A subplot might just be the thing to address your problem. We see them in the movies we watch, and they are usually in every novel we read. How many subplots??? A good rule of thumb is to have your main conflict, an inner conflict, and a handful of subplots. The Mentalist on television does this kind of tease real well. ( Log Out /  I'm writing a novel, it will be, say, 100,000 words....ish. The spine. If your reader has too many complexities to juggle, it may be a turn-off unless you have great skill to pull it off. Subplots are less important than main plots.”. Grief: The Great Yearning is not a how-to but a how-done, a compilation of letters, blog posts, and journal entries Pat Bertram wrote while struggling to survive her first year of grief. But sometimes a story ends up seeming too linear, so you wonder how many subplots in a novel is a good number. — even for Star Wars, which is not the most complex of stories. Proof of this can be found in some of our era’s greatest sagas. In Star Wars you have the following plot or through line: Ragtag rebels work to stop a space station from cementing the evil emperor’s hold on the galaxy. It’s about a girl, who has a fraught personal conflict, who starts to see herself as part of a more complicated web. . Sometimes, though, one or two or all of the ones mentioned above are necessary. It sounds like it shouldn’t work, but I wouldn’t rule anything out. This story isn’t just about her audition now. Suddenly, the story has all sorts of layers. This isn’t possible to answer definitively without reading the book. With a love for reading and writing that started in his youth, Rob has traveled far to get to the place where he can now concentrate on breaking into the horror market. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Short stories usually consist of one plot. However, longer novels are more interesting if they have more than one strand and the longer the book… I’ve given up trying to figure out why anyone does anything. The above is just an example, and subplots find their ways in many other shapes and sizes. But don’t be afraid of two, or forty-two. You can and absolutely should plant the seeds of subplot in the beginning, and resolve the additional plots by the end. I also told him if he shaved a bit here and there he would have three pretty good movies with enough subplots to spice things up or a min-series for television. I come from the movie generation and oft times think in terms of film even when I’m working out subplots for some novel. If someone says that your novel needs more meat or substance or something else happening, you can be pretty sure that your plot is too linear. The Five Major Challenges We Face During the Second Year of Grief. . For most of us, subplots serve to make life difficult for our characters. I still love the Stainless Steel Rat series of novels by Harry Harrison because they are fun and, just when you think as a reader you know how everything is going to go in the story, a lion instead of a rabbit is pulled out of the hat like in one of those Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. It’s written by Mary Kole, a veteran literary agent, editor, and publishing industry insider who knows how the system works. For example, many readers feel uncomfortable with the idea of a +100 year old super powered character paired with an ordinary human. The only question remaining is why and in this why you have your subplots that push the book forward. If you want “one” of something, go for it. And why? Shorts, for example, are a form that generally works better when they are a drag race from point A to B, and which end in a singular climax — but I’ve read exceptions. and How many subplots in a novel areacceptable?) If there are too many subplots, there are extra threads left hanging at the end of the book, and if there are too few, then there could be holes in the story. And now, you can buy my very own Manuscript Submission Blueprint, with over ten hours of instruction, 35+ handouts, sample query letters, and interviews about all facets of the submission process to agents and publishers for all writers, for writers in all categories. The mentoring of Luke, Chewie and Han as wanted criminals (smugglers), the romantic tripod of Leia, Han, and Luke, and in my view, even more. When Pat’s adult dance classmates discover she is a published author, the women suggest she write a mystery featuring the studio and its aging students. In fact, I’ve posted a couple of those comments here on this blog to make sure they didn’t get lost in the great maw of Facebook. So, if that is the definition for plots, then what are subplots? This is because the relationship is unbalanced. Boom! Let’s look at some tips to help you to use subplots to improve your novel. In my current novel, a contemporary romance, my heroine’s sworn off men, because of … And what others have said is true: any subplot (or character, for that matter) that … Please remember, anything you send can be featured on the site. One sweet older lady laughingly volunteers to be the victim, and the others offer suggestions to jazz up the story. The subplot is a side story that exists within the main plot. I sell a lot of my classes on-demand on Udemy, priced for maximum accessibility! Most of the writers thought that one or two subplots was enough, but horror writer Rob M. Miller gave a wonderful response that I’m reposting here. If you have a 35k word YA novel, for example, or a 15k word and you’re gunning for the middle grade category. Keep track of stuff . Subplots are like a seasoning. In my Suspense/Thriller Writers’ group on Facebook, one author asked, “How many subplots in a book are acceptable?”