Write Between the Lines

Writing with great care and focus, you wove your story’s plot together through major events and character interactions to create a completed draft. Well done, but you’ve really just begun. A novel is only as good as the sum of its part. Take the time to think this over: If you split apart your book into plot points and characters, is it any good? It may have the opportunity to be great, but my guess is it would be slightly boring. Before you cry foul, I would agree to this statement in terms of my own novel. With just the bare essentials, a story cannot live up to its full potential.

What you need are subplots.  These superbly subtle additions are what connect A to B and lace the tale in a web that captures every angle. A subplot can be a short-lived addition or have the lasting endurance of a marathon runner. That’s their greatest trait: they’re flexible. Your prime plot features are rigid and must fit the structure of the narrative, but subplots can pop up anywhere at any time and disappear just as easily.

More often than not, they grow themselves, erupting from your writing without intention but giving additional life to the story. It may be startling at first, when something you intended to use only once develops into a longstanding undercurrent. That’s the beauty of these gems; they’re like sous chef to our profession. Don’t be afraid to let them help.

Here are a few examples:

Romance: In any story that is not a romance novel

Secondary Character Development: How a sidekick or acquaintance to the MC changes over time

Fleeting Event: Uses little page space and adds traces of development to the main plot

However, you can go overboard. Too many subplots will ultimately be known as filler. And filler is bad. You may want it in your pillows or meatballs, but you do not want it in your novel. Take care when you’re adding these pieces to ensure you’re sights are set on quality not quantity. Wisely integrating these connective plots will give extra body and depth to transforms the otherwise bland outline into a robust story.