New writing series: Subplots!

This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series Subplots

I asked you what you wanted, and the #1 writing series choice was subplots! So today I’m kicking off our next writing series!

subplots series. Photo by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A subplot is a part of a story that shows some sort of progress, growth or change, but isn’t the main plot of a story. A few examples of subplots include:

  • Jenny’s life (especially away from Forrest) in Forrest Gump
  • Ron & Hermoine’s romance in the Harry Potter series (one of dozens of subplots!)
  • Tom’s affair with Myrtle in The Great Gatsby
  • Katniss’s “romance” with Peeta and somewhat Gale in The Hunger Games
  • The plot of individual, single episodes of Burn Notice and other serial TV shows

None of these stories constitute the main plot of their stories: Forrest Gump’s life, Harry Potter’s battle against Voldemort, Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy, surviving the Hunger Games, getting back Michael’s life as a spy, etc. And yet they’re still vital to the story (in varying degrees) because they influence the main plot.

Subplots can be really tricky! You have to show enough of them to understand what’s going on, you have to make sure they’re intertwined with and thus vital to the story, and yet somehow you need to balance them so they don’t overwhelm or contradict the main action of the story.

No wonder we want to learn how to do them well!

Coming up in the series:

  • Types of subplots
  • Balancing the subplot and the main plot
  • How to know when the subplot should go
  • How to make a subplot vital to the story

Previous posts on subplots: Elizabeth S. Craig’s secret sauce: subplots

Other writing series:


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Photo by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory via Flickr & CC

Types of subplots

This entry is part 2 of 7 in the series Subplots

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

Mirror Reflection Fork -  B&WLast 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.

Iceberg

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

Balancing the subplot and the main plot

This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series Subplots

The biggest difference between a subplot and a main plot is that whole “sub” thing. How can we make sure our subplots don’t overtake the main plot? A fine sense of balance and a lot of analysis.

subplots series. Photo by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Identifying your main plot

This might seem obvious, but if you’re struggling to balance your subplots and your main plot, maybe your main plot . . . isn’t.
fitshelf

  • Describe your book in 20 words or less—one, maybe two sentences. (Check out edittorrent for some help writing a logline)
  • Think about where your book would go on the shelves. What’s it next to? What genre does it fall into?
  • Look at your character’s arc. What plot line most affects (or effects!) your character’s internal growth?
  • Examine the opening. What problem is presented first? What’s biggest? What has the highest stakes?
  • Examine the turning points. What changes at Plot Point I, the Midpoint and Plot Point II?
  • Examine the climax. What problem is resolved last? What problem forms the crux of the whole book?
  • Ask your antagonist. Who or what is the strongest external force working against your character?

Naturally, several subplots will be intertwined with each of these elements. But if you’re writing a mystery, for instance, and all your turning points are set pieces for the adventure plot, maybe those mystery elements are actually a subplot, and we need to adjust the beginning and end (and character arc) to reflect the main plot better.

If you find your manuscript still to be indefinable, perhaps it needs to be more focused in general.

Analyze the subplot

Once you’ve identified the main plot, take a look at the subplot(s) that’s competing for your readers’ attention. A few things we want to determine about the subplot:

  • What type of subplot is it? Mirroring, contrasting, complicating?
  • If it doesn’t fall into one of those types, how does it intersect with the main plot? How does it change the main character’s trajectory?
  • What characters are involved in this subplot? Only secondary characters? All main characters?
  • How much page time does the subplot occupy? You don’t have to analyze quite to the level that Livia Blackburne analyzed the use of backstory in published novels, but at least on a scene level, go through each scene of the story and figure out not only how long the scene is, but whether it pertains more to the main plot or the subplot. Total it up. What percentage of the story deals with the main plot? Each subplot?

Again, if one of our subplots far outweighs the others, or even the main plot, it might be a good idea to figure out if perhaps the “main” plot . . . isn’t.

Otherwise, if things are out of whack, it’s probably time to work on that balance.

balance scale

Striving for balance

Aside from making sure the main plot reigns supreme, there aren’t any hard and fast rules about how much subplot is too much. As always, your intuition and feedback from impartial readers are both invaluable.

