Over the last few weeks, we dug into the primary and secondary elements that make up a great subplot. Today, I want to put that learning into action. We’re going to examine the logistics of weaving subplots into a story and identify the nine subplot elements in the book: The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow.
How To Insert Subplots In Your Story
While there is no exact formula for weaving subplots into a story, there are general guidelines. Typically, subplots are introduced at the end of Act I or beginning of Act II, and they end before the climax. Sometimes a subplot can wrap up in the falling action (resolution) after the climax, but that normally only happens if it’s an interpersonal subplot. For instance, the detective solves the murder, then she finally gets the courage to ask that reporter for a date.
It’s also suggested that you limit your subplots to two or three per book. If you have an epic fantasy, there may be a couple more; but it’s best to stick with just a few and do them well. For a novella, stick to only two subplots. If it’s short stories, maybe only include one. If you can’t do the subplot arc justice in the space you have, then you may have too many subplots.
As for using subplots, it’s best to open and close them in the order of importance. If the romance subplot is next in importance to the main plot arc, then introduce it right after the plot starts. Perhaps a detective gets issued a murder case, then shortly after a reporter shows up to question her, starting a romance arc. Then maybe you also have a mentor subplot, and when the detective gets back to the police station, a newer officer is assigned to shadow her. If this was our book, the subplots would look like this:
- [murder case [reporter romance [mentor assignment
Then the subplots would close in the opposite order:
- mentor assignment] reporter romance] murder case]
By opening and closing the subplots like this, the less important subplots will get less space on the page and the more important ones get more space. The mentor subplot may only be in the middle third of the story, the romance subplot the middle two-thirds, and the main plot will span the entire book. The more time and space something gets, the more importance readers will assign to it.
The Other Bennet Sister
When picking a book for an example, I selected one that didn’t have obvious uses of the nine subplot elements. I wanted a book that wasn’t written with multiple POVs. That’s because it can be easy to see how subplots show up when you have a secondary character’s story from their perspective. I also wanted a book that had a subtle plot as those can be harder to see subplots in than something like a murder mystery. So, I picked The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, a book that follows the life of one lady. If you haven’t read the book and want to, you may want to revisit this post as there will be spoilers. But it was written in 2020 and there is a TV show now so I’m going to assume most who were interested have already been exposed to the story.
For those not familiar with the tale, The Other Bennet Sister is a book about the middle child, Mary, from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Mary is an awkward and overlooked child who grew up thinking she wasn’t special but wanting to find happiness all the same. This book follows her exploration of the world and what it means to be happy. In this post, I want to examine two subplots following two side characters: Charlotte Lucas and Caroline Bingley.
These subplots are opened roughly as such:
- [Mary’s happiness (Chapter 1) [Charlotte’s Marriage (Chapter 9) [Caroline’s Pursuit (Chapter 17)
Below is the breakdown for each subplot’s ending.
- Charlotte’s Marriage (Chapter 45)] Caroline’s Pursuit (Chapter 92)] Mary’s happiness (Chapter 95)]
Now, the closing of the subplots is a bit off from what is recommended as Charlotte’s subplot ends before Caroline’s, but Charlotte’s subplot is more of a time in Mary’s life than a conflict that follows her around like Caroline’s does. Since Charlotte is remembered throughout and brought up in the end, though, it feels like her subplot transverses the whole story. It leaves an impact. If you plan to have a similar subplot, make sure it influences the whole story and isn’t just a side story that can be forgotten without upsetting the climax.
1. Plot Arc
Every subplot must have all eight plot elements (not to be confused with the nine subplot elements) in an arc with a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is establishing the four plot pillars: goal, stakes, plan, and antagonistic force. The middle is full of several plot cycles as the character struggles to achieve the goal. Then the end is when it’s decided if the goal is achieved or not. I’m not going to go through the entire subplots for Charlotte and Caroline, but let’s break it down a little by picking out the plot pillars and one plot cycle in each subplot.
