Organize Visual Worldbuilding References With Your Story Notes
Visual research can help you describe a setting or keep a recurring object consistent. Label what the image contributes and distinguish that observation from a fact you have decided about the story. An evocative reference does not become canon just because it is on a board.
Keep the collection useful
Keep source sets intact and organize project selections by location, character, or scene. Use tags for qualities that cross those groups, such as weather, material, or atmosphere. Preserve creator and source records for outside artwork.
| Part of the set | What to record |
|---|---|
| Location | Space, weather, and visible details |
| Character | Costume or object references, not a complete borrowed design |
| Scene | The visual questions relevant to the passage |
| Canon note | Decisions recorded in the writing system |
Build the working selection
Use a refern canvas for a scene or location and add short notes explaining why each image belongs. Keep alternative settings separate when you have not chosen one. A small selection can be easier to use while writing than a whole world archive.
Find and use the references
Use recorded links and the graph to navigate actual relationships among entries and canvases. Right-click an item and choose Show in graph view to open it there; the Graph row is hidden in the sidebar by default and can be shown in Settings > Navigator. The graph does not infer plot, discover shared symbolism, or determine which version of a location is canonical. Files, folders, and tags can each hold a list of named links, so a location image can point to its note; a link such as obsidian:// opens your notes app after a confirmation. Select several files to edit their links together in the sidebar. Deep links can also return from your notes to supported refern destinations.
Check the handoff
Keep prose, outlines, and approved story decisions in the writing tools you use. If sharing research with an editor or collaborator, send an appropriate artifact with source context; the local workspace is not a browser co-writing service.
Normal refern workspace indexing reads existing files in place. Imports and file actions can create or change files. Back up the source media and workspace data that preserves your organizing work.
Continue with Explore Connections Between Your References.