Create an Editorial Constitution for Your AI Writing Project
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AI Writing Assistance · Project Knowledge & Story Control · Public Lesson 31
One prompt tells AI what to write. An editorial constitution tells it what must remain true. When you're developing a book, a series, a client project or a recurring publication, you need one approved record for purpose, sources, terminology, voice and decisions AI is not allowed to invent.
The Jack Righteous approach: Write the project rules once, approve them yourself, and reuse them in future sessions. Treat an AI suggestion as a proposal until a human accepts it. A constitution can guide consistency; it does not make the assistant an independent source of facts.
What is an editorial constitution?
It is a short, versioned document that records how editorial decisions are made. Think of it as the project's standing instructions—not a draft manuscript and not a list of every prompt you have ever used.
A good constitution answers four questions: What are we creating? What information is authoritative? What writing choices must remain consistent? What happens when something is unknown or disputed?
The six sections every project needs
1. Purpose and audience
Describe what the project is for, who it serves, and what useful outcome a reader should get.
2. Source hierarchy
Rank approved primary records, verified external references, working notes and AI suggestions. Specify the review date for facts that can change.
3. Voice and terminology
Capture the preferred tone, reading level, recurring terms, name spellings and any terms that must not change.
4. Prohibited assumptions
Say what the assistant must not fabricate, such as quotations, citations, client outcomes, character history or dates.
5. Conflict and uncertainty rules
Require unresolved contradictions to be flagged with their sources rather than blended into a confident answer.
6. Ownership and changes
Identify who can approve a new fact or rule, how versions are dated, and what decisions require permission before publication.
Keep permanent rules separate from task instructions. “Always use our approved character names” is durable. “Write a 300-word caption today” belongs in the specific task, not in the constitution.
Example: how a constitution prevents drift
Imagine a creator writing a serialized story. The approved character bible says the main character lives in Montréal, but an early draft mentions Toronto. A system without rules may quietly choose whichever version appears most often.
Without a constitution
AI changes the location to Toronto in later scenes, treats the draft as authoritative and introduces new details to make the timeline fit.
With a constitution
AI compares both versions, flags the contradiction, cites the approved character bible, and asks the creator whether the story location is being deliberately changed.
That is the difference: the document does not make every decision for you. It defines how decisions get identified and who is responsible for approving them.
Copy-ready editorial constitution template
Use this as your project's first version. Fill it with approved decisions only. Unknown information stays unknown until you make a decision or verify a source.
EDITORIAL CONSTITUTION — [PROJECT NAME] Version: 1.0 Approved by: [CREATOR / EDITOR] Last reviewed: [DATE] 1. PROJECT PURPOSE We are creating: [format and outcome] Intended audience: [reader] Core promise: [what this work should actually do] 2. SOURCE OF TRUTH A — Approved project documents: [list and dates] B — Verified external sources: [list, links and verification dates] C — Working notes and drafts: provisional; not canon D — AI suggestions: proposals only; never independent proof 3. VOICE AND LANGUAGE Preferred voice: [tone, reading level, point of view] Use these terms exactly: [approved names, spellings] Avoid these habits: [specific evidence-based examples] Formatting rules: [headings, length, quotations, citations] 4. WHAT AI MUST NOT ASSUME Do not invent facts, quotes, references, outcomes, character history, ownership or source permissions. Do not turn a draft into canon without approval. 5. WHEN SOURCES CONFLICT State the contradiction clearly. Identify which sources disagree and their dates. Follow the approved hierarchy when applicable. If the higher-priority source is unclear or outdated, ask the human editor before changing the project record. 6. APPROVAL AND VERSION CONTROL Human approver: [name/role] Approval required for: [key decisions] Record changes as: [date | change | reason | approver] Keep the previous version for reference. ASSISTANT OPERATING RULE: Before drafting, identify missing facts and conflicts. Label confirmed information, interpretation, and proposals. Preserve unresolved questions. Do not silently make new policy or canon decisions.
A useful first test: Give AI this constitution and a paragraph with one deliberate contradiction. Ask it to identify the conflict before rewriting anything. If it rewrites the paragraph without flagging the issue, strengthen the escalation rule.
A prompt to turn your approved notes into a constitution
Act as my editorial systems assistant. Using ONLY the approved project materials below, draft an Editorial Constitution with these sections: purpose, audience, source hierarchy, voice, terminology, prohibited assumptions, conflict handling, human approvals, and version control. Project materials: [PASTE APPROVED FACTS, STYLE NOTES AND SOURCES] Requirements: - Separate confirmed decisions from working proposals. - Do not invent facts or infer approvals. - For each uncertain or conflicting point, list the source and the decision a human must make. - Identify permanent rules versus one-time task instructions. - Keep it concise and usable in future writing sessions. - Output a draft constitution and a short approval checklist. - Do not claim it has been approved until I approve it.
Approve it in five minutes
- Write one sentence explaining the project's purpose and intended reader.
- Identify the single strongest approved source for core facts, plus any verified supporting sources.
- Write three language or terminology rules you already follow.
- Name one assumption AI is never allowed to make silently.
- Choose who approves changes and where the approved version will be stored.
Success looks like this: A future session can identify the same authoritative facts and voice rules, even if the prompt, collaborator or AI tool changes.
What to do when something changes
Update the constitution deliberately, rather than pasting contradictory instructions into each new prompt. Record the old rule, the new rule, the reason and the person who approved the change. Keep dated source links when current information matters. A constitution is a living project document, not a guarantee that facts never change.
When you move between tools, paste or attach the latest approved version. Do not assume an AI assistant remembers it between sessions or can retrieve all your project files automatically.
What the human still decides
AI can compare notes, organize approved materials, highlight contradictions and suggest language improvements. You decide what becomes canon, which source is trusted, whether a proposed change is fair, and what is actually ready to publish. For sensitive client, legal or third-party claims, obtain the appropriate independent review.
Jack Righteous principle: Better project knowledge gives AI less room to invent and gives you more control over what becomes real.
Continue from here
Free path: Return to the AI Writing & Story Development Library for more writing, editing and story-development workflows.
Find Your Voice path: If included in your access, use the Voice Foundation Template | Find Your Voice Tool to build a deeper project record. That training may require a member login.
New to these learning paths? Read How to Use Jack Righteous Creator Training and start with one project and one useful decision.
Continue the Public Series
Updated October 24, 2026 · Keep your source documents private unless you have permission to share them with your chosen AI tool.
