#sub-plot

How to Write A Sub Plot

If you look back on every single bestselling book ever printed, the chances are that most, if not all of them, contain sub-plots.

A sub-plot is part of a book that develops separately from the main story, and it can serve as a tool that extends the word count and adds interest and depth into the narrative.

Sub-plots are key to making your novel a success, and, although they aren’t necessary for shorter works, are an essential aspect of story writing in general.

However, sub-plots can be difficult to weave into the main plot, so here are a few tips on how to incorporate sub-plots into your writing.

1. Know Your Kinds of Sub-Plots and Figure Out Which is Best For Your Story

Sub-plots are more common than you think, and not all of them extend for many chapters at a time.

A sub-plot doesn’t have to be one of the side characters completely venturing off from the main group to struggle with their own demons or a side quest that takes up a quarter of the book. Small things can make a big difference, and there are many of these small things that exist in literature that we completely skip over when it comes to searching for sub-plots.

Character Arcs

Character arcs are the most common sub-plot.

They show a change in a dynamic character’s physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual outlook, and this evolution is a subtle thing that should definitely be incorporated so that the readers can watch their favorite characters grow and develop as people.

For example, let’s say that this guy named Bob doesn’t like his partner Jerry, but the two of them had to team up to defeat the big bad.

While the main plot involves the two of them brainstorming and executing their plans to take the big bad down, the sub-plot could involve the two getting to know each other and becoming friends, perhaps even something more than that.

This brings me to the second most common sub-plot:

Romance

Romance can bolster the reader’s interest; not only do they want to know if the hero beats the big bad guy, they also want to know if she ends up with her love interest in the end or if the warfare and strife will keep them apart.

How to Write Falling in Love

How to Write a Healthy Relationship

How to Write a Romance

Like character arcs, romance occurs simultaneously with the main plot and sometimes even influences it.

Side-Quests

There are two types of side-quest sub-plots, the hurtles and the detours.

Hurdle Sub-Plots

Hurdle sub-plots are usually complex and can take a few chapters to resolve. Their main purpose is to put a barrier, or hurdle, between the hero and the resolution of the main plot. They boost word count, so be careful when using hurdle sub-plots in excess.

Think of it like a video game.

You have to get into the tower of a fortress to defeat the boss monster.

However, there’s no direct way to get there; the main door is locked and needs to have three power sources to open it, so you have to travel through a monster-infested maze and complete all of these puzzles to get each power source and unlock the main door.

Only, when you open the main door, you realize that the bridge is up and you have to find a way to lower it down and so forth.

Detour Sub-Plot

Detour sub-plots are a complete break away from the main plot. They involve characters steering away from their main goal to do something else, and they, too, boost word count, so be careful not too use these too much.

Taking the video game example again.

You have to get to that previously mentioned fortress and are on your way when you realize there is an old woman who has lost her cattle and doesn’t know what to do. 

Deciding the fortress can wait, you spend harrowing hours rounding up all of the cows and steering them back into their pen for the woman.

Overjoyed, the woman reveals herself to be a witch and gives you a magical potion that will help you win the fight against the big bad later.

**ONLY USE DETOUR SUB-PLOTS IF THE OUTCOME HELPS AID THE PROTAGONISTS IN THE MAIN PLOT**

If they’d just herded all of the cows for no reason and nothing in return, sure it would be nice of them but it would be a complete waste of their and the readers’ time!

2. Make Sure Not to Introduce or Resolve Your Sub-Plots Too Abruptly

This goes for all sub-plots. Just like main plots, they can’t be introduced and resolved with a snap of your fingers; they’re a tool that can easily be misused if placed into inexperienced hands.

Each sub-plot needs their own arc and should be outlined just like how you outlined your main plot.

How to Outline Your Plot

You could use my methods suggested in the linked post, or you could use the classic witch’s hat model if you feel that’s easier for something that’s less important than your main storyline.

3. Don’t Push It

If you don’t think your story needs a sub-plot, don’t add a sub-plot! Unneeded sub-plots can clutter up your narrative and make it unnecessarily winding and long.

