Why Outlining Subplots is Key to Drafting Your Novel

Have you ever heard a little kid tell a story? Did you pay attention to the way they told it? It was probably not a tale crafted to perfection. Maybe they went off on too many tangents and never got to the point. Maybe they only gave you the bare bones of the tale, revealing nothing exciting.

As a general rule, don’t write the way a child would speak.

When you write, you should give your readers more than the bare bones, but don’t abandon your plot altogether either. It can be tricky to find the middle ground, the happy medium—that’s what subplots are for.

Learning how to outline a subplot is the easiest way to find this balance between too much and too little detail. Subplots develop characters alongside the main narrative arc, and writing them will allow your novel to live up to its fullest potential.

What Is a Subplot?

A subplot is a minor narrative arc that often runs parallel to the main plot. In layman’s terms, it’s a mini story within your novel.

The purposes of subplots are almost as varied as the actual subplots themselves, as each comes with its own nuance and influence on the characters and main story arc. Sometimes, subplots serve to increase the stakes of the main narrative. Sometimes, they simply enhance character development. Always, they are useful when it comes to proving to the reader that this story about these people is important.

Your main plot is what attracts the reader. The subplots are why they stay, why they become invested.

Subplots also help break up the pace. After all, if your story only focuses on a single goal, it’ll get stale really quickly. Subplots allow the reader time to breathe between scenes that might otherwise send them hurtling through the story at a breakneck pace, without time to digest or connect with the characters on an emotional level.

In other words, subplots aren’t just side quests; they allow you to show your audience a different side of your characters.

This is especially helpful if you have a plot-driven story and you want to keep the narrative moving while also making sure your characters are clearly dynamic. When it comes to plot-driven stories, it can be easy to let the plot take over and fall into the flat-character trap. Subplots allow the reader to see them as real people in different contexts. 

For example, a character who needs to save the world is boring, predictable. I’ve read that book already. You’ve read that book already. We’ve all read that book already. 

Now, let’s say this character has a fraught relationship with her sister, which we would have seen earlier in the story (hello, subplot). Okay, a character who’s only trying to save the world so she can see her sister again when she realizes she never got the chance to apologize? Now that’s interesting. I love me some drama—and your readers do, too.

How to Write a Great Subplot

Writing a great subplot is probably easier than you think…

Because you already know how to do it.

I mean, think about it—a subplot is just a mini story, right? And you know how to tell a story. (At least, if you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’ve started to nail down your main narrative arc.)

So, if you’ve already plotted your novel—and yes, pantsers, even you have done some plotting, even if you never wrote it down—then you know how to put together a subplot, too.

I do think it helps to write down an outline or summary for your subplots. Because most novels tend to have multiple, it can get a little crazy trying to keep it all straight in your head. Writing it down now will save you a lot of work and a lot of headaches on the back end.

Some writers prefer to outline their main narrative and subplots all at once—it’s all up to personal preference. In general, it’s a good idea to at least summarize each subplot separately in a paragraph or two (so you get an idea of how it affects your main characters’ growth), but do what works for you. Try a few different things, see what sticks.

Above all, remember that a subplot may only be a story in miniature, but it still needs a complete arc. Where is the climax? What epiphany moment or breaking point do your characters have as a result? The effects of the subplot will, naturally, be much smaller than the effects of the main story arc, but that doesn’t mean you can leave the reader hanging. Resolve your subplots before the book/series ends!

Options for Outlining a Subplot

If you’re a plotter like me, you probably have a scene list or document full of chapter descriptions.

This is your new best friend.

Scene List: Color-Coding

For an older version of my scene list, I used an Excel spreadsheet. I had columns for a brief description of each scene and its main conflict, when and where it took place, whether it was an action or reaction scene, and so on. Then, all I had to do was fill in the scenes chronologically from top to bottom. The best part?

The entire thing was color-coded.

In a separate tab on the spreadsheet, I listed which color corresponded to which subplot, and marked the rows of my scene list accordingly. That meant I could zoom out and see at a glance how frequently certain elements of my story appeared over time. After all, I didn’t (don’t) want any subplot to take over and detract from the main narrative. 

I also never want one subplot to be buried under the others until the reader forgets about it entirely. The color-coding helped me ensure I spaced out my scenes and developed my subplots proportionally to their relevance to the main narrative arc. This way, I balanced the ebb and flow of my story and satisfied my reader.

Scene List: Extra Columns

Now, I plot my stories a bit differently. I still use a spreadsheet for my scene list, but instead of color-coding, I’ve added a column for each subplot in the story. When a subplot applies to a particular scene, I note its relevance in the box while filling in the scene’s information. It’s much easier on the eyes, in my opinion, and still allows me to outline subplots at a glance.

Outlining Your Subplots

Of course, a spreadsheet may not be the right call for you. I use one because it’s a quick way for me to organize the information I want to use, but I know it’s not for everyone. Maybe you’d prefer to jot down chapter summaries in a blank document. Maybe a writer’s notebook is more your speed. However you decide to organize your thoughts, just remember to be aware of the many ways in which your characters are developing alongside your plot.

What do you think of subplots? Do you prefer to separate your subplots before writing, or do you untangle them after the drafting process? Tell me what your outlining process looks like in a comment—I’d love to hear from you. And, as always, happy writing!

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