Of course, that’s not a super helpful answer, is it? A few good guidelines to fall back on:

  • If you’re worried about it, it might be an issue.
  • If more than one reader (or one very astute reader whose judgment you trust) picks up on it, it might be an issue.
  • If you enjoy writing the subplot more than the main plot—trim it or switch it!
  • If your characters are more engaged by the subplot—trim it or switch it!
  • If the subplot deals primarily with secondary characters, and affects very little of the main plot or the main characters, those secondaries may be trying to upstage your story. Reel them in!
  • If your subplot doesn’t “go” anywhere—the characters don’t grow, it doesn’t affect the main plot or dramatically change the main characters’ trajectories—it might need to go (More about that another time)

In trimming a subplot, you don’t have to cut it entirely. Readers are usually pretty astute, and can infer a lot without being shown everything. Try to stick with the most important events from the subplot to make it work. These are the events that trace the outline of the subplot, and the events that affect the main plot the most.

When you switch a subplot to a main plot, naturally you have to trim back the old main plot to make room. You’ll also probably need to expand the subplot—but most of all, you’ll need to make sure that all the key turning points of the story involve the new main plot, especially the character’s emotional turning points.

A word about romantic elements

Romantic subplots are very popular. But how can you tell if you’re writing a book with romantic elements, or an adventure romance, or a romance with adventure elements?

First and foremost, if the relationship does not end with a happily-ever-after (or at least a happily-ever-right-now), you’re looking at a book with romantic elements. It’s the codified definition of a “romance” from Romance Writers of America. Period.

If the romance plots and the adventure plots are nearly equal—in page time, in effect on the characters, in turning points, in beginnings and endings—adventure romance is a safe bet.

If the romance plot takes far more page time, or if it affects the characters’ journeys far more than the adventure plot, then it’s probably a romance with adventure elements. Most likely, you’ll want to stick to publishers in the romance arena—but be careful that your adventure elements aren’t too buried in the romance story, or you run the risk of disappointing your readers.

Subplots make your story richer—as long as they don’t take over the whole thing! Balancing your subplots helps to keep your story on course.

What do you think? How do you make sure your subplots are balanced against the main plot? Come share!

Photo credits: submarine—Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; bookshelf—Josh; balance—winnifredxoxo

Subplot, or cut bait?

This entry is part 4 of 7 in the series Subplots

Sometimes, subplots refuse to say “sub.” Or they have no usefulness to our story, when we really look deep into our souls (and story structure, characters, etc.). Sometimes, they just have to go.

The Detour Ends Here!Know when to hold ’em

A subplot can probably stay in the story if the events of the subplot change the course of the main character’s actions. If the main character would not go on to do things in the main plot without the subplot’s influence, step away from the delete key! Likewise, if the events or people in the subplot change the main character’s trajectory on his internal journey, keep it.

Often, even if the only function of the subplot within the greater whole of the story is to make things more difficult for your character, it can stay, as long as the subplot remains in proportion to the main plot. However, this one can be harder to pull off. Think of a rival for the hero’s affections in a romance. Once the hero and heroine are together (i.e., before the black moment), we either need closure on the issue of the rival or to see her again. This subplot line is in danger of leaving you with loose threads!

However, a subplot that’s worth keeping isn’t necessarily perfect. Even if a subplot is pretty vital to the story, you may still need to bring it back into balance with the main plot.

Remember, subplots make your story richer—as long as they don’t take over the whole thing!

Know when to run

It’s usually best to cut out any subplot that:the delete key is your friend

  • Undermines the theme of your story
  • Presents your main characters in a way that’s contradictory to their nature or their course on the internal journey
  • Hijacks the story (You might rewrite the story if you really love this subplot.)
  • Overshadows the story without adding anything to the “main” plot.
  • Duplicates the main plotline or character journey without creating an impact on the main character (or reader) beyond repetition.
  • Doesn’t change your main characters & the main plot.

