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creating subplot – J.E.S. Hays http://www.jeshays.com Author, Worldbuilder, Wordsmith Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:35:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 http://www.jeshays.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cropped-sitelogo-32x32.gif creating subplot – J.E.S. Hays http://www.jeshays.com 32 32 4 Tips for Creating Subplots http://www.jeshays.com/?p=929 Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:35:25 +0000 http://www.jeshays.com/?p=929

A subplot is a plot within your main plot, one that affects the secondary character(s).

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Here are four basic points to keep in mind when creating a subplot:

  • Is the character worthy? Does the secondary character you have chosen for this subplot have a deep enough personality to handle it? Is their life complicated enough to generate a subplot? Do they face conflicts that are separate from the main plot? If you can’t find a secondary character who is complex enough to generate a subplot, then you need to work on your characters to make them a little more three-dimensional.
  • Does the subplot connect to the main plot? In order for the story to catch the reader’s attention, there must be inter-connections between the two plots. The characters must both have good, solid reasons to be in the book. They must have some proximity to one another.
  • Does the subplot affect the outcome of the main plot? If your subplot only widens the scope of your novel, it’s not doing the job properly.
  • Does the subplot range? Your characters don’t have to travel the world, but they should have a broad range of experiences within the plot and subplot.

And a final bit of advice: stick to one or two subplots. More than that will overwhelm your novel.

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