Free tool
A novel timeline template that tracks elapsed time, not just order
Most timeline templates are a list of events in sequence. Sequence is the easy part. The errors live in the gaps: how long a journey takes, how long a wound needs to heal, how old a child should be by now. This template gives every scene a date, a time of day, and an elapsed-time column, and it is free with no email required.
Free to use, share, and adapt. No signup, no email, no watermark.
What the template covers
A scene table with ten columns
Scene, in-story date, time of day, elapsed time since the previous scene, location, point of view, who is present, who learns what, and a notes column for travel, injuries, objects, and weather. A short worked example with invented characters shows how each column gets filled in.
A travel log
Distance, mode of travel, and the time it takes, set beside the time the book says passes. Impossible journeys are among the most common timeline errors in a first draft.
Ages and milestones
Birthdays recorded once, ages worked out per scene. Useful for any story that spans months or years, and essential for a series.
Seasons, weather, and the calendar
Daylight, holidays, and weather by part of the book, so a winter chapter does not end in a heat wave.
Subplot lanes and other clocks
Parallel subplots lined up by day, plus a table for things that take a fixed time: healing, pregnancy, voyages, deadlines. And a contradiction log, so you rule on each conflict once.
Reverse-outlining an existing draft
If the book is already written, work backwards. Read each scene once and fill in only the date, time of day, elapsed time, location, and who is present. Leave the other columns for a second pass. Anything the text does not say, mark as a question, because a gap in the timeline is usually a gap in the story. When two rows disagree, write the ruling in the contradiction log. Whether a mismatch is a mistake or deliberate is your call, and the log keeps you from deciding the same thing in every revision pass.
Tracking travel, ages, seasons, and subplots
For travel, decide your speeds in the ground rules (on foot, horse, train, ship) and then check each journey against them. For ages, record birthdays once and compute the age in each scene, since a character drifting a year older or younger is easy to miss. For seasons, note the month and daylight at the start of each part and let the details follow. For overlapping subplots, give each its own lane and line the lanes up by day, so no character is claimed by two events at once.
How to use it without abandoning it
The habit that keeps it alive is small: update the row in the same sitting as the scene. Use Day numbers while drafting and convert to dates once the story settles. When a scene reads wrong, check the elapsed column first, because time is usually the culprit. The timeline pairs with a story bible template for characters, world rules, and objects. Or let Bunsho keep the timeline for you, read from your chapters.
Common questions
What is a novel timeline?
A novel timeline records when each scene happens in story time: the date, the time of day, and how long has passed since the previous scene. It is different from an outline, which records what happens and in what order. The timeline is how you catch a wound that heals in two days, a journey that takes an hour too long, or a character who is in two places at once.
Do I need to give you my email to download it?
No. Both files download directly from this page, with no signup, no email, and no watermark. The template is free to use, share, and adapt for any project.
Which format should I pick?
The Word version (.docx) opens in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice, and Pages in landscape, with tables you can tab through. The Markdown version is plain text that works in Obsidian, Notion, iA Writer, or any notes app. The main scene table also pastes cleanly into a spreadsheet.
What if my novel has no real dates?
Use Day numbers. Day 1, Day 2, and Day 9 are enough to catch most timeline errors, and you can add the calendar later if the story settles on one. For an invented world, record your calendar rules once in the first section and use them throughout.
Can I use it for a series?
Yes. Start each new book with a fresh copy and record the last day of the previous book in the ground rules. Keep character birthdays in the ages table so you can work out how old everyone is at the start of each book.
What if keeping the timeline updated by hand gets tedious?
That is the honest failure mode of every hand-kept timeline: accurate for five chapters, abandoned by chapter twelve. If that happens, Bunsho keeps the same record for you from your chapters, and checks new chapters against it when you ask. The template works fine on its own either way.
Prefer a timeline that keeps itself?
Bunsho builds this record from your manuscript and checks new chapters against it when you ask. The editor is a free download for macOS and Windows, and writing is never metered.