I want to talk a little bit about subplots today because I know a lot of other people have the same struggles here as I do. Creating an overall plot is where most stories begin but if we only address the main plot line then the stories come across as one-note and uninteresting. Subplots are where most characters really develop and they help give substance to the overarching story line. They're pretty crucial [unless you're writing short stories where you'd typically stick with one plot line for brevity] but not everyone is comfortable with creating and executing them - myself definitely included.
The idea of creating multiple smaller plot lines and weaving them into the main story arc can be really daunting. Creating a rich complexity of plot for your readers can create chaotic complexity for the author. For me, having subplots feels like I'm juggling eight different balls that are constantly changing in shape and size, while trying to climb the mountain that is the primary plot. Have I mentioned that I don't juggle?
CleverGirlHelps, over on tumblr is a blog that I recommend if you're looking for any kind of writing related advice. She has posts on just about anything you might be researching and if you can't find it in her archive you can message her directly. Just this week she had an awesome post about subplots with links to blog posts that have covered the subject beautifully. There's a lot of helpful info and advice there so I definitely suggest checking it out if you're struggling with this element of story writing. I really enjoyed reading through the resources.
I'm going to have to start charts and lists to keep track of the subplots in Malmark as the story grows to make sure details don't slip through the cracks. While it can be a lot of work, it's really exciting to see how much more growth you can find in a character when you fill your story out with subplots.
In personal writing news, today I'm hitting my 30,000 word goal which is pretty exciting for me. It means that my scheduling and attempt at true, consistent writing is working! I'm also realizing, though, that I'm at 30,000 since November [so, not including a lot of the start of story that I'd written before NaNoWriMo began] and I'm just today getting to the first in a series of pivotal moments that occur before the ultimate conflict is even revealed. I haven't plotted the entire story out chapter for chapter but even lacking that detailed of an outline I would guess that I'm just finishing the first third of the story. When I explained that to Tim this morning he jokingly asked me if this was going to turn into a series like The Wheel of Time and I realized that, while I don't anticipate Malmark growing to quite that scale, it is turning out to be longer than what I'd expected.
Who knows, in the course of editing it may whittle itself back down to fit neatly in one book. But it might not. We might have a series on our hands. Heaven help me. I did not intend for this to be a series.
Well, whatever it turns out to be in the end, I'll never know until I get there so for now, I'm writing until I do.
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