In chapter three, Mara's eyes are green. In chapter nineteen they are hazel. A city is spelled "Orrin" for most of the book and "Orin" in two scenes. A character is "Mr." in one chapter and "Mister" in the next. These are consistency errors, and they are the kind that slip through even careful editing, because each one is correct in isolation. Finding them takes a systematic search, and the right tool for it is find-and-replace. This guide explains how to build a consistency checklist, how to search safely, when to replace and when not to, and the traps that make a global replace go wrong. The last section shows how to do it in Quillen.
The short answer
Make a list of every name, place, term and style choice that should be uniform. Search for each variant across the whole manuscript, look at the results in context, and replace only the ones that are wrong. Use Whole word to avoid matching inside other words, and Case sensitive when capitalization matters. In Quillen, Find & Replace searches the whole manuscript and lists every match with its chapter and scene.
Build a consistency checklist
Before you search, decide what to search for. A good checklist covers:
| Category | Examples to check |
|---|---|
| Names | Every spelling and nickname of every character; titles (Mr., Mister, Dr.) |
| Places | Spelling of cities, rivers, houses and shops; whether they have 'the' in front |
| Invented terms | Magic, technology and slang; capitalization (Tollmaster or tollmaster) |
| Physical details | Eye colour, hair, ages, scars, heights |
| Numbers and dates | Written out or numerals; time-of-day style; how years are written |
| Style choices | Spellings (grey or gray), em dashes, ellipses, 'OK' or 'okay' |
| Verb tense and POV | Slips in tense in a flashback; 'I' creeping into third person |
Keep the list in a style sheet: a single document where you record each decision the moment you make it. When you write "Tollmaster" with a capital T, add it to the sheet. Future you will thank present you.
How to search safely
Search first, replace second
Never start with Replace All. Search, read the matches in context, and decide. The same string can be right in one place and wrong in another: "Orin" might be a typo for the city in one scene and the correct name of a minor character in another.
Use Whole word
Searching "Ann" without Whole word also finds "Anne", "Hannah" and "planning". Whole word restricts the search to the exact word.
Use Case sensitive when capitalization matters
"Tollmaster" and "tollmaster" are different matches when Case sensitive is on, which is what you want when you are checking capitalization of a title.
Search variants, not just the right spelling
To find mistakes, search for the wrong forms. If you are checking "Orrin", search "Orin", "Oren" and "Orrinn" as well. Think of the typos you actually make.
When Replace All is safe, and when it is not
| Safe to Replace All | Review each match |
|---|---|
| A rare invented name, in Whole word mode, where every instance is an error | A common word that appears in many senses |
| Double spaces | A short name that could be part of another word |
| A style swap you have decided on, such as okay to OK | Anything inside dialogue, where a character's voice may differ from your style |
| Spelling of a place name you changed your mind about | Names shared between two characters |
Beyond names: other useful searches
- Repeated crutch words. Search for "suddenly", "just", "very" or your own tics, and look at how many there are.
- Double spaces and double punctuation. Search for two spaces in a row.
- Dialogue habits. Search for "said" and a tag you overuse.
- Sensitive details. Search for anything you changed late, such as a timeline date or a character's age.
- Leftover placeholders. Search for TK, XXX, [ and TODO.
A worked example
While editing The Salt Road, you realize the city was called "Orin" in your first draft and "Orrin" after a rename. You search "Orin" with Whole word on and find six matches across four chapters. Reading each in context, you see five are the old name and one is "Orin", a minor character in chapter twelve. You replace the five, leave the sixth alone, and then search "Orrin" to see the total matches and confirm the spelling is uniform. A last search for "Orrin's" checks the possessive.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Replace All on a short word | Changes parts of other words | Use Whole word and review |
| Ignoring case | Changes titles and sentence starts | Turn on Case sensitive |
| Not searching for typos | Only checks the correct spelling | Search the common wrong forms |
| Changing dialogue that should differ | Wipes out a character's voice | Review dialogue matches |
| Forgetting possessives and plurals | Leaves Orrin's as Orin's | Search the variants |
| No style sheet | You forget the decision | Record every decision |
Do it in Quillen
Find & Replace in Quillen searches the whole manuscript, not just the scene you are in.
- Click Find & Replace in the header. A panel opens at the top right, with the cursor already in the Find in manuscript box.
- Type what you are looking for. The panel shows how many matches there are, as a count like 1 / 2, and lists each one with its chapter and scene and a snippet of the sentence around it.
- Tick Case sensitive or Whole word under the boxes, as needed.
- Click a result to jump to it in the manuscript and read it in context.
- Type the new text in the Replace with box. Click Replace to change the current match only, or Replace All to change every match.
- Search again for the old and new spellings to check the result, and click the X to close the panel.
Replace All changes every match in the manuscript at once. Before using it on something important, you can save a copy of your project by exporting a Word file, so you can compare the result.
Checklist
- A written list of names, places, terms and style decisions.
- Every variant and likely typo searched, not just the correct spelling.
- Whole word on for short names; Case sensitive for titles.
- Matches read in context before replacing.
- Replace All used only when every match is an error.
- Old and new spellings searched again afterwards.
Common questions
What are consistency errors in a manuscript?
Details that change without reason: a character's eye colour, a place name spelled two ways, a title with and without a period, or a style choice that varies between chapters.
Is it safe to use Replace All on a manuscript?
Only when every match is an error. Search first, read the matches in context, use Whole word for short names and review anything inside dialogue.
Does Quillen's Find & Replace search the whole book?
Yes. It searches the whole manuscript and lists every match with its chapter and scene.
Does Quillen have case-sensitive and whole-word search?
Yes. Case sensitive and Whole word checkboxes sit under the search boxes.
What should I search for besides names?
Repeated crutch words, double spaces, leftover placeholders such as TK, changed timeline dates and style variants such as grey and gray.