. the murders begin. For example, in my novel Damn Straight, I wanted to beset my heroine, Lillian Byrd, with so much trouble she can’t evade all of it. A subplot is a small story that is told throughout part, or all, of the main plot. . In my novel Desk Job I keep the main plot simple and reinforce its tructure via the subplots. Short novel? You may know there’s an issue, but not what to do about it. Particularly … Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One debunks many established beliefs about what grief is, explains how it affects those left behind, and shows how to adjust to a world that no longer contains the loved one. There are many types of subplots used in novels. Write the story from the viewpoints of both characters (i.e. Hopefully the types of subplots listed above have touched off some ideas. If you’re wondering how many subplots in a novel, you need to look at how short your project is. And they all seem so disjointed from each other at points, like they’re fighting for space in the movie. (Is Talent More Important Than Passion andPersistence? If you find you have a more involved question that will benefit from you reading your work ahead of time, please feel free to book a paid consultation using my calendar. Many people are familiar with subplots. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. If you can’t link up all your subplots to the main spine then maybe you do have too many subplots going or too many for you to competently handle. There are conventions, tropes, schemes and paradigms, some of more value than others. What is the easiest part of the writing process? But the information is great, and I’m saving it for a future when my characters, or their friends, fail me. Establishing the character, starting off strongly (in action) with their primary conflict, layering in some tasteful backstory along the way, then, on the back end, wrapping up the story in a way that’s thematically rich and brings the initial problem full circle. What the poor fellow came up with after that meeting was a convoluted mess that, instead of having a running time of one and a half hours, would run instead to close on four hours. In simple terms, a plot is a sequence of connected events that are bound together by cause and effort. This book wouldn't be possible without my lovely blog readers and your support over the years! If you’re curious, you can find free trial versions of all the Manuscript Blueprints here. A subplot may add between 5,000 to 10,000 words. Check out my freelance editorial website for more about developmental editing services. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. At least four of them are absolutely essential for the development of my story. If you’d like more in-depth and personalized advice that I can give on this blog, please visit my Mary Kole Editorial website, to learn how you can work with me directly on your query letter, manuscript, or other writing-related project. THANKS A MILLION! About halfway through the book, I got entangled in all those threads, and the only way to find the way to plait them altogether was to do a story board. What’s more, he needed them to be three pretty good movies or a mini-series rather than this monstrous thing he now had that couldn’t stand because of all that it carried. I’d love to answer any questions you have. How many subplots? Writing subplots in a novel doesn’t always come intuitively. Click to purchase, and be sure to add it to your shelf and write a review on Goodreads! Most of the writers thought that one or two subplots was enough, but horror writer Rob M. Miller gave a wonderful response that I’m reposting here. I was not happy with the way the others critiqued this poor fellow’s work and have never been back to that group. Hi everyone! Read through your manuscript and pick 4-5 places where even you’re bored of reading it. So get those worked out in place, then allow yourself the freedom to play with the next ten. