Subplot
noun
A secondary or lesser storyline in a story or play.
The love triangle was an interesting subplot in the movie.
Often appears as...
- introduce a subplot
- follow a subplot
Usage tips
Literary
noun
A plot within a plot in a work of fiction.
The friendship between the two best friends was an amusing subplot in the novel.
Often appears as...
- weave a subplot
- intertwining subplots
Usage tips
Literary
noun
A secondary or lesser storyline in a story or play.
The love triangle was an interesting subplot in the movie.
Often appears as...
- introduce a subplot
- follow a subplot
Usage tips
Literary
noun
A plot within a plot in a work of fiction.
The friendship between the two best friends was an amusing subplot in the novel.
Often appears as...
- weave a subplot
- intertwining subplots
Usage tips
Literary
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Enhancing Drama
Subplots often add complexity and depth to the main story, making it more engaging.
The subplot involving the detective's past added tension to the crime series.
Pro Tip 2/3Character Development
Subplots can provide background and development for supporting characters.
The adventures of the sidekick in his own subplot made him more relatable.
Pro Tip 3/3Thematic Depth
Subplots may explore themes or ideas not covered in the main plot.
The subplot about the school election explored themes of integrity.
Pro Tip 1/3Enhancing Drama
Subplots often add complexity and depth to the main story, making it more engaging.
The subplot involving the detective's past added tension to the crime series.
Pro Tip 2/3Character Development
Subplots can provide background and development for supporting characters.
The adventures of the sidekick in his own subplot made him more relatable.
Pro Tip 3/3Thematic Depth
Subplots may explore themes or ideas not covered in the main plot.
The subplot about the school election explored themes of integrity.
Pro Tip 1/3Enhancing Drama
Subplots often add complexity and depth to the main story, making it more engaging.
The subplot involving the detective's past added tension to the crime series.
Pro Tip 2/3Character Development
Subplots can provide background and development for supporting characters.
The adventures of the sidekick in his own subplot made him more relatable.
Pro Tip 3/3Thematic Depth
Subplots may explore themes or ideas not covered in the main plot.
The subplot about the school election explored themes of integrity.
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Video examples
Why do we love? A...
In a subplot, Jia Rui falls in love with Xi-feng who tricks and humiliates him. Conflicting emotions of love and hate tear him apart, so a Taoist gives him a magic mirror that can cure him as long as he doesn't look at the front of it. But of course, he looks at the front of it.
Video examples
Why do we love? A...
In a subplot, Jia Rui falls in love with Xi-feng who tricks and humiliates him. Conflicting emotions of love and hate tear him apart, so a Taoist gives him a magic mirror that can cure him as long as he doesn't look at the front of it. But of course, he looks at the front of it.
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
Nicole Mones
American Novelist
In my own life I studied music, not creative writing; I see a novel as music - an opening as an overture, themes and subplots as lines in a fugue. The chance to write a novel about a musician boxed in by all kinds of limitations but who plays out his ultimate struggle for freedom at the piano was irresistible.
Quote examples
Lauren Willig
American Author
One of our fundamental human needs is finding our partner that we hope we will stay with for the rest of our lives. You often find the same search in other genres. The mystery novel has a romance subplot. Literary novels often focus on that relationship but do not often end well.
Quote examples
Julian Fellowes
English Actor
Although 'L.A. Confidential' is a long movie, there's never a moment when you think, 'I'm loving this... but when's dinner?' Each time I see it, I discover something I hadn't noticed before. It has a tremendous skill in developing all the subplots.
Quote examples
Jennifer Egan
American Novelist
The way that Dickens structured his books has a form that we most readily recognize now from, say, the great T.V. series, like 'The Wire' or 'The Sopranos.' There's one central plot line, but then from that spin off all kinds of subplots.
Quote examples
Richard Flanagan
Australian Novelist
After writing a novel, what is there to say? If a novelist could say it in a maxim, they wouldn't need 120,000 words, several years and sundry characters, plots and subplots, and so on. I'd much rather listen always.
Quote examples
Neil Tennant
English Musician
There's also a subplot about a guy who manages pop groups. Dave is a very ambitious boy, and he gets offered an audition but only wants to do it on his terms and conditions. He wants to maintain his integrity.
Quote examples
Walter Kirn
American Novelist
You're able to do things in novels: introduce subplots, other characters, thematic layers and so on, in a way that you simply can't in a movie. A movie really has to choose its battles.
Quote examples
Bob Odenkirk
American Actor
My experience - and it might be just the kind of comedy that I do, which is usually sketch comedy - is that there's a lot more texture and subplot in drama than in comedy.
Quote examples
Darin Strauss
American Writer
A subplot is a distinguishing characteristic of the novel; the short story, for example, does not need subplots.
Quote examples
Jeffery Deaver
American Writer
In suspense novels even subplots about relationships have to have conflict.
Quote examples
Nicole Mones
American Novelist
In my own life I studied music, not creative writing; I see a novel as music - an opening as an overture, themes and subplots as lines in a fugue. The chance to write a novel about a musician boxed in by all kinds of limitations but who plays out his ultimate struggle for freedom at the piano was irresistible.
Quote examples
Lauren Willig
American Author
One of our fundamental human needs is finding our partner that we hope we will stay with for the rest of our lives. You often find the same search in other genres. The mystery novel has a romance subplot. Literary novels often focus on that relationship but do not often end well.
Quote examples
Julian Fellowes
English Actor
Although 'L.A. Confidential' is a long movie, there's never a moment when you think, 'I'm loving this... but when's dinner?' Each time I see it, I discover something I hadn't noticed before. It has a tremendous skill in developing all the subplots.
Quote examples
Jennifer Egan
American Novelist
The way that Dickens structured his books has a form that we most readily recognize now from, say, the great T.V. series, like 'The Wire' or 'The Sopranos.' There's one central plot line, but then from that spin off all kinds of subplots.
Quote examples
Richard Flanagan
Australian Novelist
After writing a novel, what is there to say? If a novelist could say it in a maxim, they wouldn't need 120,000 words, several years and sundry characters, plots and subplots, and so on. I'd much rather listen always.
Quote examples
Neil Tennant
English Musician
There's also a subplot about a guy who manages pop groups. Dave is a very ambitious boy, and he gets offered an audition but only wants to do it on his terms and conditions. He wants to maintain his integrity.
Quote examples
Walter Kirn
American Novelist
You're able to do things in novels: introduce subplots, other characters, thematic layers and so on, in a way that you simply can't in a movie. A movie really has to choose its battles.
Quote examples
Bob Odenkirk
American Actor
My experience - and it might be just the kind of comedy that I do, which is usually sketch comedy - is that there's a lot more texture and subplot in drama than in comedy.
Quote examples
Darin Strauss
American Writer
A subplot is a distinguishing characteristic of the novel; the short story, for example, does not need subplots.
Quote examples
Jeffery Deaver
American Writer
In suspense novels even subplots about relationships have to have conflict.
Example 1 of 10
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