The Subplot Trap

Having discussed essential moments in a plot, we can move on to subplots. Subplots are great for adding depth, buffer, and realism to any story. But often enough, this neat little device is abused and ends up disappointing the reader. So what exactly is a good subplot?

Subplot Essentials

Subplot should not be confused with a separate story thread. Sometimes a book will have two separate stories that may end up intertwining at the end. Jacobean plays like The Changeling always have a second story that goes its own way until the end.

A subplot is different. It’s a little tangent that related to the main plot and will end up having some effect or getting effected by the main story.

Subplots without Relevance

The worst thing you can do is have a subplot that ends up having no relevance for the main plot. Jeffery Archer’s Only Time Will Tell surprised me with this because he’s usually such a great author. So, it starts with this poor boy, Harry, getting admitted into a posh school. His best friend, Giles, starts stealing things all of a sudden. Why does he steal? To pin the blame on Harry? Because he’s got some deep psychological need to steal? What will be the consequences for Harry and his friendship with Giles? The answer to all this?

Nothing.  

Giles gets caught, his father pays the school some money, and he comes back to school. That’s the end of that. Did it do anything to affect the course of the protagonist, Harry’s, story? No.

"...of the foul German spectre:
the Vampyre" 

Frustrating. Not only did it waste my time but it built up so many questions in me and then flipped on its head by seeming to be the most intriguing part of the story to the stupidest. What I call- the punctured tire effect.

Subplots with Relevance

This is just about any subplot of a good story. Jane Eyre has the subplot of Bertha Mason. Had she just been a mad woman that roams around the house, it would’ve created some initial suspense but eventually seemed pointless. Her subplot comes into a direct clash with Jane’s because her existence prevents Jane’s marriage to Rochester.

Wuthering Heights’ subplot of Isabella and Heathcliff’s marriage sets the scene for the second generation of drama. Had it not happened, Linton Heathcliff would’ve never been born and Heathcliff would’ve had no means to gain Linton’s property though young Cathy.

 

"Your hair don't smell of the heather."

Regardless of how you insert them in a story, your subplots should always have some effect on the main plot. It can be in a large way or a small one, but relevance is key. 

Establishing The Backstory

We’re anxious to tell our readers all the facts and figures of our story beforehand so that they’re able to get a real grasp of what’s happening. Except that often enough, we ending up listing all the facts- who’s related to who, who hates who, why is it that particular time of the year. The problem is that by the time we get to the juicy part of the story, the readers are worn out. Here are a few mistakes and how you can avoid them:

1. The Documentary Feel

Please don’t get paragraphs of National Geographic narratives. Nothing tires out the reader more than, “Harry was Sam’s brother and worked as a bartender. His wife had divorced him last summer and now he got to see his three kids on the weekends only…”

At the start, there’ll be only one or two facts about Harry that the reader has to know. If you have to list them out, then do so as briefly as possible.

Solution:

The golden rule of writing is “show, don’t tell.” If your protagonist has anger issues, don’t go for a sentence stating the same. Why not get him into a small fight? Shameful that I always take movie references for advice on writing, but here it is. In Supernatural, they never make Sam state, “Dean you’re so aggressive. You are clearly the dominant personality.” But how do we know he is? He always drives the car, he chooses the songs during the car drive, he tends to whack Sam on the head if he’s annoyed.

2. Explanatory Dialogue

If you find your characters explaining your plot, it is a sign for a thorough rewrite. Dorian Gray is my favorite book and some of Sir Henry's speeches put me to sleep. So avoid at all costs as there are more subtle ways to convey your plot essentials than through dialogue. Moreover, dialogue will just sound stilted if it goes like, “Harry, my older brother, I have not you see since you took off in a rage five years ago.”

Solution:

Listen to how people talk. They give away clues of their personality through everyday speech. For example, I had a story where a girl is talking to her stepbrother and at first I resorted to explanatory dialogue. Except is slowed down my story. Then, I thought about the two characters and how they would perceive their parents. So I made the girl call her mother “mum,” while the stepbrother referred to her as “your mother.”

I would say think of your story as a bit of a mystery. You should give enough clues which the reader can piece together to finish the puzzle. Nothing is worse than making a reader feel like they’re in a college lecture with all the facts written out for them. Then again, The Alchemist does nothing but state facts, so I’m not sure if backstory rules hold true anymore.

Well, for those of us who aren’t Paulo Coelho, I guess we can travel the more conventional route.