The Do's and Don'ts of Crafting Subplots

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Subplots are a story element that many writers misunderstand.

Often, subplots are defined as “secondary plotlines in a story”. While this definition isn’t incorrect, it also isn’t complete—and this oversimplification can lead writers to use subplots in misguided ways, such as needlessly lengthening or complicating their stories in pursuit of “better” storytelling.

While subplots can make stories longer and more complex, these results should be by-products of effective secondary plotlines rather than one’s reason for writing them.

Like any good story element, subplots should serve a strong narrative purpose. The most effective subplots are those that exist because they must, because to nix the plotline would be to craft a narrative that feels insincere, half-baked, or unresolved.

Good subplots aren’t just subordinate storylines; they’re secondary conflicts that arise from characters’ actions & reactions as they engage with the story’s central conflict.

Subplots typically revolve around a story’s secondary cast of characters, but events in the main characters’ journeys can also produce integral secondary conflicts.

What types of subplots are commonly found in fiction?

Though a secondary conflict of any nature can serve a powerful role in your story, most subplots tend to fall into one of the following categories:

1: Mirror Subplot

A secondary character experiences a conflict that mirrors the protagonist’s primary dilemma, wittingly or unwittingly providing the protagonist with the insight or motivation they need to resolve their own conflict. 

Example: In Holes by Louis Sachar, Elya Yelnats breaks his promise to carry Madame Zeroni up the mountain, cursing himself and his family. The protagonist Stanley later breaks the family curse by carrying his friend Zero, a.k.a. Hector Zeroni, up the mountain called God’s Thumb. 

2: Romantic Subplot

The protagonist’s relationship with a love interest complicates their journey to resolve the story’s central conflict.

Example: When Capitol citizens decide that Katniss and Peeta would make a handsome couple, the pair must engage in a false romance to better ensure their survival in The Hunger Games.

3: Parallel Subplot

A seemingly unrelated plotline occurs in tandem with the main story until the two collide in exhilarating fashion. Alternatively, a subplot shows readers the story’s central conflict through the eyes of a secondary character, showcasing two sides of the same story. 

Example: As Frodo and Sam journey to Mordor, the remaining members of the Fellowship experience journeys that lead them to wage war on Sauron, ultimately enabling Frodo and Sam to reach Mount Doom.

4: Complicating Subplot

A secondary character’s actions complicate the protagonist’s experience with the story’s central conflict. Alternatively, a protagonist’s mistake results in a secondary conflict that complicates their journey.

Example: When Lydia runs away with Mr. Wickham, Darcy determines to find the couple to atone for his past mistakes and prove his affection for Elizabeth. These events force Lizzie to confront her unkind opinion of Darcy’s character. 

5: Foil Subplot

A secondary character experiences a dilemma similar to the main character’s journey but strives to resolve the conflict in a different way, a contrast (or “foil”) that highlights the protagonist’s qualities and characteristics.

Example: Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes all seek to avenge their fathers’ deaths. But where Fortinbras and Laertes seek physical retribution, Hamlet crafts a play designed to publicly shame and humiliate his murderous uncle.

6: Bookend Subplot

A small secondary conflict introduced early in the story remains largely untouched until after the central conflict concludes. Having been changed by their journey, the protagonist can now resolve this secondary conflict, often cementing their transformation and establishing their new normal. 

Example: Samwise Gamgee is too afraid to ask Rosie Cotton to dance before he leaves the Shire with Frodo. When he finally returns a braver Hobbit, he discovers he has the courage to pursue Rosie’s hand.

How can subplots lend depth to your story?

Though they’re not strictly essential, subplots are often integral to a story’s success because they put meat on the bones of the story’s central conflict. How so? Here are ten ways that a strong secondary plotline can lend depth to your story’s narrative:

1. Enrich Characterization

Subplots can reveal new information about a story’s main characters, lend depth to otherwise one-dimensional secondary characters, and showcase nearly any character in new and revealing lights. 

2. Lend Essential Context

Subplots can divulge information that readers need to know to better understand the full scope of a story’s central conflict.

3. Establish Motivation

Subplots can showcase the reasons your characters are so determined to achieve their goals. 

4. Exacerbate Internal Conflict

Subplots can explore the internal and relational conflicts that further complicate characters’ journeys. 

5. Build Suspense

Subplots can foreshadow future events and create a sense of dramatic irony, revealing information that puts unwitting characters in danger. 

6. Reinforce Theme

Subplots can highlight alternative viewpoints and experiences that further expound upon a story’s themes.

7. Raise Stakes

Subplots can introduce secondary conflicts or divulge information that raises the stakes in the story’s central conflict. 

8. Reveal Backstory

Subplots can reveal the events and experiences that shaped your characters into the people they are today. 

9. Expand Story-World

Subplots can expand the scope of your story-world by exploring secondary characters, conflicts, and settings left unexamined in the main plotline. 

10. Moderate Pace and Tone

Subplots can control the pace of a story by introducing scenes designed to build or release tension. Similarly, subplots can also moderate tone by imparting some much-needed levity or gravity. 

How can you develop effective subplots for your story?

Secondary plotlines often emerge naturally as you craft your story’s central conflict, but you can create subplots from scratch should the need arise. Either way, here are three key tips to bear in mind as you develop your story’s secondary plotlines:

1. Your subplot must serve a narrative purpose

Effective subplots are integral to a story’s central conflict. If you can remove a subplot from your manuscript without gravely impacting your story’s central conflict, then your subplot likely doesn’t serve a strong narrative purpose.

When developing subplots, be honest about whether the secondary plotline truly adds to the overall success of the story you’re trying to tell. How does it lend depth and clarity to your main characters’ journeys?

Length and complexity be damned, writer. If you’re adding a subplot to your story to increase word count, ask yourself whether the story is truly incomplete without those words. Better a succinct novella than a novel full of fluff.

If you’re hoping a subplot will make your story more complex, then consider whether your story truly lacks the necessary tension to engage readers without that added plotline. Needless complexity can easily make a story convoluted.

2. Remember that a subplot is still a plot

A secondary plotline is more than just a quick event or conversation; it’s a narrative arc that needs its own beginning, middle, and end. Develop your story’s subplots accordingly, paying special attention to the characters’ goals, motivations, and the conflict they’ll experience (i.e. the GMC).

3. Make sure your subplot knows its place

A good subplot doesn’t steal the limelight. If you or your beta readers find your story’s secondary plotlines more interesting than its main events, then it may be time to reconsider the structure of your story.

Think you know just the secondary plotline to lend depth and power to your story’s narrative? Go ahead and weave that subplot into your manuscript, my friend. With purpose in mind, you’ll craft a deliciously engaging novel that readers won’t soon forget.