The whole point of subplots is to keep us engaged, particularly during the "soggy middle" of the story.įor example, in The Hobbit, we see the stakes rise in every subplot that Bilbo encounters. The first, and most important, thing that subplots must do is that they must raise the stakes. So, to begin with, we'll take a look at two things that every successful subplot needs.
#SUBPLOT IDEAS HOW TO#
We'll be examining how to write a good one, and we'll also be looking at five common subplots. That's a good question and I'm glad you asked! Today, I'll be presenting to you the Beginner's Guide to Subplots. We've also established what subplots actually are. So, we've established that subplots are vital to keeping your novel alive. These are all exciting adventures that keep us turning pages and fearing for Bilbo's life. Bilbo plays a riddling game with Gollum and giant spiders attack the party. Thorin's map proves to be a puzzle and they're taken prisoner by the Goblin King. Bilbo gets captured by some trolls and the dwarves stop at Rivendell and converse with the elves. So, to fix the problem, Tolkien adds subplots along the way to keep us engaged and rooting for the characters. There'd be no way The Hobbit would live to be as beloved as it is. Obviously, that'd be far too dull to bother reading. But imagine if they walked and walked, got to the mountain, and killed the dragon. The main plot is to get the dwarves' treasure back from the dragon, isn't it? So the main storyline follows Bilbo and the dwarves as they travel to the mountain and kill the dragon. Ideally, they all tie up into one neat little bow after the resolution of the main plot.Īre you still not sure what a subplot is? Well, let's take a look at a great example in the form of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Subplots are what keep stories ticking for chapter after chapter. Skilled authors know how to lay extra obstacles, or subplots, in the way of their characters. The fact is, one plot alone is not enough to keep a story going. The subplots, by contrast, keep you engaged and turning pages in a frenzy. The main plot is what you read about on the back cover of a novel, and what draws you to buy the novel in the first place. Well, chances are, if you've ever read a book, watched a movie, or listened to a story, you already know what a subplot is.Ī subplot, as the name suggests, is a secondary plot in a story. "What's a subplot?" you may have asked as you clicked on this article.
0 kommentar(er)
