Comments on: The Thing About Sub-Plots

By: nancy

nancy — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:57:40 +0000

Thanks, Larry. Your comments really help.

By: janice

janice — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:41:46 +0000

Thanks, larry. This was another great post that makes the complex feel do-able. As I don’t write novels, I can’t apply what I learn here to anything I’m writing, but the first thing that came to mind as I was reading this post was its relevance to quality TV shows. I think those writers who manage to craft and weave elegant subplots have a head start when it comes to doing the ‘multi-strand’ development you need for a TV series that hooks people. (Supernatural and Everwood came to mind first.) I love to watch the characters develop throughout a series and the whole run of the show while I’m entertained by the stories -the mini subplots – in each episode.

By: Larry

Larry — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:18:52 +0000

@Nancy — not off balance at all. But then, only you can make that call when it’s all done and needs to leave the roost. Sub-plots are tough in that they don’t have the hard and fast structural guidelines that primary plotlines do (sorry if that’s redundant with the post above, which it is, but it bears repeating). The trick is have a solid command of the nature of the sub-plot, its reasons for being there (a gratuitious sub-plot, because some workshop guys said you need one, is a mistake), and most importantly, how it relates to and ultimately plays into both the main story and the character arc. From that understanding arises your decisions as to how, when and where to focus on sub-plot, rather than from any prescribed rules. Hope this helps. Keep at it, what you’re doing sounds great… just be careful to not construct a “rule” (such as: sub-plot shows up in every third scene) for yourself. L.

By: Monica

Monica — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:26:29 +0000

Excellent post, Larry! And timely! You’ve really clarified the sub-plot issue for me. I’ve had trouble with that in my current manuscript. I’m so straightforward, I focus on the main plot at the expense of any sub-plot at all. This will help me draw out a sub-plot from the life of my characters. Thanks a million!

By: nancy

nancy — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:12:06 +0000

You have just made me realize what I am struggling with. I am writing a family drama where the husband/ protagonist has an exciting career temporarily assigned overseas-at the expense of the wife’s career, which was back home. While he goes through his adventures (plot), she struggles with a sense of being useless and losing contact with her employer (subplot).
You say that if the main story is plot-drive, a subplot could be character-driven. I’m trying to make sure the character-driven part doesn’t slow the pace of the plot.
I’m wondering how I flesh out her issues (mostly internal conflict) while focusing on his issues (mostly external conflict). At first I wanted to give them alternate chapters, but his story is too plot driven to do that. She comes in about every third chapter to antagonize or challenge him. They both resolve at the end. Does this sound off-balance?

By: Rebecca @ Diary of a Virgin Novelist

Rebecca @ Diary of a Virgin Novelist — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:31:11 +0000

This is a great post. But whenever I read detailed and clear articles about structure, I get very very nervous about what I am doing. I am a very intuitive writer and 80% of the time when I match up the outline or manuscript with the desired story structure, it is there. But since I don’t think like this from the beginning, I get neeeeerrrrrvous.

By: Cam

Cam — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:17:57 +0000

Thanks for this post Larry. My main plot and sub-plot are concurrent and twine about each other to such an extent, even I have trouble telling them apart, so I’ve been struggling with where to set my “tent poles.”

Defining the sub-plot as a continuation of what the main character wanted before the first plot point occured totally clarified the concept for me. Finally I can hoist my tent poles and finish that first draft.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

By: Gwen Hernandez

Gwen Hernandez — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:31:13 +0000

Interesting. My sub-plots are often not consciously created, but if I look at my story, they’re there.

I like the idea of a dramatically-driven sub-plot in a character-driven story (and vice versa). Thanks!