Having trouble keeping track of your convoluted plotline? Can’t remember which character has a brooding uni-brow and who has the tribal tattoos? We have a solution to your problem. Let us introduce you to Diane Garland. Diane’s business, Your WorldKeeper, offers a unique author service. From the tagline on her website, Your WorldKeeper will, “track your world one detail at a time.”

We stumbled across Diane and Your WorldKeeper in the course of one of our previous interviews and we were instantly intrigued. We wanted to know more and Diane was happy to oblige. Enjoy!

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and what Your WorldKeeper is.

I’m a Special Educator turned stay at home mom, now an empty nester.  I’ve always loved to read and one day I was chatting with USA Today best-selling author Ann Charles and offered to organize all the information she has in her Deadwood series.  A new career was launched.  Through my company, Your WorldKeeper, I provide continuity support to authors for their book series.  I gather all the facts and details that are written into their books, organize and chart these details in an easy to use manner for authors to refer to when writing their books.  This helps the author maintain consistency from book to book.

2. If an author hires you, what can that author expect as far as collaboration and product?

I talk with the author and get a copy of their books and whatever other information they have used to create their stories, timelines, family trees, floor plans, etc.  We talk about the elements that are important to the storyline that need to be included.  I approach this from a reader’s point of view and separate out what is actually in the book from what the author knows about the story world.

3. Is Your WorldKeeper a living process/document? If it is, how often would an author expect an update to their information?

The charts and spreadsheets can be continued with each book written.  I do not update automatically, the author would need to hire me for the next book.

4. Can you tell us about your process for creating a WorldKeeper database/chart? Do you tailor the product to fit the author or do you have a standard offering? (Digital/Hardcopy/Chart)

The first thing I do is read the book.  I go through it a second time with a fine-tooth comb and create my database of all facts and details in the book.  I am very thorough and include everything I can find.  I then read the book one more time and create a timeline/synopsis of each chapter double checking that I’ve included all facts and details of the story.  I have a standard set of details I look for in each book and then tailor the rest to the particular book.  Some of the nonstandard items in the past have included ghosts, the paranormal, pets, weaponry, monies earned/spent, music, and language.

5. What can an author expect as far as cost? Will you offer a subscription service or stick with a one-time fee?

I provide a completed product for each book given.  If I work with more than one book in the series, I will compile the information in a concise manner.   At the moment I work on a one-time fee for each book.

6. Many authors use Scrivener or their own system for keeping track of their worlds, what kind of technology do you use?

I use either Excel or Microsoft OneNote.  The author and I discuss which would be best for them and their particular series.

7. Do you provide family trees, timelines, or other visual aids and if so, would an author be able to use them in future books?

I have only created a floor plan for one author but am willing to give anything else a shot.  And yes, anything I work on, the author may use in future books.

8. Do you have a preferred genre to work with or a preference for fiction/nonfiction?

I love to read most genres and don’t have a preference on which one I work in.  I’ve never worked with a nonfiction series but think it would be fascinating to do so.

9. Finally, what are you reading now?

I recently presented a workshop at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and have added several of the award winning books to my list.  I just finished Ann Charles’ An Ex to Grind in Deadwood from her Deadwood series and Jacquie Rogers’ Much Ado About Miners from her Hearts of Owyhee series.   Wendy Delaney’s Sex, Lies and Snickerdoodles is on my Kindle while Jesikah Sundin’s Legacy: Biodome Chronicles Book One and Pamela Beason’s The Only Clue: A Neema Mystery are waiting in the wings.

Diane can be reached via her website, http://yourworldkeeper.com. We hope you enjoyed getting to know her and learning about Your WorldKeeper. Thanks, Diane!

Happy Saturday!

Anne, Nancy, and Eric