When I sit down to plot a novel, I never think in terms of subplots. If you find yourself thumbing through your manuscript and going, “Subplot, subplot, subplot!,” it may well be because the subplots are sticking out like speed bumps on the highway. If your subplot doesn’t work within the larger plot to the point that it’s inextricable from it, then it simply doesn’t work. In fact, I recommend you stop thinking about subplots altogether.
I don’t have a good simple answer (which is why it’s taken me ten years to write a full-blown post on the subject), for the simple reason that subplots are not a good way to think about story. Whenever someone asks me “how do I write subplots?”, it makes me incredibly squirmy. I actually don’t even like talking about subplots. But today, let’s assume you’ve already packed your cart with your nourishing vegetables, which leaves you free to fulfill your sweet tooth by raiding Ye Olde Subplot Shoppe. In short: you can’t master the art of organizing subplots without mastering the art of plotting itself.įor that, of course, you need story structure, character arc, theme, and all that fun junk. Good subplots integrate with the main plot to the point they’re inextricable from the story’s bigger picture. This is because subplots, when done right, are all but camouflaged within the larger story. I’m often asked about subplots, but it’s one of those subjects ( like POV) that is bigger than just a simple answer.
But organizing subplots, or even just figuring out what your subplots are? That can sometimes be trickier.
#PLOT SUBPLOT FULL#
They’re rich, juicy, complex, and full of opportunities for taking your story to the next level. Enough to make any writer’s mouth water, right? Writers love the idea of subplots. Imagine you walk into a candy shop, but what you discover inside, instead of candy, is display after display of subplots.
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