You don’t have to take what I’m saying to heart ever!

It’s your story, you write it how you think it should be written, and no one can tell you otherwise!

Sub-plot: entenda de uma vez por todas!

Sub-plot não é o par romântico do protagonista!!

Um dos conceitos mais mau compreendidos é do sub-plot! E a melhor forma de entender uma coisa que, possivelmente, está enraizada de forma errada nos seus conceitos teóricos (e com certeza nos práticos também), é começar definindo o que ele NÃO É. O melhor uso do sub-plot é para dar profundidade ao personagem. E aí vem o erro: roteiristas…

Trying to diffuse tension Jake smiled at her, he could see color rise in her cheeks but that was all. He really wasn’t used to girls he couldn’t capture the hearts of, and he didn’t like it. This girl was beautiful, nothing about her in particular jumped at you but once you got a close look you couldn’t look away. She didn’t seem to understand though that beauty came with power, so instead of utilizing it she just seemed to live with it.

It may be that all the angels in Heaven are weeping, it remains that Homer could present History Channel with a massive legal claim as he is 100% certain to win.  Yes Homer not as in the Simpsons: Homer, the Greek poet who wrote about the Iliad. Iliad: remember: impregnable city ... surrounded by tall walls? A full flotilla of ships wanting to raid its treasures.... led by two brothers. Yes, that story. A story written some 3000years ago. Because this was Vikings season 3, guys. Troy as in Paris.

If you think Franks and French people are surprised about this plot: you are wrong. You see Mr Hirst knows his history and so do the French. Here very precisely their Fredegar. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicle_of_Fredegar

France history as a nation starts somewhere around 481 AD with a new king Clovis barely 15 years of age. He rules somewhat on an area as big a Belgium with a dash of the Netherlands and a sprinkle of Northern France. When he dies in 511, 30 years later: look at the map. Yes, it somewhat reminds you of a country. Less Provence, too much Germany; still you get the picture, right?

Frankia is not young by Ragnar's point of view. It can afford unlike England, hapless grandsons ruling because of grandfathers qualities. Egbert dreams of sons successfully succeeding their fathers. Merci beaucoup, been there, done that. Franks reply. England is but 100years far from Bede; Frankia has already GoT as in Gregory of Tours who is planning a lawsuit against a certain modern author for mishandling his personal acronym. Plus Merovingian kings are a lot more badass than any would be royal puppet in Westeros. AND IT HAS FREDEGAR.

Vikings are pagans. Charles forgets that dear great-great...grand father Clovis started life as a pagan. At that time, the in thing was to hail from Gods. Franks have always been snobs. Everybody wanted to hail from Woden; Franks are not 'everybody'. Thank you. They hail from a mysterious Sea God called Quinotaurus. Time flies. Franks are Christian: they cannot claim from  - horreur – a Pagan God. They must been sleeker, smarter. Firstly, they decide to invade Heaven. Invade is the word as suddenly the royal family is sprouting saints like a Byzantine bazaar is selling authentic relics from obscure martyrs. And it includes much to his surprise Clovis who was not aware exterminating brothers, uncles, nephews, cousins to remain the only one apt to bear the crown was qualifying as saintly deeds.

Charles now can enter a church and kiss about all the statues inside with a Hi, Gran. Hi, Nan. But sainthood is not enough! He knows the English are coming. Because they did it. Saint Ine of Wessex, ancestor of Egbert. Saint Aethelred of Mercia, saint Oswald, Hilda, Edwin, Ethelburg of Northumbria. Much to Egbert rage, Aelle can boast that his bloodline includes the first ever Christian king to have walked in England: Aethelberht of Kent with his Queen Bertha, herself a saint naturally!

Charles must outdo all these upstarts. Charles did or one of his ancestors did.

Conversion is a lengthy process. It is a long story. Rome was not built in a day… Charles looks at his favorite spine doctor Fredegar and both smile. Frankia since Clovis and its hold up as God’s Anointed is known as Rome , Roman Catholic Church’s eldest daughter. And eldest daughter it is going to be. In more than one way.

