2.5 – Subplots and supporting characters
Almost two years ago I asked people what they would like to learn about in the process of creating a novel, and one of the things they told me was this particular point. How to make the plots and secondary characters remain anchored to the central theme?
Subplots and supporting characters are supporting elements to the main story. That's what we never have to forget... if our goal is that they remain anchored to the central issue, of course.
Subplots
Let's start with the subplots. If the main plot is the resolution of the conflict that has begun the story, the subplots would be the rest of the story arcs, which may or may not support the resolution of that conflict.
The main way to anchor a subplot to the main plot is to make sure it derives from it, or serves as a support for it. You have to contribute something. This doesn't have to be obvious to the naked eye, but in the end it has to be. For example, the romance of the main character can involve a powerful ally in the final battle to help him turn the tables. Or on the contrary, the training of the protagonist character can be an aid to show the person he loves that he is ready to help him in his journey.
Let's remember that every subplot works like a normal plot. It has its approach, knot and outcome, only in small. We shouldn't let the subplot invade the main plot (unless that's exactly what you want, sure), but there's not much more to worry about. With the subplot bringing something relevant to the main plot we make sure it is anchored, so you just have to make sure it is interesting.
Supporting characters
Secondary characters are characters that do not significantly affect the plot. They are not protagonists or antagonists, but support from one of the above.
The secondary characters usually need a delicate balance between being interesting enough for people to like, but without eating so much the prominence that our protagonists / antagonists stop interested.
At the narrative level, the functions of the secondary characters are to interact with the protagonists and antagonists in ways relevant to the plot. They can be allies that help them overcome a bad bump, friends that cause the bad bump, plot objectives, romantic interests, obstacles in the way ...
However, the supporting characters are not in the lowest echelon of narrative importance. They usually have a name, a story, and are moderately relevant to the plot or the development of the rest of the main characters. If they are too trivial, they would become tertiary characters or extras, which would be the equivalent of "waiter number 3".
The secondary characters are usually the support of the plot and the main characters. They can provoke and solve disappointments, offer help or skills that our protagonists do not have. They are those people on whose shoulders they mourn, or who are cursed for a betrayal that will forge their character.
It is common for secondary characters to have their own story arcs, usually in their own subplots. This jeopardizes our goal that the subplots or secondary characters do not get out of hand, so if we want to redirect this towards the main theme, we can turn our protagonists / antagonists into secondary of these arcs, so that they are the support of those characters and end up taking something out of the subplot. Or also, it may be that the subject of the subplot is vital to the development of the main plot.
What if we don't want them to be an extension of the central theme?
Well, at the very least there must be a connection, that's clear, but just enough so that we're not talking about two different stories. Although of course, there are many examples in which we do not want them to be characters or subplots so dependent on the central arc.
For example, there are large novels that not only have a main arc, in which case, the subplots may not be something too anchored to the core of the story. For example, in Aranzazu Serrano's Neimhaim, there is a subplot (that of the dasarin) and a couple of secondary characters whose participation in the main conflict is incidental and could be eliminated without any problem. However, that does not mean that they are elements that are left over.
There are elements that serve to add consistency to the novel itself. Secondary characters that serve to make bulk can be a good way to show that the world is not hollow, because when everything is connected to the main theme of the story, you can feel contrived.
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