Writer's Blog: Writing a Novel - Sub-plot and Symbolism

Looking again at Writing a Novel I have decided to look just at the 'Things to Try' section.

I don't know what the rules are about quoting a novel on the Internet. Yet it seems to me that mention of new laws being passed and silly legislation come up far too frequently.

So here goes...

These questions come from page 46 and 47 of the book.

The first two questions cover the main plot and sub-plot of a novel. I am working on two novels. My fantasy novel is Lord of the Rings-esk but, I believe, still quite different. So it doesn't have much in the way of sub-plots. Rather the story is all about people doing what they think is best and the consequences of their actions.

My science fiction novel does have sub-plots. Actually the issue with it at the moment is that I'm not sure what the main plot is. I have a protagonist and it is the story of her life. I have flash points - events that spur her on - but I'm not sure how to interconnect them. In case that's unclear you can't just have the big events in a vacuum. Say you're writing a novel of two people and how they became a couple. A reader may know that is ultimately what is going to happen but you have to have mundane aspects of life interspersed.

This character joins Astrofleet, essential Starfleet, and it is about her career. However she needs to be actually doing something - even though the story is about her and not the mission.

I have watched several documentaries on Royal Navy ships, which gives something of an idea, but in my universe a lot of the day-to-day work can be done by robots. So if anyone from the navy, any navy, happens to stumble onto this could you answer a question for me? Say you're home port is in Portsmouth and you're deployed to the Middle East - on that journey, aside from drills and such - what do you do? I'd imagine that whilst travelling around friendly waters there isn't that much.

One thing I'm slowly discovering about a novel is that it doesn't have to be about anything. I'm reading Looking for Alaska at the moment. Its a good book but actually not a lot happens. Its a difficult thing to explain. There are a few actual events but mostly its people smoking and drinking. The character's are clear though and the first person narrative is very helpful.

Writing is a strange thing.