Canon, ideas, and retired material
Keep confirmed world facts separate from tentative ideas and discarded material without losing the context of your creative decisions.
ImagineMate uses three canon statuses for entries and supported details:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Canon | A detail you have decided is true in the current version of the world. |
| Idea | A possibility you are exploring and have not confirmed. |
| Retired | Material you have set aside but want to retain as part of your work. |
Preserve uncertainty
Use idea for “maybe,” “what if,” and competing possibilities. Saying “Maybe Mara has an older brother” should not establish a confirmed family history.
You can change the status as the story develops. An assistant suggestion should become canon only after you accept it.
Change your mind without losing context
Retiring material is often more useful than deleting it. It makes clear that the old idea is no longer current while retaining the record.
If a change contradicts existing canon, decide which version you want. Update the affected entries and relationships rather than leaving two incompatible statements unexplained.
Status is not a separate universe
An idea is not an isolated alternate timeline or a private draft branch. The statuses organize material inside the same world. Fully separate alternate versions may be clearer as separate worlds.