There are many types of subplots used in novels. Some types of subplots include a romantic subplot, political, macabre, witty/environmental subplots, historical subplots, path of thought subplots, and character subplots. A subplot is a short story that is told throughout part or all of the main plot. There is no limit to the number of subplots there can be, but there are limitations to how well authors can maintain such plots. There are a few key subplots that almost every story uses.
romantic subplots
These are subplots that provide great filler moments throughout a novel, especially when experiencing writer’s block. Romantic subplots can be copy plots of other romantic scenes, so they’re great additions to the main plot when you’re having a hard time continuing.
political subplots
Almost all the books use this game of politics within their story. The only novels that cannot use this are those intended for a reading age that is too young to understand the intricacies. These subplots are great for filling in big gaps if you’re having a hard time connecting sections of the main plot.
In a political subplot, a character explores the politics or social situations around him. This can range from how horribly a teen parent reacts to a situation, to a war room meeting where everyone discusses what is supposed to happen. While politics generally means dealing with some form of government, political subplots deal with environmental hierarchies.
macabre subplots
You know that show that plays the same cheesy line during a mysterious investigation, or how a novel spends a pointless amount of time describing the intentions of a bad person? This is a macabre subplot, and it tends to be quite useful at the beginning of fantasy novels. Good examples of novels that begin with macabre subplots are JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter.
Harry Potter even keeps the macabre subplot and brings it into the main plot.
A ghoulish subplot carries its own horror fiction story, but is useful for one aspect of the main plot. This is not to say that a description of how the killer killed a victim is a subplot, but if that description is used to identify the difference between two different killers, then the description becomes a macabre subplot.
Artistic/environmental subplots
These subplots are unique in that they use the environment as if it had a story of its own. These subplots are very difficult to create and even more difficult to maintain. They require an artistically attuned mind to describe how the environment has a story of its own. The subplot can be so subtle that the reader doesn’t notice it.
historical subplots
These subplots are extremely short and are helpful when bringing in a new character who normally wouldn’t have been there. These subplots refer to something that has already happened but is unknown to the reader. Most of the time, the historical subplot is introduced using words like two hours before or in the meantime. These subplots are often deeply tied into the main plot.
Path of Thought Subplots
When you have nothing to write and when all other subplots seem useless, the Path of Thought subplot is your savior. This is where you take the reader’s attention away from the story to explore a character’s thought process of everything that is happening or will happen.
character subplots
These subplots are extremely difficult to maintain without losing focus on the main character. They are usually found within stories that use an auxiliary character’s past tense to describe otherwise illogical actions. A character’s subplot is a small story behind a character or a sub-main plot that is heavily intertwined with the main plot, such as a mother’s opinion and a daughter’s opinion.