Sub Plots

About This Episode

Sub plots can add to the context and complexity of a novel or they can derail the entire plot. Why one sub plot works and another doesn’t, isn’t always clear.

In this episode, Jesper initially believes that there isn’t much more to add in terms of sub plots to their short story, but he will soon think otherwise once he and Autumn start discussing story structure.

Sub plots are like the instruments of a symphony orchestra. The wonderful sound of percussion instruments mixes with strings, woodwinds and brass until everything melds together in a unified whole. However, when the orchestra members train, they spend hours upon hours practicing in both isolation and as a group. When the day of the concert finally arrives, they take to the stage and play as if they’ve been performing a single, fluent melody all along.

You can think of sub plots in much the same way.

When plotting, every story layer is added one by one, yet all the reader experiences is a novel where each chapter advances the story and develops the characters. How the writer actually managed to string many different elements together and deliver such a harmonized story remains invisible.

Another part of writing an engaging story is how chapters are structured. Autumn and Jesper explain this concept in detail in today’s episode of Write the Story.

The fact that there is a framework in place for structuring chapters doesn’t put restrictions on your imagination. Quite the opposite.

In general, each of your chapters contains a healthy degree of momentum where the protagonist’s goals are clear. A sense of conflict and uncertainty is also constantly present, but let’s break it down step by step.

Here is Autumn and Jesper’s chapter template:

1. Character Goal
2. The Hook
3. Conflict & Dilemma
4. Reaction & Decision
5. The Disaster

All will be explained. Tune in and enjoy the episode.