Charlotte’s Plot Arc
We are introduced to Charlotte in chapter 9 (roughly fifty pages into the story), but we don’t really get to know her until chapter 17 (roughly seventy-five pages in). Here, about a quarter the way into the book, she has a frank conversation with Mary where she lays out her plot pillars.
Charlotte’s goal is to marry, hopefully a not unkind man, for a comfortable home and security. She wants this because she can’t stand the alternative—becoming an old maid. So, her stakes are that if she doesn’t marry, she shall be unhappy as an old maid for the rest of her life. Her plan is simple: be forward with any man who might consider marrying her so he knows she will say yes. The antagonistic force is the Bennet family. Mary’s older sister, Elizabeth, is in opposition at first, but soon Mary becomes an antagonist as well.
Now, let’s look at one plot cycle for this subplot. After Charlotte marries Mr. Collins, her goal of marriage is achieved but her idea that it’d avoid her being unhappy is called into question. The conflict is she finds she likes being married but doesn’t love being married to him. Therefore, she makes a decision: keep Mr. Collins busy away from her so they don’t have to be together. It works for a while. Then Mary comes to visit. Mr. Collins is so used to being pushed away that he jumps at the chance to converse with someone. The consequence is he and Mary grow closer as they study together in the library. The shift is immediate: Charlotte grows jealous of Mary. This ruins their friendship, and Mary leaves knowing Charlotte won’t ever want her to return.
Half way through the book, Charlotte’s plot arc is mostly wrapped up. However, she is mentioned in Mary’s thoughts and her advice often impacts Mary throughout the rest of the story. The ending mention of Charlotte occurs in the book’s final chapter, her seemingly happy in her marriage.
Caroline’s Plot Arc
Caroline enters the scene in Chapter 17 (about 80 pages into the story) and pops in and out until about Chapter 46 (about 200 pages in) when she becomes a consistent character in the tale. Essentially, when Charlotte’s subplot comes to a close, Caroline’s plot springs forth in full force.
As for a goal, Caroline obviously wants marriage to a man of wealth and position. Coming from a family of wealth, her stakes are losing her preferred lifestyle and her chance to climb the social ladder (which mean everything to her). Her first choice is taken by Mary’s older sister so she sets her sights on Mr. Ryder. Caroline’s plan is to stick close to Mr. Ryder and bully away any other female around him. Unfortunately, Mary becomes the antagonist as Mr. Ryder starts to show preference to her, even though she never sought out his attention.
Now let’s turn to a plot cycle for Caroline. When Mr. Ryder starts showing an interest in Mary, he invites her and her family to a dinner at his place. The dinner party creates immediate conflict for Caroline because it gives Mr. Ryder an opportunity to spend significant time with Mary. Therefore, Caroline decides to insinuate to Mr. Ryder that Mary would rather sit at the opposite side of the dinner table than him to spend time with her supposed friend. Mr. Ryder agrees, thinking it’ll make Mary happy. Consequently, Mary is successfully kept away from Mr. Ryder at dinner, but she also has a chance to impress the married man she is sitting beside—who loudly declares he understands why Mr. Ryder likes Mary and they should get married. The declaration creates a shift in the story because now Mr. Ryder’s growing attachment to Mary is no longer just something Caroline suspects. Someone said it aloud and put it into the minds of more people.
While Caroline is making appearances here and there to make Mary’s life miserable in the first half of the book, she doesn’t become a heavy player until the midpoint. As Mary is getting closer and closer to finding her own happiness, Caroline shows up more and more to ruin it. At the end, Caroline does one final sabotage that ends up helping Mary in the end but it also gets Caroline closer to her goal. In the last chapter, Mary mentions that Mr. Ryder is traveling abroad with Caroline, indicating Caroline got her goal of attaining a man of wealth and status—although, they may not be married.
