A suite of tools that are integrated. Ideally, a touchscreen app, like on an ipad, or other such devices. But to start, since the market for such apps is tiny, I figure it can be a regular computer app (though not nearly as slick as I envision)----
It would be a sort of world building system.
You would have something like google maps that can either import real world stuff (like gmaps) or create your own maps with tools (and even random terrain generation if you so desire, ability to tweak parameters). On the bottom would be a timeline you can scroll to see the evolution of regions (so you can have empires gain and lose territory, etc...) You can mark locations of characters/special places on the map and ensure they're not in the same place at the same time.
You would have character sheets/bios, etc... Color coding and easy to read with portraits if you want (maybe in the future "make your own" using something like an avatar builder -- or if you prefer imagination, just use text)
A relationship chart that shows links between characters and organizations (whether corporate, familial, political or any other form of relationship)
The ability to drag scenes/chapters onto the timeline. Objects can have entries as well.
posted by avocet at 3:22 PM on February 21, 2010