Don’t include novel subplots that don’t promote your main story arcs
Subplots are useful for many reasons. A good subplot:
* Breaks up the monotony of the central plotline with the primary character goals
* Gives you the possibility to introduce fascinating secondary characters who will be necessary to the action of your story going forward
* It supports and intensifies the reader’s understanding of the main character arcs
The third case is especially vital. If you pepper your tale with subplots that don’t propel the story towards its resolution in any way, this can slacken the pace. The diversion can make the narrative start to feel wandering and aimless.
An example of the type of subplot: In Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov discovers, via a letter from the mother, that the sister Dounia plans to marry a man that she does not love for financial security. This marriage despite her man seeming close-fisted and moderate in his views of the wife’s duty. Raskolnikov’s mother recommends that Dounia will marry directly to ease her brother’s finances so to help him obtain work in the long term for her intended husband.
Raskolnikov loathes the idea of the match. Auch that the subplot of Dounia’s marriage proposal in Crime and Punishment builds the sense of despair that drives Raskolnikov to kill for money. Similarly, prioritise subplots that increase narrative suspense and tension and propel your story towards approaching developments in your main characters’ arcs.
Crime Fiction: Hardboiled Detective 