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Current events take over and yet, something is missing. Mind you, getting to know thyself I always thought was one of the main reasons, other than the pleasure of it, to write anyway. Subplots will emerge from the secondary characters you most enjoy. ( Log Out /  1. Pitching your project to an agent or publisher doesn’t have to be scary! After dedicating her life to David and his vocation as a pastor, the evidence that her devout husband kept secrets devastates Amanda. Pat Bertram Says: December 2, 2012 at 7:41 pm. It can be frustrating to try and give advice on using subplots, because subplots can be any number of things: These examples for writing subplots and subplot ideas start close to your character (another storyline for her) and zoom all the way out to a concern in the larger environment. It’s all about a coherent whole. Another thing to consider is the number of characters in a novel. If the plot is the spine, and you have a lot of subplots running, then you need to make sure you have a strong enough spine to take all this added weight. Available online wherever books and ebooks are sold. What is the most difficult? In the process of planning my novel, I have created, in addition to the four essential througlines, nine additional subplot througlines. So, how many sub-plots and for that matter, how many sub-sub-plots would be appropriate? Access tips, workshops, handouts, resources and videos for writers of all levels—all for less than your Netflix subscription. It was after two years of free-lance stringer work, and a number of publishing credits, that he tired of non-fiction and decided to use his love of the dark, personal terrors, and talent with words to do something more beneficial for his fellow man -– SCARE THE HELL OUT OF HIM. The drama teacher gathers everyone around to make the sad announcement that there may not even be auditions this year. Thin plot? Turn this one simple plot into a much lengthier one, and you will have something recognizable as a novel on your hands. I advocate for subplot because it’s wonderful for one crucial thing: to raise stakes and tension. When twenty-five-year-old Mary Stuart learns she inherited a farm from her recently murdered grandparents -- grandparents her father claimed had died before she was born -- she becomes obsessed with finding out who they were and why someone wanted them dead. A great subplot will not save your lagging story. Simply put, a plot is just a sequence of events that push the narrative to its end. Author, know thyself, and then stretch 10%, putting down a tale as best you can, whether outlined or not, large-staged or mini, small cast or jam-packed. About halfway through the book, I got entangled in all those threads, and the only way to find the way to … Another thing to consider is the number of characters in a novel. There is a murder in the office. Do not ask for feedback or critique, please. I don’t know if he took my advice or not. Then of course you had these politically correct women who insisted that the women in the story should have their own recollections and the same can be said for the children. Subplots are useful in turning what might otherwise have been a very slender novel into something more substantial. If you make it your objective to use your subplots to complicate your story, that is a first strong construction step. ... Is this subplot integral to the story, so important that omitting it will change the whole tenor of the story or novel. Sometimes one additional subplot is all you need to spice your dish. Sometimes the writer and the reader can’t or shouldn’t know everything.I always liked the way The Saint retained something of the mystery man well into the 1950s in short story, novel and also film. Pat Bertram is the author  of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One and Grief: The Great Yearning, “an exquisite book, wrenching to read, and at the same time full of profound truths.” Bertram is also the author of the suspense novels Unfinished, Madame ZeeZee’s Nightmare, Light Bringer, Daughter Am I, More Deaths Than One, and A Spark of Heavenly Fire. Editorial inquiries can be sent directly to marykoleeditorial@gmail.com. The subplot is connected to the main story but never overpowers it. Most of the questions I pose for the sake of discussion get almost no response. Muddy middle? The addition of a largely internal conflict for your main character will add depth to your madcap plot. Subplots are everywhere. I concede the number could be argued, but c’mon, fellow writers, there is more than one, and there is more than two. I like being bedazzled by slight of hand and have such workings maybe revealed later on after we have established the fact that the main character can seemingly perform miracles like a real saint. Rob said: A broad question begging for a broad answer, of which there is only one that’s truly honest, even if horribly vague: As many as the author can competently handle. Also, please keep your questions to a reasonable length. Subplots are everywhere. Some subplots add flavor or setting or deepens a character; and yet, nothing really happens. In fact, too many subplots or the wrong kind