So even though I’m only on chapter 9 of a story that will exceed 30 chapters, I reorganized the beginning. But the reader in me said ‘ick.’ There was nothing strong and riveting to grasp hold of. As the writer, I knew the characters and that the three, equally weighted plot lines led to something big. Writing the beginning of Spark of Defiance, book 1 of the series, gave me the same feeling. I don’t know the characters, or care much about them yet, and when the action starts, it is happening before I’m ready!
SUBPLOT DEFINITION SERIES
I’ve jumped into other series before that are continuations and been lost, and not just because of references to prior events.
It continues in the the same world using many of the same characters. Games of Fire takes place after my epic fantasy series the Rise of the Fifth Order ends. Working on Games of Fire has added a new worry with subplots: the story starts with three! Has it bogged down and become boring? Or perhaps a subplot is exactly the level of complexity that the main plot needs. As the writer, why do you feel a need for a diversion? Are things too tense and some humor is needed? Can the main characters create that without something unrelated happening? Maybe the main plot need tweaked. Maybe I’ll use it for a short story, save the idea for another novel, or see if a way to fit it in will happen – maybe using the main characters instead of secondary ones?įinding a desire to include a subplot is an opportunity to look at the main plot as well. Will it slow down a character or speed up the action? Will it cause confusion? When will whatever strange journey this subplot leads me down click into the main plot with a satisfying ‘ah ha!” If never, it doesn’t get a place in the novel. When I’m working on a novel if a side action develops, I stop and ask myself what impact it has on the main plot. The idea of supporting the main plot is great! Otherwise, if the subplot has absolutely nothing to do with what is going on in the story, why is it in your novel? THAT has become my rule of thumb. To me, a subplot should (not may) connect to the main plot in some way. Now we are getting into why some subplots work and others actually take away from the story. Subplots often involve supporting characters, those besides the protagonist or antagonist.” Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance. Well no wonder that leads to confusion and events that feel unconnected to the story! I like Wikepdia’s definition that describes a subplot as “a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. This is an entirely different plotting problem…įirst, what do I mean by subplot? A general definition is simply a secondary plot in a novel.
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