What's the big deal with subplots, anyway?
Apr 13, 2026Welcome back! It's been a while since I've updated the blog, but I'm back now and excited to get cracking at some more writing tutorials!
I'll be honest with you: I'm extremely overwhelmed with getting my novel ready for publishing. It is currently occupying 99% of my brain, so if you're ever sitting around going, where the heck is Rachel and why hasn't she posted in a while, I'm just here having a mild panic attack about my book. All good.
(by the way... my book is up for pre-orders! You can pre-order your digital copy here. I'm still waiting on confirmation for print copies, but it's coming soon!)
I spent a lot of time this week editing the subplots in my upcoming novel, The Song of the Blackthorn Tree. I’ll be honest: it’s been a chore. For one thing, subplots have a very different role in the story than the main plot; for another, it’s easy to get so deeply entangled in them that you lose track of the main event.
It got me refining my subplot-refining skills, as well as diving back into the basics of what makes a good subplot versus a distracting one. Today we’ll lay out the basics of subplots and how you can use them in your stories without completely derailing your book.
(If you struggle with writing subplots or outlining your story in general, this should help)
Ready?
To Start: What is a Subplot?
Fundamentally, a subplot is a secondary storyline that exists alongside your main plot. It often runs adjacent to (or weaves in and out of) your primary storyline. It adds depth, contrast, and meaning to the bigger ideas your story is exploring.
If your main plot follows a character fighting to win a war, a subplot might explore their strained relationship with a sibling back home. On the surface, these may seem like two separate threads. When written well, however, that relationship can deepen the emotional stakes of the war, influence the character’s decisions, and even impact how the main conflict unfolds.
A famous example from one of my favorite stories is Katniss’ love triangle in The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is NOT actually about her relationship with Peeta and Gale, but her decisions and feelings regarding these two characters shape a lot of how the story unfolds.
This shows us that, at its core, subplots must be more than just an “extra story.” (In fact, we’ll see later that treating them this way creates distraction and reader distrust). Instead, your subplots must be fully functioning narrative threads that have their own:
- Mini-conflict (a specific problem or tension that needs to be resolved)
- Stakes (something meaningful that can be gained or lost)
- Progression (a clear beginning, middle, and resolution)
A lot of my work on The Song of the Blackthorn Tree this week involved either cutting, trimming, or re-writing subplots because they DIDN’T follow this model above (oof) OR they ignored this crucial rule:
The secret to making a subplot work is that it MUST be connected to the main story. It doesn’t have to drive to the main conflict, but it should influence it, similarly to how Katniss’s relationships with Peeta and Gale influence her decisions in the games. Your subplots must either shape characters, reinforce theme, or increase tension (or some combination of all three) or houston, we’re going to have a problem.
Here’s a way to think about it that I find super helpful: effective subplots (that’s what we’re going for, effective) are supporting threads woven into the main narrative. If your central story is presenting an argument to your reader (this is what I want you to think and why) then your subplots provide additional evidence, perspective, and emotional layers.
Before we get any further, though, let’s highlight the key word here: supporting. A subplot should never feel like a completely separate story running in the background. Instead, it should feel intentional and focused. That’s what we’re going to do here today.
The Difference Between a Subplot and a Side Story
One of the biggest mistakes I see my writing students make is confusing subplots with side stories. This is a big whoopsie that can make or break your novel, so let’s clear this up:
A SUBPLOT is connected to your main plot. It may not be the central focus, but it affects the characters, raises the stakes, or influences the outcome of the story in some meaningful way.
One of the reasons I cut about 5000 words from The Song of the Blackthorn Tree this week was because of a subplot that was cute, but narratively distracting and (from the reader’s perspective) quite boring. The reason: it didn’t change anything about the story. After the subplot ran its course, nothing about the narrative was noticeably changed.
Ruh-roh, Raggy.
Here’s what I think: this subplot failed so badly because it became a side story. A side-story exists independently and can even be interesting and well-written! But if you remove it entirely and your story feels exactly the same, then it’s just wasting space on the page.
