Write a novel

How to make your novel longer (subplots and storylines)

You type "end" under your novel, but you haven't even reached 30,000 words yet? You plot your novel but only have ten short chapters? Your novel is something between a short story and a novella when it should be a novel? Or are you just afraid that you might not reach the 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo with your novel?

Then this article is just right for you!

First of all: it's not a big deal if your planned novel is a bit shorter! In this article, I'll show you how to make it longer - but if you want to keep your work as long as it is, of course you should!

SUBPLOTS AND STORYLINES

They are the key to more suspense, more characters, more things the reader learns and more length: subplots and storylines.

But what are storylines?

You can think of storylines as follows. Your novel is a long rope, and this rope is made up of individual ropes and strands that are knotted together and wrapped around each other. These ropes and strands are the so-called plot lines.

A novel usually has several to a dozen of them - the more characters, the more plot strands are possible and necessary.

Subplots are strands and additional supports for your rope: a cable tie here and a fibre there. They are nowhere near as comprehensive as storylines, but they are at least as important.

The boundaries between storylines and subplots are blurred. It is not always clear to determine what is what.

HOW DO I THINK UP SUBPLOTS?

Let's get to the practical part.

You need to think about your subplots and storylines, not just know that without them your dew is just a few fibres glued together (with glue sticks for kindergarteners) that can be quickly devoured and destroyed by lightning, thunderstorms and shears (aka plot holes).

For subplots, there is one important rule: think about what you want a character to learn. Don't think about what you want to happen to them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just saying that when you apply this rule, you let the subplot become character-driven. But if you think that you would like character A to have a car accident, you make the subplot plot-driven.

If you don't know what that means yet, read my article on the subject and spare the world from characters who are just punching bags for the plot: "Write a character-driven story YOU CAN‘T STOP READING" 

HOW DO I THINK UP STORYLINES?

Any character with internal conflict (I hope that applies to almost all of them!) is capable of having a subplot. Every main character and important secondary character should have a plot line. Accordingly, relationships between characters can also be subplots or plotlines (or parts of them).

For example, a plot line can be an enemies-to-lovers romance, a family secret, a character's dark past, or a prison break. They run throughout the book.

Pro tip: a quick change of storylines, points of view and subplots creates tension. Use this wisely and use it, for example, at the end of the novel (climax proximity).


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Write on,
Evie