2. Main Conflict
The main conflict for The Other Bennet Sister is Mary finding her happiness. As a young girl, she’s told that marriage is what makes a woman happy. Charlotte reinforces this in their talks so Mary starts looking for a marriage. She sets her eyes on Mr. Collins, yet Charlotte snatches him away from her. Later, when Mary is trying to find a quiet place away from her family to think about what she wants in life, she stays with Charlotte. Yet, as Mary starts to find joy in studying with Mr. Collins, Charlotte gets jealous and schemes to have Mary enlisted as a governess. Not wanting that for her life, Mary must flee that house.
Choosing to stay with her extended relations, the Gardiners, Mary again starts to find happiness in their warm and loving home. However, the Gardiners have a family friend, Tom, who knows Mr. Ryder—who Caroline is pursuing for marriage. As Mary starts to enjoy the company of Tom, she sees Mr. Ryder often who brings Caroline with him. Now Mary’s happiness is again threatened as she is bullied, and a wedge grows between her and Tom. Ultimately though, Caroline is the one to clear up any obstacle between Mary and Tom because it leaves Mr. Ryder free for her. So, while Caroline is the antagonist throughout most of the book, her actions at the end is what helps the climax—Mary and Tom getting together and finding their happiness.
3. Theme
The book’s theme is happiness. All her life, Mary is told that marriage is what will make her happy. Charlotte embodies this idea as she only seeks to marry whoever will provide for her. Mary tries to follow her advice, but along the way she realizes that marriage doesn’t make happiness. Charlotte is married early on in the book, yet she seems only happy in her home, not her marriage. Mary continues to contemplate happiness as she moves to the Gardiners. There, Mary realizes that happiness is created, not found. By surrounding themselves with loved ones, the Gardiners made their own happiness. Mary starts to realize that she needs to find people who make her happy to spend her life with instead of just looking for security and marriage.
As Mary comes to this realization and pursues it, Caroline appears doing the exact opposite. She doesn’t care who is nice to be around. Caroline only wants wealth and status. She doesn’t mind creating misery if she achieves her goal. To her, happiness is money and titles. The juxtaposition between Mary’s idea of happiness and Caroline’s highlights the theme by showing different sides of it. In the end, Mary gets happiness while Caroline and Charlotte seem to settle for versions of it. They may all be happy by their own terms, but readers can decide which really has true happiness.
4. Enjoyment
After I picked The Other Bennet Sister to dissect for this post, I realized that the enjoyment of the subplots has a huge cheat code embedded into it. The author took a well-loved classic and created a new story using minor characters from the other book. By doing that, readers are already invested in what happens. Characters like Charlotte and Caroline had subplots in Pride and Prejudice that never truly wrapped up so it was cool to see what happened to them beyond the story. The subplots’ enjoyment was already built into the story, but the author had to make sure she did the characters justice. As enjoyment is individually based, I’ll just note some aspects of the subplots (beyond using known characters) that caught my interest.
For Charlotte’s subplot, the enjoyment mostly came from the fact Mary thought to marry Mr. Collins at one point. We didn’t know that originally, and that complicates the plot when Charlotte marries him instead. The time Mary spent at their house was interesting to me because it gave a hint at what life for Mary would have been like if she had succeeded in her initial plan. We see she could have been happy enough with Mr. Collins and his love of learning, but we also get the feeling it would have been her settling instead of finding what she really wanted. So many times in life we make choices and wonder what would have happened if we had done it different. Charlotte’s subplot gives Mary that insight.
For Caroline, the subplot enjoyment came from wanting to finally overcome her bullying. She beats Mary down, outwits her, and makes her life as hard as possible. But Mary is steadfast and kind, and it makes me root for her and get invested in what happens with Caroline. (Ok, yes. I wanted to see her get her just deserves!) When Mary finally realizes Caroline only has power over her if she allows it, I was cheering for her. Mary chose not to care what Caroline thinks, and it set her free to find her happiness.
