Now first, I have to say, that the plot you’re able to come up with in one day is not going to be without its flaws, but coming up with it all at once, the entire story unfolds right in front of you and makes you want to keep going with it. So, where to begin?
What is your premise and basic plot? Pick your plot. I recommend just pulling one from this list. No plots are “original” so making yours interesting and complicated will easily distract from that fact, that and interesting characters. Characters will be something for you to work on another day, because this is plotting day. You’ll want the main plot to be fairly straight forward, because a confusing main plot will doom you if you want subplots.
Decide who the characters will be. They don’t have to have names at this point. You don’t even need to know who they are other than why they have to be in the story. The more characters there are the more complicated the plot will be. If you intend to have more than one subplot, then you’ll want more characters. Multiple interconnected subplots will give the illusion that the story is very complicated and will give the reader a lot of different things to look at at all times. It also gives you the chance to develop many side characters. The plot I worked out yesterday had 13 characters, all were necessary. Decide their “roles” don’t bother with much else. This seems shallow, but this is plot. Plot is shallow.
Now, decide what drives each character. Why specifically are they in this story? You can make this up. You don’t even know these characters yet. Just so long as everyone has their own motivations, you’re in the clear.
What aren’t these characters giving away right off the bat? Give them a secret! It doesn’t have to be something that they are actively lying about or trying to hide, just find something that perhaps ties them into the plot or subplot. This is a moment to dig into subplot. This does not need to be at all connected to their drive to be present in the story. Decide who is in love with who, what did this person do in the 70’s that’s coming back to bite them today, and what continues to haunt what-his-face to this very day. This is where you start to see the characters take shape. Don’t worry much about who they are or what they look like, just focus on what they’re doing to the story.
What is going to change these characters? Now this will take some thinking. Everyone wants at least a few of the characters to come out changed by the end of the story, so think, how will they be different as a result of the plot/subplot? It might not be plot that changes them, but if you have a lot of characters, a few changes that are worked into the bones of the plot might help you.
Now list out the major events of the novel with subplot in chronological order. This will be your timeline. Especially list the historical things that you want to exist in backstory. List everything you can think of. Think about where the story is going. At this point, you likely haven’t focused too much on the main plot, yeah, it’s there, but now really focus on the rising actions, how this main plot builds its conflict, then the climactic moment. Make sure you get all of that in there. This might take a few hours.
Decide where to start writing. This part will take a LOT of thinking. It’s hard! But now that you’ve got the timeline, pick an interesting point to begin at. Something with action. Something relevant. Preferably not at the beginning of your timeline - you want to have huge reveals later on where these important things that happened prior are exposed. This is the point where you think about what information should come out when. This will be a revision of your last list, except instead of being chronological, it exists to build tension.
Once you’ve gotten the second list done, you’ve got a plot. Does it need work? Probably. But with that said, at this point you probably have no idea who half your characters are. Save that for tomorrow, that too will be a lot of work.
Here are some tips for writing great sub-plots, romantic or otherwise.
1. When to introduce a sub-plot
Of course, every story is different. However, there is some consensus that it’s good to introduce your sub-plot a little ways into your book
The main plot needs to be established first. The readers need to know the main character(s) and understand what the story is about. They need to care about the crux of the book and the characters first.
Then, you can introduce an intriguing subplot to keep their interest.
Don’t wait too long, though. Anything after 1/3 through might feel forced and misplaced.
2. When to resolve the sub-plot
The sub-plot should be resolved before the main plot is.
Generally, you want your readers’ attention focused on the main conflict once you reach the climax.
This means that you want to give them the resolution of the sub-plot a few pages/chapters before the big showdown of the main plot.
You’ll see that most TV episodes also follow this guideline and it works.
You can, roughly, aim for the ¾ mark if you’re unsure.
3. Remember the sub in sub-plot
I love a good sub-plot, especially one about characters growing closer. However, if I pick up a sci-fi thriller from the bookstore only to read a 400 page love story, I’m gonna be disappointed.
You classify your genre according to your main plot. What is the main conflict or purpose in your story? That should be the focus.
A sub-plot of whichever variation is always secondary to the main storyline.
If you focus too much on the subplot, it may overpower your real story and bump your book into a whole other genre.
So, maybe have the romance take a backseat when the main plot comes to play.
4. When to indulge
Let’s be honest; we all love writing our sub-plots. They often contain the scenes you envisioned when thinking up your story - the conversations and fluff, the banter and depth of character. This, unfortunately, means that it’s easy to get carried away, as I made clear in my last point.
However, there is a part of your book in which you can indulge, a point during which you can explore the sub-plot to your heart’s desire.
When is that point? The middle.
Often, the main plot slows down in the middle of the book. The characters need training or there’s a period of false security etc. Many stories have a lull in the middle where the main conflict isn’t in full swing.
And this is where the sub-plot shines. This is where characters fall in love and heroes reunite with long-lost fathers. This is where you get to place your darling scenes.
And no, this doesn’t mean that your middle can be 200 pages and you can write an entire romance novel. It also doesn’t mean that the main plot must disappear. It’s just a stage in the story where you can let the sub-plot loose a bit.
Also don’t leave every aspect of your sub-plot for the middle. It should be woven into your story.
But use the middle to let the sub-plot shine.
5. Should you have a sub-plot?
Personally, I think every story needs some form of sub-plot.
There has to be some conflict/story/relationship that develops and adds intrigue aside from the main plot.
Not having one could screw up your pacing, make your characters feel underdeveloped and generally make for a boring read.
But, this is just my opinion. Each unto their own.
That’s it. Those are some basic tips on writing a sub-plot. I hope that they could be helpful. As always, my inbox and asks are open for any questions.
Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment with the type of sub-plot you’re writing. Follow me for similar content.
admittedly,person a has extremely dry chapped lips. it’s awful to even think about. person a claims it to be a defence mechanism to whoever wants to even try to kiss them. person b doesn’t give a single fuck.
person a jokingly flirts with person b and always ends it with: “fell for me yet?” and every single time person b would roll their eyes and ignore person a.
however, on an uneventful afternoon, person a goes for their usual act of a pick up line and a wink, ending it with their always unanswered question. expecting an eye roll or a sassy remark as usual from person b: instead, person a got an unbothered “yes” from them. now, person a has their jaw agape as they watch person b walk away, not noticing a faint smile on their face.
