Why Your Fantasy & Sci-Fi Novel Needs a Style Sheet

Every aspiring and published author understands the importance of editing for every manuscript. Still, for writers of science fiction and fantasy, there is an essential pre-editing step that can save hundreds of hours: creating a style sheet.

Genre fiction relies heavily on invented rules, worlds, and languages, which can make consistency difficult to maintain. Without tracking these items, the reader can become confused and pulled out of the story. Keeping a style sheet can help your reader truly immerse themselves in the story and keep your manuscript polished and consistent. 

What is a Style Sheet?

A style sheet for a novel is a living document that you use to record and dictate the consistent presentation of every unique element within your story. Don’t confuse a style sheet with a style guide (such as the Chicago Manual of Style). Style sheets are a reference document for your specific universe. They become the ultimate source of truth for your world, ensuring that any editor uses the exact spelling, capitalization, and formatting every time a unique term appears. 

Some elements of a style sheet for genre fiction include: 

• Character and place names
• Invented terminology (such as spells, creatures, aliens, etc.)
• Hyphenated and capitalization rules (compounded words and proper nouns)
• Internal world rules (magic consequences, number of moons of a planet, color of a mineral or spell, etc.)
• Specific rules within CMOS that allow alternative choices
• Comma choices, grammar choices, etc. 

Starting a style sheet when you begin a new manuscript will save you time remembering how you spelled, capitalized, or hyphenated a word or remembering a specific detail about a unique feature of your universe. 

Why Do I Need a Style Sheet for Sci-Fi and Fantasy?

Worldbuilding is complex, and even the most meticulous author can forget a minor detail between Chapter 3 and Chapter 30. Your sci-fi or fantasy style sheet is a safety net, protecting your story’s believability and keeping your reader entranced. 

Here are the benefits of keeping a style sheet for every manuscript.

Inconsistency Loses Reader Trust

When a reader encounters an alien species or enhanced blade, the names need to be spelled, capitalized, and hyphenated the same way. When these words are inconsistent, it breaks the reader’s immersion and pulls them out of the story. In large and complex fictional worlds, these errors can multiply quickly, leading to a frustrating reader experience and potentially negative reviews. The style sheet can help maintain the illusion of reality in your manuscript. 

Defining Your Universe Makes It Believable

If you use a specific term in your manuscript, such as Faster-Than-Light (FTL) travel, your style sheet can ensure that the acronym and full name are used consistently throughout the book (or series). This approach elevates your world from a loose collection of ideas to a fully realized, logical setting. When your rules are clear and consistently applied, the reader feels confident in the reality you’ve built. 

Spelling and Capitalization Rules

Helping with your spelling and capitalization rules, a proofreader relies heavily on your documentation or that of your copy editor. Imagine a manuscript in which the exact location is spelled and capitalized each time differently. It becomes confusing for the reader and the editor. 

Without a documented rule, even a professional proofreader will be forced to guess, which can introduce new inconsistencies during the last stage of editing. Defining these rules upfront guarantees uniformity. 

Stop Invented Terms from Changing Over Time

One of the biggest pitfalls for genre authors of long series is the evolution of unique terms and names. If you have one term and shift its format halfway through a book or series and forget to update it throughout, your manuscript will be a confusing mix of old and new terms. 

Character names that include apostrophes or specific capitalization need to be documented in your style sheet as well. It’s easy for a reader to lose track of characters, not to mention when the name is spelled or formatted differently from chapter to chapter. 

A style sheet provides a single place to make official changes, ensuring consistency across every chapter and future books. 

Tools and Best Practices for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Style Sheets

Creating a style sheet doesn’t have to be a complicated technical process. It just needs to be accessible, editable, and detailed. Some tips for creating a style sheet include: 

• Using a simple, cloud-based tool like Google Docs or Microsoft Word
• Document the term or change immediately; don’t wait until after the draft is finished
• Include a “why” for complex rules (think magic systems)
• Focus on proper nouns and invented terms first; Share your style sheet with your editor, along with your manuscript

Hire an Editor Who Helps Refine Your Story While Also Preserving Your Voice: Contact J. Berry Editorial

When you need professional editing services that take time to understand you and your story to provide edits that will keep your readers engaged but won’t change your unique voice, choose J. Berry Editorial. My editing style involves polishing your manuscript while preserving your voice as a writer, which is essential for standing out from the competition. 

One of my services is The Tether package that combines line editing and copy editing, helping ensure your style sheet is relevant and your manuscript is consistent throughout every page. Indie authors can benefit from my editing services through close collaboration and consistent communication. 

For a free sample edit, fill out my contact form here. I will reach out to you soon with a quote so we can work together to elevate your manuscript!