Use the Document template to write about anything that contains records about something. This includes books, but also audio/music recordings, letters, and even illustrations!
Contents
What should I use this template for?
Documents aren't just written on paper! A video, an audio recording, a hologram, a drawing, or anything else that holds specific information is also a document. Here are some examples!
Written documents
This is what most people use this template for, and for good reason! Language is really powerful, so some documents, letters, and books can have a world-changing impact on your setting. King Robert's will, in Game of Thrones, is an example of something you would write with this template.
Audio, video, and holograms
Documents aren't always written, though! Video, audio, and holographic recordings are basically an evolution of written text. After all, they're also all about letting someone give a message to someone else! Think about the genre of your world and the technological development level to choose the format of the document. Some examples that have story-changing impact are Princess Leia's holographic message to Obi-Wan (in Star Wars), and Nimona's video revealing a secret to the public.
Works of art
A work of art is a different type of message, but it's still a message even if it has no words! Music, paintings, poems, and anything else that you can imagine can fit the Document template. For an example, look at the very important role songs have in both The Kingkiller Chronicle (where the main character is a bard) and The Lord of the Rings (where in the books, and the movies to a lesser extent, some characters sing songs).
Special features for Documents
Document articles have a specific field where you can write the literal contents of the document. When viewing the article, you'll be able to click a button on the article's sidebar to open the document. To use it:
- Click the Expand prompts & connections button at the bottom of the article editor.
- Find the "Actual contents" tab.
- Write the content of the document in the Contents field. You can use full formatting, so feel free to insert images, videos, or anything else that the document has.
Then, view the article and click the Read the Document button on the right-hand side of the article.
Template walkthrough
As always, there's a free-writing section at the top (which we call vignette) and the prompts are under the Expand prompts & connections button. Remember that all prompts are optional, and some might not be relevant depending on the type of document you're writing about.
Document prompts are organized in tabs. Here's a brief explanation of each tab:
- Generic: Use this tab to connect the document to other articles (such as the articles of the people who signed it) and to describe the document's purpose.
- Structure: In this tab you can describe in detail the internal structure of the document as well as the document's context (such as its legal status).
- Historical details: If the history of the document is relevant to the setting, use this tab to write about it.
- Actual contents: see above to learn more about this tab!
Step-by-step guide to writing a document
So, how do you start creating a document? Here are some tips you can follow!
- Do you actually need the document itself?
Documents are usually closely tied to other parts of your setting. For example, the foundation of a country might involve a document (like its constitution), but unless the document itself is important for the setting, you'll probably want to include it as part of the organization article for the country. If you do want to write specifically about the document, consider if you need to write it word for word or if a simple explanation is enough. This is important because writing a word-for-word in-world document iscan be quite time-consuming! - Who created the document?
Depending on who created (i.e. wrote, recorded, etc) the document, its contents will be different, and also expressed in a different way. A letter written by a king will have a very different tone than one written by a peasant in the Middle Ages (many wouldn't be able to write in the first place!). Make sure that the document references things that are going on in the world (so it feels more connected), but doesn't talk about anything that hadn't happened yet when it was written! - Think about consequences
If you're writing an article about this document, it means that it's important enough to have had some consequences! They could be world-changing (like a war) or more personal (like a love letter), but think about what this document changes about the setting and the story you're writing.
Community examples for inspiration
Need some inspiration? Here are some document articles written by our amazing community!
