![]() ![]() Protagonists do not always get what they want, but in a good story, they get what they need. You can use a character’s emotional, spiritual or intellectual learning curves in this type of sub-plot. It could be a friend, a pet, or a family member. Writers use love interests to support protagonists and to thwart them by threatening their well-being. ![]() ![]() It should be a person or an animal that your protagonist loves. Remember that it does not have to be a romantic love interest. The love interest is the most common sub-plot. TOP TIP! If you want an in-depth lesson on sub-plots with exercises, please buy The 6 Sub-Plots Workbook. A good way to see if your sub-plot adds to your book is to see if your main story changes if you remove it. If your sub-plot does not do at least one of these, it will feel like a stand-alone story within your novel. Show different aspects of the main character’s personality.Test your main characters’ motivations and abilities to achieve their goals.Show different perspectives of the central conflict in the story.Sub-plots add layers and texture to your novel, because they: Why should we include sub-plots in our stories? Sub-plots should begin and end within the main plot. Tip: The main plot begins and ends the novel. If your character succeeds in attaining the goal of the main plot, it could be a good idea for a failure in the sub-plot. It should also reach a resolution of some kind. Like your plot, it should have a character who pursues a story goal and encounters setbacks and conflict because of these actions. What is a sub-plot?Ī sub-plot is a plot that supports your main plot. In this post, I will define a sub-plot and then discuss six sub-plots that will add substance and style to your stories. Read this post to find out about the six sub-plots writers can use in their books. If your sub-plot does not do at least one of these, it will feel like a stand-alone story within your novel.If you’re writing a novel, you’ll need a plot and a sub-plot. Show different aspects of the main character’s personality. ![]() Test your main characters’ motivations and abilities to achieve their goals.Show different perspectives of the central conflict in the story.It makes the main character question what they want entirely. A particularly useful type of subplot, however, does something more than just complicate the quest. Short forms such as short stories don’t have time for subplots.ĭon’t leave the main plot for too long because the audience will (hopefully) want to get back to it.įrom Writer’s Write: Many subplots exist to complicate the plot and make it difficult for the main character to get what they want. Here’s one way the ‘subplot’ might be considered subordinate: The main plot gets the first and last say. Don’t try to get any more fancy than that. If you are going to use a subplot, you only have enough time to give it the most basic story elements. In fact, I recommend you stop thinking about subplots altogether. I don’t have a good simple answer, 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. Some writers avoid the word ‘subplot’ entirely and call it, say, a ‘B plot’. But we can keep calling it ‘subplot’, because that’s how it’s widely known. A good one that works is actually a story plot of its own with its own complete structure, meaning the main character of the subplot has their own character arc, their own opposition, their own desires, makes their own plans.Ī more accurate term might be ‘side story’. Alternative Opinion: Subplot Is Not A Useful Concept If the subplot doesn’t affect the main plot in any way, and simply shares setting/characters, we might be better off calling it a related short story. When most people talk about subplot they’re talking about a minor story which exists to bulk out the ‘main’ story. ![]()
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