: How much development does a subplot need? I've recently begun studying subplots, and I've realized I don't know how far I should develop them. Does a subplot need everything a main plot does?

I've recently begun studying subplots, and I've realized I don't know how far I should develop them. Does a subplot need everything a main plot does? Does there even need to be a conflict for the subplot (if it's short), or can it simply be a few scenes that link together to show something related to the main plot?

Before I go any further, let me explain that I develop my novels before writing them. This means I break down exactly what I need in the novel, and how to achieve it. One of the things I do is work with the main plot, and develop the main conflict so that it is complex and cannot be easily resolved. I'm wondering how much of that one does for a subplot.

How much development does a subplot need?

Additionally, do I need separate stakes for a subplot (assuming the stakes for the main plot don't apply to it)? What about additional characterization? My question isn't limited to simply developing the plot.

Note: I'm assuming that the answer to this question will depend very much on the size of the subplot in question. If that is the case, please provide answers for several different sizes of subplots (ie, if the subplot is only a few scenes, you generally do A and B; if it spans three books, you want to do C as well).

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@Bryan361

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@Turnbaugh521

There is no reason to labor over a subplot just for the sake of having one, but if your feel like you need one (or two, or seven) for whatever reasons you might need them, then Mark Baker is right--all the regular rules apply; the stakes, the conflict, the character's mini-arcs, the resolution, etc.

In some cases, subplot lacking a resolution in one novel can even serve as a segue to another story--you are the author, you choose.

It is impossible to tell if a specific subplot works or does not in a particular story without reading the full text wth an intention to take it apart and critique it, just like it is impossible to tell if the one you are planning will work when you finally get to fleshing it out with words.

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: How much development does a subplot need? I've recently begun studying subplots, and I've realized I don't know how far I should develop them. Does a subplot need everything a main plot does?

More posts by @Bryan361

: What Kind of Story can Achieve Cult Status? Note: I have rewritten this question, upon realizing it was being misinterpreted. Please reread the question and provide new answers accordingly. Star

: A given publisher might have specific rules. In general there's no hard and fast rules, like a novel must be at least 40,000 words, so if your story is 39,998 words it's not long enough

: Worth writing, if end is obvious I am currently sketching a novel about people at the end of time, some months or years before the Big Crunch: There is a space station full of people who

: Is there a method to estimating the length of a work before writing it? I am writing my first novel, which I think likely will end up being several volumes. Although I have a lot of experience

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