Guidelines on How to Cut Unnecessary Fiction Novel Subplots

Essential to the fiction writing process is developing a keen eye for superfluous subplots. In an attempt to create a rich story, many times an author in the prewriting phase succeeds in creating too many scenes and too few connections to the main plot. While each segment may seem worthwhile, keeping a story clean and to the point is important for the reader. Attempting to tie together too many loose ends during the final chapters may prove to be an unanticipated burden, as well. The following is a list of rough guidelines on how to cut unnecessary fiction novel subplots that can be used as a checklist during your prewriting work. Of course, keep in mind that these guidelines are suggestions that may not be relevant for every novel, but in most cases they will generally apply.

Guideline #1: A subplot should, in most cases, tie directly back into the main goal of the story. In other words, if a scene does not take the reader from one stage of a character's pursuit of their main goal to the next, it may be unnecessary. Readers often find these scenes off-putting and confusing.

Guideline #2: A subplot will not overpower the main story goal. In other words, if a subplot begins to take up too many chapters, it may overshadow the reader's original interpretation of the book's main objective for the characters. If you find yourself with two plots competing for the reader's attention (unless the book was designed that way for a specific purpose), you may wish to consider using the secondary plot for another novel.

Guideline #3: Subplots in a fiction novel should develop a character further. Of course, subplots are not limited to the development of your book's main characters. They also provide a great opportunity for giving the reader a succinct glimpse into the lives of secondary characters, and how those secondary characters ultimately affect the story overall.

Guideline #4: Subplots will, in general, be revisited during the final chapters of the story. A subplot is usually in place not only to add depth to a fiction novel, but also to add a sense of expectation. It should give the reader one more reason to keep turning each page until the end, when the final picture comes together. A subplot that is completely resolved before the book's last three to five chapters may indicate its lack of relevance to the outcome (unless is must be resolved before the next phase of the story can begin).

Guideline #5: Subplots will usually provide direct or indirect tension. In other words, a subplot will either get the reader's blood flowing from its powerful scenes and surprises, or it will keep the reader waiting in suspense for the next piece of the puzzle to come together. Both are effective methods of storytelling, and most books contain subplots that serve both purposes.

Guideline #6: Subplots are often used in fiction to foreshadow coming events. If a subplot cannot be viewed at the end of the story as a crucial scene that somehow told of things to come, it may be unnecessary to its development.

Again, when cutting subplots in a fiction novel, not all of these guidelines may apply every time. However, they do present a reasonable place to start during the prewriting session that may aid the author in editing out unnecessary elements to the story before any actual writing ever begins. The result will be a cleaner manuscript, minimal final content editing, and a more enjoyable reading experience for fans.