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Hellooo everybody! Today I'm addressing one of your most requested topics, and that is subplots.
Hooray! So let's start with the basics. What the hell is a subplot? A subplot is a
secondary plot within your novel. You got your big main plot, and then you got a little baby plot,
or two or three. You know when you're reading an adventure story and the hero has to save the
world, but along the way, he falls in love. Well, the saving the world bit is the main plot, and the
sucking face bit is the subplot. The subplot isn't the BASIS of the story. You're not going to see it
featured in any depth in the synopsis. But that doesn't mean it's not important. I'd argue that
subplots are VERY important. Your subplot should have a direct effect on the main plot in some
form, or else they just shouldn't be there at all. So now that you know what a subplot is, some of
you might be thinking, “Oh, cool. I definitely won't be doing that.” You should probably
reconsider. Subplots aren't always necessary to a story, but they usually are. They just make
the story better, juicy, meatier…other words that relate to food. Am I hungry? So I'm going to tell
you the top reasons why writing a subplot or two will make your story a whole lot more awesome.
Number One (1): Subplots improve your characters. So the plot of the average novel works like this,
your protagonist has a problem and they spend the entire book trying to deal with this problem,
until they're finally able to solve the problem at the end. This doesn't really
tell us a whole lot about the character, does it? If we're only seeing one side of this character,
the side that's fixated on their problem, we're not getting a really good look at who they are
as a person. And while you might think, “Who cares? The reader doesn't need a good look.
They just need to follow the story.” To that I say you, are stupid. It totally matters that the
reader get a well-rounded look at the protagonist because that's what's going to make them like
the protagonist. That's what's going to make them relate to the protagonist. And that's what's going
to make them root for the protagonist. If your reader doesn't get a good feel for the character
or isn't able to connect with them, they're not going to care what happens to them. You need to
find a boyfriend in time to have a date to your sister's wedding? Who gives a shit. Oh, you've
got to save the world from mutant horse-monkeys? No fucks given here! Enter subplots. They give the
protagonist an opportunity to showcase multiple sides of their personality. Say your protagonist
is in fact fighting to save the world from mutant horse-monkeys, but along the way, he manages to
fall in love. Hopefully not with a horse-monkey, but hey, do you. On the one hand, we get to see
his gritty, courageous side as he battles these mutant hooved freaks. But on the other, we get
to see his soft sensitive side as he woos his love interest into a strong embrace. That's the beauty
of the subplot. They give you the opportunity to expand on your character and make them infinitely
more likeable. Number Two (2): Subplots, add variety, and variety is the spice of life. Am
I right? Of course I'm right. I'm always right. The main plot of your story is probably gonna have
like one or two flavors. If we're writing romance, then your plot is going to be really mushy and
passionate. If you're writing an adventure, your plot is going to be gripping and exciting. These
are all good things. But too much of a good thing can be kind of exhausting and subplots
provide the relief that you need. They break up the action and intensity with something new and
refreshing. This is especially relevant if you're writing anything that's really dark or violent. A
shit ton of darkness can get really heavy, really fast. So throw in a subplot or two to relieve the
tension. Give your reader a cute romantic story to swoon over between the bouts of bloodshed.
Give them something to laugh at, everyone loves to laugh. That's the job of the subplots. They're
there to mix up the monotony of whatever weight your main plot carries within the story. Number
Three (3): Subplots will give your story length. Hey, you know what, size doesn't matter? Or does
it? Writers tend to fall into two categories: overwriters and underwriters. Overwriters are
the people who produce a ton of content and then spend the entire editing phase trying to trim it
down. And underwriters are the people who write the bare bones of their story and then labor
over having to beef it up. Half the time when I read an underwriters manuscript, the main reason
their story is too short is because they don't have any subplots. Adding a subplot or two will
lengthen your manuscript without requiring you to write filler content. And you should never
write filler content. Number Four (4): Subplots can promote your story's theme. More often than
not when you're writing a story, especially an impactful one, there's kind of a point to it.
You've got a message you want to communicate, a pearl of wisdom you want to deliver to the masses.
Your main plot is obviously your primary avenue for getting this point across. But the beauty of
subplots is that they can easily promote your theme as well. Say the message you're trying
to promote is to stick it to the man. Yeah! Your protagonist lives in a super corrupt society ruled
by robots or something, and she has to take down the Robot King, because no robot’s gonna tell her
how to live her life. And then say your subplot revolves around the girl's relationship with her
dad. He is an avid robot supporter, and not only that, but a real piece of work. Shitty dad being
shitty. So by the end of the book, not only was she able to take down the evil Robot King, but
she was able to stand up to her dad and say, “Hey, fuck robots, you're a douche. I'm out.” Boom! She
stuck to the man twice! Themes, themes for days. And last but certainly not least. Number Five (5):
Subplots will make your story realistic. This, in my opinion, is THE most important reason
to include subplots. We all live complicated lives. No matter what goal we're pursuing there
will inevitably be things that get in the way, or situations that require our attention. Some of us
have issues with our family. Some of us have to go to school or work. Some of us fall in and out of
love. These are the sort of things that make for a well rounded life. Implementing these elements
into your story will make your character’s lives much more realistic and thus much more relatable.
Additionally, a lot of us writers like to write stories that are pretty far fetched.
We write about monsters, we write about fairies, write about shit that doesn't exist. And if your
story is filled with shit that doesn't exist, it's nice to add some realism to the mix. That's what
the subplots are for. Subplots usually revolve around character dynamics: a failing marriage,
a strange relationship between father and son. These kinds of problems are really relatable and
it's nice to have that authenticity to punctuate the fantastical shenanigans. Suddenly fairies
and werewolves don't feel that far fetched if in between the glitter and shifting someone's getting
into a fight with their girlfriend. “We were on a break!” So now that we know the benefits of
writing subplots, I'm going to tell you the things you want to AVOID when writing subplots. The first
and most obvious thing to avoid is making them boring. One of the points of a subplot is to
introduce something new and interesting to the story. You don't want to break up the excitement
with boredom. Sure, subplots typically aren't as engaging as the actual plot. If they were,
they would be the actual plot. But they should be entertaining in their own way,
and they should serve an easily identifiable purpose. The second thing to avoid is leaving
the subplots unresolved. If you're writing a series and your subplot is going to continue
into the next book, then you have some wiggle room. But if one of your subplots involves a
friendship on the rocks and nothing ever comes of it, your reader is going to be sitting there like,
“What…just…happened?” It'll serve as a huge distraction from the actual plot. They're
going to be wasting time wondering if these two friends are ever going to work it out, when they
should be wondering if Donna will ever find love again. And the last thing you should avoid is
writing subplots that overcomplicate the story. In my opinion, the best stories are complicated,
but if you have so many subplots that the book just becomes a clusterfuck. That's a problem.
Reading fiction can certainly be challenging, but remember, it should always be entertaining. It
should never feel like work because if it feels like work, they're just gonna put the book down
and never pick it up again. So there you have it. The benefits and pitfalls of writing teeny tiny
baby plots. They sound so much cuter when you say it like that. Don't forget, keep them relatable,
keep them entertaining, and make them complimentary to the plot. On that note don't
forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays. My book Eve: The Awakening
is still available in ebook and paperback on Amazon right now. So oh my gosh, if you
haven't read it, what the fuck, read it now! Links below. And if you have any questions or if there's
something you'd like me to talk about in my next video, be sure to Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!