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A Powerful Way of Layering a Subplot into Your Novel

August 8, 2016 in Novel Structure with 5 Comments

We’ve been looking at my 10-20-30 Scene Builder concept, and you’ve gotten your key ten scenes upon which to further build a strong plot for your novel.

Last week we dove into my crime novel A Thin Film of Lies, and I showed you how you might layer in the next ten scenes with a subplot.

I believe subplots take a good book and make it great—that is, if the subplot is highly keyed into the themes of the novel. When thinking of examples of terrific subplots, the first (and best) book that came to mind was Michelle Weidenbenner’s Scattered Links.

I’ve used Michelle’s terrific novel before as an example other times in my blog. I worked with Michelle on this book as her editor and watched this book transform, especially in the development of her themes.

So I asked Michelle if she would kindly make a list of her subplot scenes (though this is only one of a few subplots she has going on in the book, another being a sweet romantic thread and one dealing with the sister she left behind). Continue Reading…

How to Weave a Subplot into the Structure of Your Novel

August 1, 2016 in Nailing Scene Structure, Novel Structure with 5 Comments

This week we’re going to explore how novelists can layer a series of scenes over the foundational structure that’s already in place. We’ve been spending some weeks going over the ten key scene types that most writing instructors would agree are the important ones to lock in.

You can download this handy chart that defines what these ten scenes are and where, approximately, they should be positioned in your story. While it’s perfectly fine to veer off this structure, and many novels do so successfully, this lines up with what most great novels—and films and plays—follow, regardless of genre.

So what we’re going to be doing for a number of weeks is look at the next ten scenes that you can build atop those primary scenes. I’ve been likening this process to filling a jar with rocks. You want to put the big rocks in, then the pebbles, then the sand, followed by water in order to fill a jar fully.

Layering a Subplot into Your Novel

July 25, 2016 in Nailing Scene Structure, Novel Structure with 5 Comments

We’ve looked at plot twists these last couple of weeks because they are so useful to have in novels. Regardless of the genre you’re writing in, a great plot twist can strengthen your story and make it much more exciting than if you don’t have any.

Warning: this is a long, meaty post, but I’m going deep into one way you might layer your next ten scenes over your ten foundational scenes. You might want to settle in with a bowl of popcorn and a latte for this one.

Two of the ten foundational scenes in your novel should be some kind of twist. If you haven’t downloaded the chart showing the first ten scenes of my 10-20-30 scene builder method, get yours here. We’ve discussed those ten scene types—some in more depth than others—but I hope you now have a good feel for what they are and how and why they work in your story.

While you can build off those ten key scenes in a multitude of directions—and that’s what my next few Monday posts will be demonstrating—to ensure you have a strong foundation for your story, it’s best to work on those first ten. Continue Reading…