

The more realistic complications, the more intriguing your readers will find your story. Your heroine doesn’t just take on the Evil Empire, she has to deal with her overbearing dad, or maybe she finds a love interest. Subplot complications will make your story more realistic. Plus, you’ve given your readers more meat to chew on, developed your heroine’s character, and underscored your theme-all with one subplot. When she finally tells her dad she’s gone, the subplot mirrors her ability to conquer the evil empire. Is your heroine ready to fight the evil empire? Give her a subplot where she and her dad don’t get along and not only that, he supports the evil empire.

Promote the Story ThemeĬreate a subplot that mirrors and enhances the theme of your book. Increase Story LengthĪdd to the length of your novel with subplots rather than trying to create filler content for the main story. Subplots provide the reader relief from the main emotions and give them new reading avenues to explore in your story. Your subplot can vary the mood by adding romance to an action thriller, tension to romance, humor to a dark story. Inject Variety into Your Storyĭepending on your theme, the main story may be packed with adventure and action or filled with romantic tension. Those are the very reader emotions that make them root for heroes as they tackle the main story problem. They will like her more and relate to him better. The more the reader knows, the more they care about your hero. Give your reader a well-rounded look at the protagonist. Expand on Your Protagonist and Make Him/Her More Likeable Add SubstanceĪ subplot makes your story meatier, giving your readers more excitement and character knowledge. Why add more work? Here are a few reasons. If a subplot is all the work of creating a story, you may wonder, "Why bother?" You want to create your main story and that work is hard. Your subplot needs to influence the main storyline or it shouldn’t be there at all. Design your subplot to enrich your reader’s experience while keeping them focused on the main story. Subplots that work well enhance your story rather than taking readers away from the central thread. Creating tension is one of the best ways to keep readers engaged and turning pages. Novel-writing site Now Novel recommends three main attributes to create tension with subplots: romantic interest, conflict, and supporting characters who know too much. Create complications for the main storyline affecting the central action.