Going under the knife

Before you cut willy-nilly, look at how your subplot intersects with your main plot and your main characters. When does it affect them, and how? Could you achieve that effect another way? Do you need to? Is that necessary for your story?

If the subplot never affects your main characters—and it doesn’t offer a good parallel or counterexample—start cutting!

Still struggling to let go of that subplot? Next time, we’ll take a look at how to take a seemingly extraneous subplot and integrate it into your story better!

There are many more times when the delete key is your friend. What do you think? When is it best to let your subplots go the way of all the digital files? Come share!

Photo by 7 Bits of Truth

Subplot caveats

This entry is part 5 of 7 in the series Subplots

Subplots can be tricky little devils, eh? If you’ve already determined your subplots are definitely necessary (or you made them that indispensable) and they’re not trying to take over your story, here are a few things to look out for when using a subplot.

subplots series. Photo by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Mirroring subplots

When using a subplot to mirror the main character’s journey, one danger is to make the subplot superfluous by too closely mirroring the main plot. A second identical plot doesn’t add anything to the book.

Fix it: Brainstorm ways to differentiate the plots, such as:

  • How can I show something unique about the main/secondary character through this subplot?
  • How can I refine or clarify the main plot/theme through this subplot?
  • How can I foreshadow the main plot without giving it away in this subplot?

With mirroring subplots, however, it’s also possible to go too far the other direction. Remember that the purpose of a mirroring subplot is to reinforce a part of the main story: the character’s internal journey, the external plot, characterization, etc. If we mirror that piece of the main story, but cast it in a contradictory light, we’re undercutting our main story instead of reinforcing it.

For example, if we’re mirroring the main character’s arc, but the secondary character does the “wrong” thing, refuses to grow, we can’t reward them by giving them what they want. That doesn’t show the main character that their path to growth is a good thing!

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.

To make sure this works in your subplot, be sure that:

  • The secondary character’s weakness is the same as or highly similar to the main character’s.
  • The secondary character does not go on a journey to growth, despite having the same opportunity.
  • When the secondary character refuses to grow, she reaps negative consequences.
  • The ultimate outcome for the character is negative.

This way the contrasting subplot reinforces the character’s arc.

Complicating subplots

When your subplot is affecting the main character, but the secondary characters aren’t growing or changing, you may have a complicating subplot. Personally, I’d double check to make sure you really want a complicating subplot rather than a mirroring or contrasting one, since those add extra depth.

One of the major dangers of complicating subplots is appearing superfluous. Make sure that your characters really affect the main plot and main characters, and nothing else could do the same job.

Conversely, you could be making your secondary characters or subplot work too hard—if they’re the only thing that propels the main plot or the main character, that could indicate a proactivity problem with the main parts of your book.

Meddling secondary characters are great for creating conflict in a book. But if your secondary characters are coming out of the woodwork to resolve all the main characters’ problems—without the protagonists really working for them—it feels like the main character is relying on a deus ex machina for resolution, rather than learning, growing and becoming a stronger person. And which of those would you rather read?

What are other common dangers of subplots?

Photo credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Save our subplots: Making subplots indispensable

This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series Subplots

When you just can’t let go

We’ve all been there—a character, a scene, or an entire subplot that we know isn’t really vital to our story. We need to cut it. But we . . . can’t.

Good news: you may not have to. It will be a lot more work, but if that extraneous subplot is something you truly love, you can make it work in your story.

SOS

Purposes of the elements of fiction

If we really have to keep a subplot, what do we do to make that subplot matter? Like the larger and smaller units of fiction, subplots must serve a purpose. For example, on the Writing on the Wall blog, author Annette Lyon lists six of the most basic purposes of a scene:

  1. Advance the plot
  2. Create or show conflict
  3. Set the setting
  4. Reveal character
  5. Show backstory
  6. Lay groundwork for later plot

The purposes are the same or similar for subplots. Numbers 1 and 2 on this list are probably the most important in any sort of commercial or popular fiction. In fact, Annette says that most of your scenes should have #1 or #2 as a purpose—in addition to one of the other six.