I cut out this distracting subplot (side-story) and guess what? No one but my editor will know, because it really changed nothing. Yikes.
So here’s the key distinction:
- Subplots create impact
- Side stories create distraction
A strong subplot should change something. It should pressure your characters, reveal something important, or shift the direction of the story. A side story, however, tends to sit off to the side.
A helpful question to ask yourself is, “what falls apart if I cut this?” And if the answer is nothing, then it likely doesn’t belong in your story.
(fun fact: if you’re wondering where the phrase “kill your darlings” comes from, this is one source. Your “darlings” could be those cute little side-stories, but they’re slowing down your momentum and you risk your reader putting down your book. Kill ‘em dead, champ)
So what does an effective subplot look like? Here’s another ridiculously famous example: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The main plot is about Harry as he uncovers the mystery of the Sorcerer’s Stone and ultimately he confronts Lord Voldemort. Everyone knows that. It’s super easy to follow and remember. Do you know what we also remember, though?
The subplot in which Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger become Harry’s closest allies. Y’know… one of the most important parts of the story in every book of the series.
All of the conflict that happens involving these three is NOT a side story, nor is it secondary to the confrontation against Voldemort. Y’know why? Because it directly impacts the main story:
- Hermione’s intelligence helps solve critical challenges protecting the Stone
- Ron’s strategic thinking plays a key role in the chess match guarding it
- Their loyalty gives Harry the support he needs to keep going
…and in later installments in this series, this cycle repeats. The characters and their relationships add depth and nuance to an otherwise straightforward hunt for Lord Voldemort. That is ultimately what separates a news bulletin from a fiction novel.
But here’s the kicker: if you removed this subplot, then the story would completely fall apart.
Harry couldn’t succeed on his own. The story fundamentally changes.
Now imagine if the book included extended scenes of random students at Hogwarts dealing with unrelated personal drama that never intersects with Harry’s journey. Even if those scenes were interesting, they wouldn’t affect the main plot at all. That would be a side story, and it would slow the narrative down rather than strengthen it.
At the end of the day, every subplot in your story needs to earn its place. If it doesn’t connect, influence, or elevate your main plot, then it’s just adding noise. Ew.
5 Reasons Subplots Are Important to the Story
So… if subplots aren’t meant to take over your story, then why include them at all? I’ve got five good reasons for you:
1: Subplots make your story fuller and more realistic
I once had a student who struggled for a long time with the word count in her novel. Funny enough, she also struggled with writing her character to be relatable and interesting (the MC was a little bit robotic, which my student found to be really frustrating).
So what did we do?
We added a subplot.
This is because real life isn’t made up of just one storyline. In your own life, you’re a writer. But you probably also have a job. You might have different circles of friends and family; some know each other, some don’t. Maybe you have kids or medical drama or pets. Either way, it’s very rare to meet someone who only has one thing ever going on at a time.
Like stories, your life probably has interesting subplots--and all of these subplots contribute to who you are as a person and what decisions you make.
In fiction, subplots help create that sense that your characters have lives beyond the main conflict. In the case of my student, she added a subplot regarding conflict between her main character’s family. Suddenly, there was pressure to perform well and succeed in life, and as a reader, I was able to understand why the MC made some of the (albeit strange) decisions that she made in the story. In just a few paragraphs, my student’s novel became immersive and waaaaaay more believable.
2: Subplots help you explore different angles of the main conflict
One of the things I like to do in my own work is to explore the grey area of conflict. I rarely like to say “this is the only right way of thinking about things.” Instead, I like to play with how different perspectives on the same problem can create drama, tension, and interest. (I also like to see if my readers will take different sides depending on which perspective they read, but that’s just for me lol).
In this case, a strong subplot doesn’t exist only alongside the main conflict. Instead, it reflects or challenges it. That way, we can test and prove whether or not the main idea you’re writing about holds up under pressure. Contrasting ideas can also help your reader form opinions of their own, and when people can form an opinion, they’re way more likely to feel connected to the story.
