a futuristic gadget? Detail their appearance, history, & function here.
Rules: If your world has rules (like a magic system), write them down! This prevents you from contradicting yourself later.

How to Create Your Fact File:

The format is up to you. Some writers love a good old-fashioned three-ring binder with color-coded tabs. Others prefer digital tools like Scrivener, Evernote, OneNote, or even a private wiki. I'm a big fan of digital because of the search function, but do whatever works for you. OneNote is a great free option that comes with Word & lets you create tabs & pages, much like a physical binder.

The key is to be consistent. Decide what you're going to track & how you're going to track it, & then stick with it.

"Claude Code": Using AI as Your Co-Conspirator

Okay, so you have the concept of a fact file down. Now, let’s bring in the AI. This is where things get REALLY interesting. I'm not talking about having an AI write your book for you. I'm talking about using it as a super-powered assistant, a brainstorming partner that never gets tired, & a tool to make managing your fact file almost effortless.

While tools like ChatGPT are well-known, I've found that Claude, from Anthropic, has a real knack for creative writing. Its prose often feels more natural & human-sounding, which is a huge plus for fiction. One of the coolest things about Claude is its massive context window, which means you can feed it a huge amount of text—like, say, a detailed character profile or a chapter from your book—& it will remember & use that information in its responses.

This is where the idea of "Claude Code" comes in. The term "Claude Code" technically refers to a specific coding tool for developers that works in their terminal to help them write & debug software. It's all about giving the AI structured commands to perform complex tasks.

Now, we're not writing Python or JavaScript here. But we can borrow that "coding" philosophy for our novel. Think of your prompts & your fact file as a form of "code" for your story. You're giving Claude structured, logical inputs to generate creative, consistent outputs.

How to Use "Claude Code" for Your Novel Series:

Building Your Fact File from Scratch: Let's say you have a vague idea for a character. You can start a conversation with Claude like this:
"Let's create a character profile for the protagonist of my new fantasy series. Her name is Elara. She's a reluctant leader in a rebellion against a tyrannical empire. Brainstorm some ideas for her physical appearance, personality, backstory, & key motivations. Let's make her flawed but likable."

Claude will give you a ton of ideas. You can then refine them, pick the ones you like, & build a detailed profile. You can do this for settings, magic systems, plot points—you name it. It's like having a brainstorming session with a super-creative partner.
"Executing the Code": Generating Scenes & Dialogue: Once you have a solid fact file, you can "execute" that code. You can upload your character profiles & a chapter summary into Claude, & then give it a prompt like:
"Based on the character profiles of Elara & Kael that I've provided, write a 1000-word scene where they have a tense argument. Elara has just discovered Kael's secret, & he's trying to explain himself. The tone should be serious & emotional. Use deep point of view from Elara's perspective. Make sure their dialogue reflects their established personalities."

Because Claude has the "code" of your fact file, it will generate a scene that's consistent with your characters' established traits & voices. It’s a fantastic way to get past writer's block or to quickly produce a first draft of a scene that you can then polish.
"Debugging" Your Plot: Feeling stuck? Worried about a plot hole? You can describe your plot to Claude, upload relevant sections of your fact file, & ask it to act as a "debugger."
"I'm having trouble with the plot of book two. Elara needs to find the Sunstone, but I'm not sure how to create enough obstacles for her without it feeling forced. Based on the worldbuilding & character information I've provided, can you suggest three potential challenges or antagonists she could face on her quest?"

Claude can analyze your story's logic & suggest solutions you might not have thought of.
Maintaining Consistency: This is where the combination of Claude & your fact file really shines. As you write, you can constantly "query" your AI assistant.
"What color are Elara's eyes?" "Remind me of the name of the tavern in the capital city." "Give me a quick summary of what happened in Chapter 5 of Book 1."

Because you've been building your fact file & even feeding your written chapters to Claude, it becomes an interactive, searchable version of your story bible. This is SO much faster than manually searching through hundreds of pages of notes.

A Quick Word on Business & Engagement

Here's a thought: a lot of what we're talking about—maintaining a consistent voice, providing information on demand, creating a seamless user experience—are challenges that businesses face every day with their customers. It's pretty cool how the principles of good storytelling overlap with good business communication.

For example, businesses often struggle to provide instant, accurate answers to customer questions across their websites. This is where a tool like Arsturn comes in. Arsturn helps businesses create custom AI chatbots trained on their own data. These chatbots can act as a "fact file" for the business, providing instant customer support, answering questions about products & services, & engaging with website visitors 24/7. It’s all about creating a consistent & helpful experience, just like we're trying to do for our readers. A well-trained AI can be a brand's best representative, just as Claude can be a writer's best co-conspirator.

Similarly, when businesses want to boost conversions & generate leads, they need to build meaningful connections with their audience. Arsturn helps them do just that by building no-code AI chatbots that offer personalized experiences. The chatbot can guide a user through a website, suggest relevant products, & capture lead information in a conversational way. It's about turning a passive website visit into an active, engaging conversation—a principle that any author trying to hook a reader can appreciate.

Putting It All Together: A Step-by-Step Workflow

So, how does this all look in practice? Here’s a potential workflow for writing your novel series with Claude & a fact file:

The Big Idea: Start with a high-level concept for your series. Use Claude to brainstorm the overarching theme & write a short blurb that captures the essence of the story.
Build Your World: Start creating your fact file. Use Claude to help you flesh out your characters, settings, & the rules of your world. Organize this information in a digital tool like OneNote or Scrivener.
Outline the Series: Create a general outline for the entire series, sketching out the main plot points for each book.
Detailed Outline for Book One: Now, zoom in on the first book. Create a detailed, chapter-by-chapter outline.
Write with Your Co-Pilot: Start writing your first draft. When you get stuck, use "Claude Code." Feed the AI your character profiles & chapter outline & ask it to generate a scene, some dialogue, or descriptive passages. Remember, this is a first draft—the goal is to get words on the page.
Update Your Fact File as You Go: This is critical. Every time you invent a new detail—a character's favorite food, a new location, a minor character's name—IMMEDIATELY add it to your fact file. This will save you so many headaches later.
Revise & Refine: Once the first draft is done, it's time to edit. Use your fact file & Claude to check for inconsistencies. You can even ask Claude to read a chapter & point out any potential continuity errors based on the information you've given it.
Repeat: Once book one is in good shape, you can move on to book two, following the same process. Your fact file will become more & more valuable with each book you add to the series.

Writing a novel series is a huge undertaking, but it’s also one of the most rewarding creative projects you can embark on. By combining the organizational power of a detailed fact file with the creative & analytical capabilities of an AI like Claude, you can build a rich, consistent world that will keep your readers coming back for more. It’s about working smarter, not harder, & using the incredible tools we have at our fingertips to bring our biggest ideas to life.

Hope this was helpful. Let me know what you think, & happy writing!