A great way to do that is to incorporate subplots. In order to keep your reader’s attention, you’ll need to play with tension and pacing. Not only is that bad for the adrenals, it’s pretty much impossible to do over the span of a 200-page novel. You can’t take your reader on a never-ending roller coaster ride. Likewise, your main story could probably be wrapped up within 10 pages or less, but meaty subplots stretch the story into hundreds of pages (without feeling like filler).
Let’s be honest, The Lord of the Rings could’ve been a short story if it just followed Frodo to Mordor, but what makes it a spellbinding, gazillion-page epic is the presence of subplots. But there’s only so much you can say about the main story line without falling into “filler” territory. Subplots Add “Meat” to Your StoryĮvery novelist wants a robust, hardy tale. Otherwise, your story will read as shallow and simplistic. Subplots allow you to explore different sides of the protagonist, the antagonist, the world in which they live, and the central themes so that you can weave a rich tale. You have a basic story, but without subplots, it’s basic indeed. Let’s explore why every novel needs at least one subplot. Why are Subplots Important to Your Story? Tolkien, let’s talk about why subplots are important for your story. Now that we have a clear definition of what a subplot is and how subplots helped J. In this way, the subplots serve as world-builders. The reader is able to explore the various settings of the vast Middle Earth because each subplot shows a different location. Second, the subplots helped to create a sense of space. Although some characters succumb to evil, the subplots as a whole reinforce the theme that good ultimately triumphs over evil. The subplots pit each main character against evil. Tolkien’s use of subplots improved his main story in two distinct ways:įirst, the subplots fed into the novel’s central theme. However, it also includes subplots that follow Merry and Pippin, Gandalf, Theoden, Aragorn, and many more as they fight against the individual forces of evil in their own way. The main story follows Frodo on his epic journey to Mount Doom in Mordor where he must destroy the ring.
Tolkien masterfully employed subplots in his fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings. However, the subplot’s purpose is to strengthen the main story line in some way. The subplot can splinter off and describe events that take place outside of the main story. The subplot is connected to the main story but never overpowers it. The subplot is a side story that exists within the main plot. In simple terms, a plot is a sequence of connected events that are bound together by cause and effort.