by H.R. D’Costa, @scribesworld

Ah, subplots.

Once you get a handle on them, you’ll solve a huge problem.

You’ll be able to get your novel to the right length—without stretching your main plot too thin.

And while that’s a big benefit, it’s not the only one. Subplots can jazz up your story in multiple ways. We talked about that in Part 1 of this series.

Speaking of…

…here’s a quick overview of each part in this “easy as pie” guide to subplots.

• In Part 1, we covered 5 uses for subplots.
• In Part 2, we’ll cover how to structure your subplot—plus the golden rule to follow regarding subplots. (You’re reading Part 2 right now.)
• In Part 3, we’ll cover how to weave subplots into your story as well as conduct a subplot “safety check.”

Note: These subplot tips have been adapted from my writing guide Sparkling Story Drafts , which will help you write cleaner rough drafts, reduce your revision time, and get a crazy-good story onto the marketplace—faster. To learn how you could win a paperback copy, see the end of this post.

And now—fresh from the oven; mmmm!—today’s batch of tips…Continue reading

by H.R. D’Costa, @scribesworld

Have you ever tried to make a pie crust from scratch?

In my experience, when you press the dough into the pie pan, there’ll be areas where the dough is thick and knobby, almost like the hills of a tea plantation…

…and there’ll be areas where the dough is thin.

So, so thin.

Working with the main plot of your novel can be like that.

There’s only so much of it to go around.

After a certain point, if you try to extract more out of it, you’ll stretch it too thin. You’ll end up with plot points that are bland and repetitious.

Savvy writers recognize this.

They don’t try to extract more than their main plot can give.

Instead, they take a break from the main plot. Like bakers who take scraps of dough to fill in holes in a pie crust, these writers fill their pages with other material.

This is where subplots—secondary stories that are subordinate to the main plot—come in. (Sometimes, a subplot is referred to as the B-story, while the main plot is referred to as the A-story.)

Subplots are one of the best ways to get your novel to the right length, without stretching your main plot too thin.Continue reading