Rome starts a long long time ago when Prince Aeneas after a tryst with Queen Dido of Carthage decides that this is the place to build the new Troy. Because he is a Trojan exile. And yes, he is mentioned by Homer so as canon you could say as one can be. Homer tells the Gods favored him and well, Virgil having now taken over, Aeneas is the founding father of Rome. Nobody knows really why an exile from a highly civilized city-nation of Asian/Greek origin would choose to settle into a somewhat Barbarian Italian backwater. Nobody cares to know. Rome is Rome and Rome begins and the rest is History. Rome when it is an empire cannot have raised from humble beginnings. Now a prince as the ancestor of an emperor; this is more like it. If Rome is able to decide Aeneas has survived the Achaeans; Franks are able to do the same. If Aeneas is already spoken for, since he was not alone, there is somewhere a Trojan exile who will be all too happy to become a Frank rock star/founding father.

https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:1m1955&datastreamId=POST-PEER-REVIEW-PUBLISHERS-DOCUMENT.PDF

Suddenly, you start understanding why becoming Emperor was very important to Charlemagne down to a guy named Napoleon. Franks can take up delusions to an astounding level.

And if you do not believe me, know that this was so much the in thing to do that English kings will pull the same lever a few centuries later: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutus_of_Troy

As such, yes, Paris as Troy is absolutely historical. Franks were bonkers but so be it. It was their choice and a good deed never goes unpunished.  M Hirst is right here. Once again, spot on.

So the season proceeds as the Achaean fleet slowly gets momentum. Agamemnon has issues with Queen Aslaug unless it is Ragnar with his witchy wife Clytemnestra. Floki like Achille has issues with Ragnar and Menelaus Rollo is sulking at the feet of Troy walls since they hide from him his Helena. Admit you cannot deny that Paris-Odo does his best to prevent the king of Sparta to get close to the Princess. Though I remember Priam’s son as an archer and not as a whipper. Again and again the Achaeans, sorry the Vikings attack the walls of Mighty Troy; again and again the courageous Trojans defeat Ragnar. Since this is History Channel known to offer us Ancient Aliens, Homer suffers a drastic editing.

Helena has cuckolded Menelaus but Gisla is a feisty maiden, both ladies adamantly refusing to grant their husband/future husband his well-deserved Warrior Rest (known for you and me as sex). Aslaug is brewing strange potions after bedding Harbard a God. I would be Ragnar, I would be extra cautious in drinking it. Bjorn as Odysseus came out of the blue as the only one aware of Ragnar’s plan. Franks, beware of Greeks ‘bearing’ gifts. Brilliant pun, Mr Hirst.

Rollo like Menelaus gets re-united with his lady-love. Lagertha, naturally is Penthesilea Queen of the Amazons. That’s Greek for you for shield maidens. The Trojan horse is revealed as a coffin. Which is logical considering that here Homer, the blind aoidos does not see Troy falling just like Athelstan does not see Ragnar entering Paris.

This Troy sub-plot ticks all the relevant boxes.

Franks cannot complain: not only M Hirst has cleverly used a 100% historical fact (that the Franks were deluded, yes but the Troy story line is real), but he has used IMHO very cleverly Abbo of Saint Germain chronicle of the 886 siege of Paris. And yes Ragnar (the real one, naturally) raided Paris in 845, giving the Viking chieftain immortal fame.

Real history, guys. Sorry. Charles, whatever Charles it is in this vague timeline,  is – was really not bright. Princesses were used to seal alliances being more or less sold for the greater good of the realm, Bishop Gozlin died during the siege and Vikings really got over 5000 pounds of gold and silver. I add that i find the re-invention of Troy as Paris clever and a lot smarter than the appalling Hollywood block-buster of some 15 years ago. Real history offering us a re-vision of one of the oldest myths of our world. Bravo. This is intelligent story-telling.

PS

season 4. Shakespeare does Vikings.

‘The Taming of the Bear by the Frank Shrew’ or the opposite around with Rollo as Petruchio and Morgane Polanski as Elizabeth Taylor.