Editorial approach
How Kathavarnan researches stories
Kathavarnan is built around storytelling, but the research layer stays separate from the narration. Our process is designed to make it clear what comes from a source witness, what comes from comparison or context, and what is a present-day editorial reflection.
1. Start with an identifiable witness
For source-grounded stories, the editorial process begins with an identifiable text, edition, chapter or other witness. We avoid treating different recensions, translations or later retellings as automatically interchangeable.
2. Track variants without silently merging them
Comparison sources may be used to understand variants, chronology or background. When an important detail comes from a different witness, the process is designed to keep that distinction visible rather than blending versions without notice.
3. Write a new telling
Kathavarnan creates original retellings. The goal is to preserve the narrative arc and important source facts without copying modern television dialogue, contemporary retellings or copyrighted translation wording.
4. Separate story from reflection
A Kathavarnan episode may close with a perspective or modern reflection. That reflection is editorial interpretation; it should not be presented as a quotation or doctrine from the source unless the source actually says it.
5. Public sources require explicit approval
Research notes can remain internal during drafting and review. A story page lists source links only when its catalog metadata explicitly marks that research as public. Internal briefs, unresolved rights notes and unapproved editorial material are never exposed merely because they exist in the repository.
6. Keep improving the record
As a story is reviewed, corrected or expanded, its public research metadata can be updated with the same controlled publishing process used for the story itself.