There are lots of ways to do a subplot. The three basic types I’m outlining today are all designed to help make your story more interesting, more on-theme and more . . . better.
Mirroring subplots
Last week, we defined subplots as “a part of a story that shows some sort of progress, growth or change, but isn’t the main plot of a story.” A mirroring subplot mirrors the main action of the story in an important way—but it doesn’t completely duplicate the main plot.
One common example of this might be in a romance, to have two secondary characters also falling in love. They might face a similar obstacle to their Happily Ever After as the main couple, and maybe they’d be able to offer advice and help along the journey.
Contrasting subplots
A contrasting subplot shows the opposite sort of progress, growth or change as the main plot—for example, a secondary character exhibits the same weakness as the main character, but refuses to go on a journey to growth like the main character does.
One important thing to remember here is that to not undermine the main character’s arc, the secondary character should reap negative consequences for failing to grow. This contrasts the main character’s benefits of growth, and thus reinforces that subconsciously to the reader.
Complicating subplots
These subplots don’t show growth, but do represent change. These subplots aren’t necessarily complete stories in and of themselves, but they intersect with the main plot in very important ways, so much that they’re inextricable from the main plot.
If it’s a subplot where one of the main characters plays a role, perhaps it’s an important task they must accomplish on their question: obtaining a liquor license for their dream restaurant, maybe. The clerk at the state office is not only recalcitrant, but starts a whole new series of problems (assuming starting the restaurant isn’t the main plot of the book, of course. Then this would probably be part of the main plot).
However this subplot intersects the main plot, it changes the character’s trajectory. The subplot may not relate directly to the theme of the book like the mirroring and contrasting subplots. It may just cause problems. Meddling secondary characters—even if they’re trying to be helpful—often fall into this category.
Subplot subtypes
The content of the subplot also constitutes an important “subtype.” A romantic subplot, for example, focuses on the development of a romance. There can be mystery subplots, coming of age subplots, subplots dealing with the character’s professional life or personal life or vendetta—the sky’s (almost) the limit.
A few “genres” don’t fit into subplots well. It’s hard to do an adventure subplot, i.e. an adventure story only told as a subplot, because adventures tend to be quite large, and can easily overtake the main plot of a novel.
What do you think? What other types of subplots have you seen or written?
Photo credits: Mirrored fork—zeevveez; Iceberg—NOAA’s National Ocean Service
