Failure ModesFoundational
Continuity Error
The story contradicts its own established facts.
Principle
Once established, a story fact remains binding unless the text deliberately changes it.
Takeaways
- Timeline, weather, injuries, objects, names, and knowledge states must remain consistent.
- Small contradictions can damage immersion.
- A change needs either explanation or invisibility.
Overview
A continuity error occurs when a later passage conflicts with an earlier established fact, such as location, time, object possession, character knowledge, weather, injury, rank, or sequence of events.
Examples
- A character knows information they never learned.
- A broken arm is used normally two chapters later.
- A rainy night is later remembered as dry without explanation.