TECH: Plot Partners (Another Moldy Oldie!)

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Writer's Digest, October 1992, pages 24 to 27, had an article by Gary Provost with the title Plot Partners. Just below that, a headline said, "A subplot is not just a bunch of stuff that happens to the hero during slow moments in the main plot. A veteran author and writing instructor tells how to create subplots that work with your main plots to bring balance to your stories."

Gary starts with a short description of 48 Hours, the movie. I haven't seen it, but apparently the main plot concerns Nick Nolte, a cop who does not do partners, learning to deal with Eddie Murphy, and indeed learning to do partners. Along the way, Nick Nolte also interacts with his girlfriend -- and he's not very good at being a partner there, either. That's a subplot. It's not directly tied into the main criminal chase. And apparently there is no real resolution of the subplot, either. But, Gary assures us, audiences will assume that Nick is going to become a better partner for his girlfriend, too.

Connections! That's what makes a subplot and main plot work together. "The most important thing you need to know about coming up with a subplot is what I just told you: a subplot is not just a bunch of stuff that happens to a character during slow moments in the main plot. A subplot has a connection with the main plot, just as a song's harmony line has a connection with the melody."

Repetition of an idea. Or contrast. Sometimes they are parallel plots, which may even play out in different ways. Don't pick your subplot at random. Repeat, contrast, parallel... Something that resonates with the main plot, that sheds light on the main plot.

Now, while a subplot is a secondary or subordinate plot, it's still a plot. So what's a plot? A character's goals and the pursuit of those goals build the plots. Visually, take a piece of paper and draw a vertical line on the left side. That's day one of your character's story. Then draw a line on the right side. That's the last day. In between, you might have a dark dot representing the day that your main character finds his wife murdered at a hotel. Then another dark dot for the mysterious phone call two days after the funeral. Around in between these there's lots of light dots, representing meals, getting up in the morning, all kinds of things. Then there's another dark dot, when the main character cleans out the closet and finds indications that his wife was having an affair with her boss. Lots more light dots, shampooing the dog, going to the grocery store, work, all that stuff. How about another dark dot when the main character realizes that there was no affair, that when the boss chased his wife, she rejected him. And so on.

The line between the dark dots is the plot. The light dots are just events. "A plot is a series of events that occur within a person's life and add up to a story.... A plot is the specific path of the events that affect the outcome of the story."

Now, in among the light dots, pick one on the left and mark it with an S. That's when the main character met a beautiful woman while trying to forget about his dead wife. Pick another one, another S. That's the night he surprised himself by kissing her. And so forth. That's a subplot.

A subplot occurs during the period of the plot, and has some sort of connection to the plot, but doesn't directly change the plot. "A subplot can, and usually does, influence a plot indirectly."

How many subplots? Well, it depends. Most short stories don't have any. Some novels don't have any, while two or three is pretty common. Some have more subplots than you want. Just don't get too complicated, spread yourself too thin, and confuse the reader.

Who is in a subplot? Your main character might be a minor character in the subplot, or he/she might be the main character. You need to have at least one character from the main plot. Otherwise it's hard to have a connection.

When do you start your subplot? Fairly often, early in a novel. Chapter 2. Sometimes, the subplot is the beginning. The reason is to provide a build up to the inciting incident that kicks off the main plot. You want readers to know your characters, and the subplot is one place to do that.

When is a subplot over? When the main plot ends, the novel ends. Subplots can end earlier. Just make it logical! And if you have to finish the subplot after the main plot, do it quickly.

Subplots and main plots often cross. "Some people call it braiding, this weaving together of plot and subplot in ways that give the novel balance and the pleasing pace. I often think of it as plot and subplot dancing with each other, coming together, pushing apart."

Consider the subplot as decorating your story. When you're decorating a room, you use color to help tie together the drapes and the couch and the other parts. In the same way, the subplots reflect the main plot.

Here's an exercise. Take this plot "A military man returns from overseas duty to search for his son who has been abducted by a religious cult." Now, what would you suggest as a subplot? Perhaps the military man pondering whether the military is a kind of cult? Or maybe the man searching for answers to his own problems? Or maybe the man looking at church again?

Final tip. If you're not sure how to end a subplot, go back to the very first paragraph where you introduce the subplot. There is often a clue there, perhaps with a twist or a reversal, to what the ending should be.

A strong subplot, pacing, understanding, all of it together strengthens the plot. They work together -- like partners.

So, there you go. That's what Gary Provost suggested. I like his exercise. Start with a main plot, and then consider what subplots you might want to play against that.

Just write!