In my previous novel, Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees, the theme of my book was peace. The primary plot was Silvia attempting to make peace in her own family, while the subplot was her finding direction in her own life. Her finding direction in her own life involved her finding peace within herself and her discovery of the correlation between the disharmony within her family and the restlessness within herself. By having the subplot be her quest for inner peace, the theme of my book- peace- was strengthened.
In my current novel, Discovery of an Eagle, the themes are carpe diem and divinity. The major plot is Cosmo’s awakening which results in his new-found desire to cease the day and get in touch with the divine part of himself that will enable him to cease the day. The subplot is Silvia’s learning to slow down so that she too can enjoy the present moment. Whereas Cosmo has been missing his life by sleepwalking through it, Silvia has been missing it by rushing through it. Just as he learns to notice the beauty of the world and the gift of life by realizing the finite nature of life, she realizes that she must stop rushing in order to fully experience life.
In both stories, the subplot serves as a way of reinforcing the theme and or major lesson in the book as they are both related to this theme. A subplot can also make the story more interesting and can serve to add to the dimensional quality of a supporting character, such as Silvia. In both novels, I wrap up the subplot by the end of the second act so as not to detract from the primary plot of the story.
This post is from my blog series, “Tips for Writing Fiction.” Be sure to check out my Greco Family Trilogy books, which include Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees, Discovery of an Eagle, and The Bird that Sang in Color. These books are available from all major online book sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.