3: Subplots give emotional breaks to your reader (without losing momentum)
Depending on the type of story you’re writing, main plots, especially high-stakes ones, can be pretty intense.
Certain types of stories like epics and thrillers do a really good job at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. The problem? Readers can get something called reader fatigue: it’s when there are too many compounding beats in the story, one after the after, and the reader is tired.
Think of an action sequence in any Marvel movie. Y’know - the ones that drag on for ten minutes at a time. The first few seconds are really interesting, but at some point you need a visual and emotional break. Subplots can provide that.
They offer emotional variety to your scene: a quiet moment after a tense one, a relationship dynamic that softens the story, a different type of conflict that shifts the tone - these are just three practical uses for your subplot.
Keeping with my Marvel example, in Avengers, there’s a subplot going on while New York is being invaded by Chitauri: Loki is climbing to the top of Avengers tower and trying to cause problems there. He’s contributing to the main plot (he caused the invasion) and in this moment, he adds a little bit of intrigue (the heck is he doing up there??). After the invasion is over, this little subplot is wrapped up when he’s arrested for his intergalactic crimes.
Whoop.
4: To increase tension and complexity
On the other hand, while subplots can give you some reprieve, they also can introduce additional problems, pressures, or complications.
Using subplots, you can force characters to make harder choices, create conflicting priorities, and raise the stakes in unexpected ways, all without veering wildly off course with your main plot. While your character is handling something in the front end of the story (the central conflict) something could be happening in the background. Just as they’re sure they’ve handled the problem, uh-oh! Here comes this other conflict (related to the central conflict, of course) swinging in to make things even more difficult!
An example: in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man is dealing with all kinds of social and emotional conflicts, both in his personal and super-hero lives. He wants so many things he can’t have, including a relationship with Liz, a cute girl at his high-school. In the background, there’s this guy who goes by the pseudonym ‘Vulture’ going around stealing things and causing problems.
Oh, and he and Spider-Man are fighting.
So imagine the emotional shock we all felt when we learned, Vulture is Liz’s father.
This is an example of subplots raising the complexity of the story: Spider-Man is now forced to make a choice: do the right thing and take down Vulture, thereby losing Liz, or keeping his date with Liz and letting Vulture steal the dangerous equipment on the Avenger’s jet.
Cool, right?
5: Subplots show how the main conflict affects different areas of life
On the topic of adding complexity, conflict doesn’t exist in isolation. Most things in life have a ripple effect: they have impact well past where they started.
Subplots can display that ripple through relationships, personal identity, and moral decisions. This provides depth and complexity to your book and, if you’re raising moral or ethical questions through your writing, it can help you bring home your Big Idea.
A great example of this is The Dark Knight.
The main plot centers on Batman trying to stop The Joker, who is spreading chaos throughout Gotham.
But the film is layered with powerful subplots that deepen the story:
- The rise of Harvey Dent as Gotham’s “White Knight”
- The love triangle between Bruce Wayne, Dent, and Rachel
- Dent’s eventual transformation into Two-Face
These subplots serve multiple purposes:
- They make the world feel bigger and more realistic
- They explore different responses to chaos and justice
- They increase tension by adding emotional and moral stakes
- They show how the Joker’s actions affect not just Batman, but the entire city
Most importantly, they reinforce the film’s central theme:
What happens when order is pushed to the edge, and who do people become under pressure?
Without these subplots, the story would be simpler and far less powerful. This just goes to show you that subplots aren’t just there to “add more.” They’re there to add meaning.
Hey there! I hope this blog post helped you today. If you need additional help, here are some other resources for you:
Click here if you need help starting your book.
Click here to learn more about outlining your novel.
Click here to learn more about character creation.
Click here to download my latest novella for free.
Click here to pre-order my book, The Song of the Blackthorn Tree.
