The continuity department for the movies or television are those responsible for making sure no anachronisms appear in period movies such as a roman legionnaire wearing a wristwatch. They are also responsible for making sure backgrounds, makeup and wardrobe are the same when shooting takes place over several days. And in on-going series and sequels they are responsible for making sure that the already presented history of the story line is honoured when new episodes are aired.
This adherence to continuity is also important for a writer, but as all writers should be aware, it is very hard to read one's own writing critically due to being so familiar with the work. The genre of speculative fiction also brings with it fantastic environments and settings which have their own problems in terms of realistic and accurate portrayal. It is a very rare writer who has all the relevant skills to do this properly.
I am what I call a 'Continuity Editor' and I specialise in providing continuity checking and similar editing services for speculative fiction writers. Please note that I do not have traditional editing skills (though spelling consistency and word usage are provided as part of my service), but I have a Bachelors in Applied Physics, a Masters in Information Science and have an eye for logical inconsistencies. I have now continuity edited for a number of authors including Trudi Canavan (author of the ‘Black Magician’ and ‘Age of the Five’ trilogies), Russell Kirkpatrick (author of ‘The Fire of Heaven’ and ‘Husk’ trilogies) and Glenda Larke (author of the ‘Isles of Glory’ and ‘Mirage Makers’ trilogies).
Does your science fiction background world make sense? Can your fantasy character really draw his sword in chapter 5 or did he leave it on the floor in chapter four? Where is the money coming from? These and other continuity problems can spoil the reader's experience of even the best published story, but if they are caught early enough in the writing process these same continuity questions can open up the opportunity for interesting scenes and even plot developments and setting detail for the author.
My services currently cost AU$7.50 per thousand words and include logic checking, continuity checking, scientific accuracy and spelling consistency, As part of this last service I can provide a skeleton glossary of names and terms used throughout your text which is a by product of my checking process.
If you are interested in finding out more about my services. Please contact me by email at phillberrie (at) phillberrie (dot) com (dot) au
Last Updated: 20 June 2015.
