![]() ![]() The main plot concerns the quest of Frodo to go back to the ring, while the secondary plot moves around Legolas and Aragon’s adventures in their pursuit to protect settlements while destroying the Orcs’ armies. Tolkien’s novel The Lord of Ring contains an excellent example of a subplot. Another subplot involves Pip’s plan to get Abel Magwitch out of the country with the help of Wemmick. One of these subplots is Pip’s acquaintance with Herbert, as he cares more for his friend’s finances than his own. Subplot in a story series#Example #4: Great Expectations (By Charles Dickens)Ĭharles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations is a huge web with a series of subplots. Nevertheless, the events get mixed up, and Regan and Goneril start falling for Edmund, when he becomes the Earl, and Edgar ties the knot with Cordelia. This subplot points toward major events in the plot, such as neither father could differentiate between their faithful and treacherous children. However, the subplot involves the Earl of Gloucester and his sons, Edmund, an illegitimate son, and Edgar, a tricky man.Įdgar is very cunning, tricking his father into thinking his faithful son Edgar is engaging in intrigue against him. I’ll be back tomorrow to reflect on another blog post from a decade ago on the subject of subtext where we shall get a glimpse of how important they are in a story.William Shakespeare, in his popular play King Lear, describes the main plot: King Lear disowns Cordelia, his faithful and loyal daughter, and divides his entire kingdom between his unfaithful and treacherous daughters, Regan and Goneril. ![]() But more meaningfully, it’s a relationship. In other words, we personalize the process of working with our characters and shrink the distance between us and them. ![]() When working with a story’s various subplots, instead of going about the process in a kind of analytical and calculating way, approaching the subject at a distance, if we think about each subplot as a relationship, we ground our work in the characters - who they are, how they are with each other, what they mean or don’t mean to each other, what the potential arc of the ‘couple’ may be. It evokes the sense of connection, communication, even kinship. So, here is the first benefit I have discovered using this principle in my own writing and teaching other writers: Whereas the terms subplot has a rather cold, formal feel to it, relationship does not. ![]() In 2008, apparently I hadn’t yet hit on the principle Subplot = Relationship, but you can see from some of the examples I included in the post, it’s implied. Obi-Wan Kenobi teaching Luke Skywalker the ways of the Force.Many of the most memorable cinematic storylines of all time have been subplots: A subplot ought to have some connection with the story’s Themeline if not, it is either weakly conceived and written, or unnecessary altogether.Even if a subplot does not intersect directly with the Plotline, it must have some bearing on the Plotline.A subplot typically has a specific point or points of intersection with the Plotline.A subplot must have a Beginning, Middle, and End.A subplot must have at least 3 narrative beats (scenes or moments within scenes), but can have many more beats.Here are some characteristics of subplots: Subplots can make comedy more comedic, thrills more thrilling, drama more dramatic, and action… well, more active.īesides if you write a screenplay with only one plot, you will end up with a boring, one-note script, sixty pages long… if you’re lucky.Ī subplot is just what it sounds like: A mini-story which plays a secondary, but related role to the Plotline. Subplots provide multiple points-of-view.Subplots vary the pace of the narrative.Subplots expand the meaning of the story’s theme.Subplots provide a rich array of secondary characters.Subplots dimensionalize your story’s primary characters.These wonderful little mini-plots contribute to a screenplay in many marvelous ways: Subplot in a story windows#Characters in many of the windows represent individual subplots.Īnd so I thought it might be of some value to talk about subplots. ![]()
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