5. Protagonist Growth
We’ve already touched on this a little so I will keep this section on protagonist growth condensed. Both subplot help Mary realize what happiness isn’t. Charlotte told her to expect little and settle for what she could get, yet Mary sees what that got Charlotte and doesn’t agree. Mary overcomes that mindset and reaches for what she really wants. Caroline told her she wasn’t worthy of happiness or male attention, but Mary shakes off her criticism and realizes she is worthy no matter what others say. Both women help Mary grow and become the strong, happy woman she is at the end of the story.
6. Genre
The genre is romance, and it’s easy to see how both subplots add more love stories to the book. First, both subplots give Mary a potential love interest: Mr. Collins and Mr. Ryder. The former is a rational man who admires Mary’s mind, and the latter is a passionate man who gets swept up in feelings. They show opposite sides of the spectrum for love interests, and create a great scale for Tom who sits somewhere in the middle.
Also, each woman is looking for marriage, yet they aren’t really seeking love. At the end of the story, Charlotte might have a likeness for her husband, and Caroline only gets passion from Mr. Ryder. Neither has the deep, caring love that Mary and Tom share. By putting in two subplots with a shadow of love, it highlights the love Mary finds in the end, intensifying the promise of her happily ever after.
7. Pacing
As this book is more of a slice of life story, the subplots help keep the pacing moving. Everyday life can get dull, but both Charlotte and Caroline exist to shake up Mary’s world.
Charlotte’s first real interaction with Mary is to ruin her happiness. Mary is enjoying her time with a young man at a ball, but Charlotte shows up to tell Mary to stop associating with him because his station is below hers. Then later, when Mary is convinced she’d make a good wife for Mr. Collins, Charlotte shakes up the story by marrying him herself. Lastly, when Mary finds happiness in studying with Mr. Collins, Charlotte kicks her out of the house. Each time Mary is lulled into something, Charlotte makes the plot turn against Mary.
The same is true of Caroline. Mary is finally feeling welcome and loved in the Gardiners’ home, then Caroline starts showing up and bullying her. Mary is excited to go to a dinner party with Tom, but Caroline sits her at the opposite side of the table. Tom plans a trip with the Gardiners, and Mary thinks she’ll be able to finally talk with him about her feelings. Then Caroline shows up as well. Caroline’s last shake up of the pacing happens at the end when Mary is sulking and trying to accept Tom will never come back to her. Right when things seem hopeless, Tom shows up because Caroline sent him a letter. Caroline’s decisions all affect Mary and shift the plot, increasing the book’s pacing.
8. Tone
Charlotte’s subplot adds a serious tone to Mary’s story when she is young and a bit rasher. When Mary chases a whim or lets her naivety get the best of her, Charlotte is there to correct her and make her think practically.
On the other hand, Caroline’s subplot creates tension and negativity in a time of Mary’s life that would have been very happy. Mary is with the Gardiners and really feeling like part of a family for the first time, and she has her growing attachment with Tom. Without Caroline, the plot would feel too rosy. Caroline adds the tension to keep the story flowing and provides low moments to offset the happy ones.
9. Worldbuilding
Charlotte and Caroline provide a look into two opposite sides of society. Charlotte has a lower status while Caroline has a higher one. Charlotte married a clergyman, and Caroline attached herself to a lawyer. Charlotte is a homemaker, and Caroline has no roots and travels. They show different lifestyles available to women back then for the same problem: they need a man to provide for them. By showing these different walks of life, the author made the world seem bigger and fuller for readers.
Final Thoughts
This was a long post, but I really wanted to dig into subplot examples and show how they orbit around the main plot. Hopefully, you are now excited and ready to dissect your own story for these nine elements. Just remember, the more diversified you can make your subplots while still revolving around the core plot, the deeper and fuller your story will feel to readers.
Thanks for reading!
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