Mixed up my fantasy races in a story and got roasted at a critique group

I wrote a scene where my dwarf character casually mentioned elves having silver magic... but in my own worldbuilding, elves don't have magic at all. The person running the group called me out in front of everyone, and I felt my face go bright red. I had to backtrack and explain it was a mistake from an earlier draft I forgot to delete. Three other people then pointed out three more inconsistencies in the same chapter. It taught me to keep a separate doc just for my world rules and check it every single time I revise. Has anyone else had a worldbuilding slip-up like this mess up a whole chapter for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

allen.amy16d ago

Honestly, getting called out like that sounds like a good way to catch your own mistakes before anyone else reads them.

smith.blair17d ago

Wait, so your dwarves are more consistent than my attempts to remember what day I have to take out the trash? I feel like I need a separate doc just for my own life at this point.