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254 Part IV: Developing Your Plot and Structure
3. Note down some key incidents in each subplot and see how they connect
both with the other subplots and with the main narrative.
4. Write the key incidents as self-contained scenes.
Trying different subplot structures
You can experiment with different ways of tying subplots into the main story.
One common structure is to tell two separate stories that only meet near the
climax or ending of the story. These subplots don’t intersect beforehand, but
readers usually sense that they’re going to come together – otherwise the
second story wouldn’t exist!
Another way of using subplots is to have lots of smaller subplots that weave
their way in and out of the story. Each little subplot needs to work as a story
on its own as well as having an effect on the main plot line.
Create tension by leaving one strand of the plot at a moment of high tension
and swapping to the other strand. Then leave that second strand at a moment
of high tension before you switch back to the first.
Don’t have so many subplots that you end up with a knotty tangle instead of a
neat braid. Ensure that you keep the main narrative line clear.
Look up some short stories you’ve written and see whether you can use
one of them as a small subplot in a bigger story. If not, write some new
stories now!
Playing with Structure
You can structure your piece of fiction in all sorts of complicated ways. Many
modern novels in particular play with structure.
You don’t need to worry too much about organising your story when you
begin. Concentrate on writing separate well-defined and dramatic scenes. You
can mentally peg them on a washing line and then move them around later.
If you ever glance at the back of a tapestry, you’ll see that it looks like a complete
tangle with yarns crossed all over the place in different colours, knots
that stick out and the occasional loop. Your novel may well feel similar while
it’s a work in progress. The lucky thing in writing is that words can be completely
deleted, unlike pieces of yarn!