If nearly every scene should advance the plot and/or create/show conflict, in addition to developing another aspect of the story, we should strive to accomplish that in our subplots and their scenes as well. A subplot just for character development isn’t enough of a purpose.

Making subplots matter

When you truly cannot cut the subplot, what do you do? You make the subplot matter.

First of all, look at the list of subplot purposes above (and add to it if you really need to). How can you add those purposes to your subplot?

When I’m trying to make a scene matter, I ask myself these questions:

  • What is the character’s goal for this scene?
  • How can things get worse?
  • How can I raise the stakes?
  • What is the source of conflict in this subplot and how can I make the conflict bigger?
  • What is going on in the scenes surrounding each subplot scene, and how can the subplot affect and interact with those scenes?
  • How can I weave in the antagonist, the plot, or a character turning point?

The final point here is the one that I’ve used the most. With all these questions, we want to look for ways to better tie the subplot into the central story and characters. Incorporate the themes or the character arc more, heighten the conflict and the suspense, affect the trajectory of the main plot, etc.

How I’ve done this

Yep, I’ve been there done that!

When I was rewriting the book that will be my first published novel, I knew I needed to amp up the mystery plot (and tone down the romance plot a bit). So I went through each scene, specifically looking for a way I could increase the tension and suspense, raise the stakes and bring in the antagonists more.

Where could I tie in the antagonists? Could they appear in more scenes? Could they make more threats? Could they be watching, waiting, this whole time? What are they doing? How does that affect my main characters’ thoughts and actions? You may need to edit scenes that aren’t currently involved in the subplot to add these characters or ideas in, or you might have to write entire new scenes.

For another example, a couple years ago I pulled out a book I’d written almost 3 years before, ready to revise. I’ve already edited it a bit, so just about all of the scenes are in there for a good reason (though I can see I hadn’t really grasped scene goals at the time). However, some sections of the book really dragged, so I brainstormed how to draw in the antagonist more, how to keep the threat present and how to raise the stakes.

In this particular book, I decided that showing the villains’ subplot through their POV was the perfect solution. Whenever the main characters’ story began to turn more toward the internal, emotional side (and the external threat waned), I showed the villains working toward their objectives, reminding the reader that they were still there.

If you’re making substantial changes to a subplot or secondary character, be sure to reread the scenes involved (and any changed or new ones). Make sure the edits still track with each other as well as the story as a whole.

What do you think? How else can you make your subplots matter?

Photo credits: SOS—Carlos Rosas; question mark—Alexander Drachmann, both via Flickr & CC

Character Arcs is here!

This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series Subplots

We’ve finished our series on subplots, but we haven’t touched on one of the most important types: the character arc, the character’s emotional journey of growth. And that’s because I’ve been working so hard on the book about that very topic.

Hooray! It’s here!
COVER

On Kindle and in paperback

With more formats coming soon!

“Amid the vast number of books that focus on the what and why of character arcs, Jordan McCollum has created a refreshing guide that demystifies the how. Any writer interested in learning more about how to create a realistic character arc and smoothly add it to their story will benefit greatly from this book.”

—Becca Puglisi
author of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression

WHY DOES YOUR STORY MATTER?

CHARACTER ARCS show the events of our story are worth reading about.

In most works of fiction, the major characters don’t just experience the events of the plot—the story changes them. They learn and grow, ultimately succeeding at the climax of the story because of all they’ve gained. Even the greatest plot in the world can ring flat if the character’s internal journey isn’t dramatic enough. For a character to truly resonate with readers, he should change and grow over the course of the story.

CHARACTER ARCS will help you:

  • Give your readers a powerful experience in any genre
  • Discover your character’s arc: their internal, emotional journey.
  • Implement that character arc to make your readers root for your character.
  • Keep your story moving by using external plot events to prompt your character’s internal growth.
  • Revise your character’s arc for maximum impact.
  • PLUS a special chapter on using character arcs in romances, family dramas & other relationship stories.

Far from a write-by-numbers manual, this approach examines the basic mechanics of character change to show you how to apply these principles in your own work, with numerous examples.

Add power and resonance to any story—master character arcs!

More about Character Arcs
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