of subplots can easily water down your main plot and theme and end up distracting the reader. Boring? Consider the gap you need to close. […]. As publishers we don’t have ‘rules’ like this. Here’s a writer after my own heart! Three meetings with that group were enough for me. James Clavell’s 1975 blockbuster Shōgun is a doorstop of a … That’s the plot. I have so many subplots and subsubplots in Light Bringer, I’m not sure I can count them all. . It can’t just float in the middle of your novel disconnected. Not only do you have to hone your writing craft in today’s market, you also have to become savvy about the business end of things. For example, she’s driving to school and sees a sign on the school lawn about the budget cuts meeting. The ones other people ask, like this one, get a huge response. By the end, it’s announced that the theatre program is saved. ( Log Out /  I’m not sure why anyone would ask that question. While sorting through her deceased husband’s effects, Amanda is shocked to discover a gun and the photo of an unknown girl who resembles their daughter. or it can be an equally wonderful, but streamlined story. Reach out here: mary@kidlit.com. There are courses for picture book, chapter book, MG and YA, self-publishing, marketing, and more. I wrote a brief synopsis of each scene on a card, and kept playing with them like puzzle pieces until they all fell into place. I told the guy he had something that basically would no longer work because he had well and truly taken too much on board. They are calling out for some tension. My response to the question would have been: as many as the story needs. Too many subplots – Poe and Leia, Finn and Rose, Rey and Luke, and Kylo Ren. Bob Stark returns to Denver after 18 years in SE Asia to discover that the mother he buried before he left is dead again. As a result, I use the main, B, C method, with B for the plot of the next book. Perhaps your idea is an exception, too. A subplot may add between 5,000 to 10,000 words. Rob is a smart guy and knows what he is doing. As part of the galactic renewal program, God has accepted an offer from a development company on the planet Xerxes to turn Earth into a theme park. I can’t give you a recipe for how many to use, or what kind. If your story goes too neatly from A to Z, has too few characters, or focuses almost entirely on one story, and you’re not writing an early reader or chapter book (where straightforward stories tend to thrive for very new readers), you may want to look at adding a subplot. “I am Bob, the Right Hand of God. But it’s also a bit simple — isn’t it? However, this can be a good general template for using a subplot in your story. Dedicated readers know that I don’t advertise on this blog. Believe it or not, 70K words aren't a lot when you need to tell a story, so you're going to need the bulk of those 70-90K words to tell your main plot. Thanks for posting his response, Pat. Change ). Learn how your comment data is processed. Wiki Answers says that “subplot is like the secondary plot of your story. Check out my Udemy instructor page to see what I’m offering, including my awesome Crafting Dynamic Characters course, created in partnership with Writing Mastery Academy and Jessica Brody. Also how and why he was manipulated. We know who did the stabbing. Considering the ephemeral nature of Facebook, in a couple of days his comment would have disappeared into the great maw of FB, and I didn’t want it to be lost forever. Click here to buy Grief: The Inside Story. In the first-person narrative of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the narrator, Scout … himself. Just a note: I will only answer general questions about the craft of writing, agents, editors or publishing. a multiple viewpoint novel) and you have two plots. He’s never been satisfied with Earth. ( Log Out /  Of all these three subplots, this is the one least connected to the main plot in the first book. Novels begin to take on breakout expansiveness with little more than two points of view and as few as one or, possibly, two subplots. In quarantined Colorado, where hundreds of thousands of people are dying from an unstoppable, bio-engineered disease, investigative reporter Greg Pullman risks everything to discover the truth: Who unleashed the deadly organism? . Some good points made here by Rob. To resolve this, you must give the weaker character a super power to make them equal. Update: If it helps, I have about 15 characters. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. How the tricks of the trade work can come later. It’s about fighting for who and what she loves. A subplot may involve the main character or minor characters, but they enrich the story if done well. But really, do we think there’s a rule about that? Some subplots are just fun detours: omit them. He’s decided to eliminate anyone who isn’t nice, and because He’s God, He knows who you are; you can’t talk your way out of it as you humans normally do.”.