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Side stories: useful or distracting?

Lately, I've been incorporating scenes into my stories that contain the main characters, but aren't focused around them, essentially being mini-stories on the same theme as the larger work. At first, my characters were still heavily involved in them, but as they become more tangential, I'm starting to wonder if these scenes are more of a negative than a positive.

To give an example, there's a chapter in my current project where one of the major characters, Little Red, visits a drunkard who's been jailed for far more serious charges than usual, relaying a conditional offer from the victim to drop the charges and avoid a court appearance if the drunkard leaves town and never comes back. Neither the drunkard nor the victim have appeared before in the story, and neither will appear again. The scene reveals a bit about Little Red's beliefs, but Little Red isn't the focus in it--it's all about the drunkard, exploring her as a negative counterpart to Little Red's more uplifting philosophy, and providing more weight for the characters who disagree with Little Red.

Focusing solely on themes, the drunkard's chapter fits with the rest of the story. Focusing solely on character, the drunkard's not directly relevant to how the main characters grow and change, and her chapter could be cut without impacting other characters' development. Which is the bigger consideration?
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
The default advice in these situations seems to be: "If it doesn't further the plot or add depth to the character or the world, cut it out."
But, the default advice in any situation seems to be: "Do not blindly follow the default advice."

No, the above really isn't very helpful, as it basically says: "Cut it out unless you don't want to."

One thing to ponder is what the passage could add to the story if it was modified a little. Could it be made to add depth to the character or the world? From your description it seems it doesn't add much to the character, but it could add some depth to the world. For example, what would the punishment have been and how does that compare to leaving the town and never coming back? How would such an agreement be enforced and what would happen if it was broken? Are any of those important to the story? I'm assuming they aren't, but they could add some depth to the world and that may or may not be interesting.

Another thing to consider may be if the episode is interesting, or thought provoking or entertaining, or in any other way has some merit? If the reader comes out of it wondering what the point of it all was and you don't have an answer for it, then you should probably at least shorten it.
I think that if it is in some way entertaining and not too long, you can probably keep it in even if it doesn't add much else. Then again, I'm sure others would give different advice.
 

Helen

Inkling
Lately, I've been incorporating scenes into my stories that contain the main characters, but aren't focused around them, essentially being mini-stories on the same theme as the larger work. At first, my characters were still heavily involved in them, but as they become more tangential, I'm starting to wonder if these scenes are more of a negative than a positive.

To give an example, there's a chapter in my current project where one of the major characters, Little Red, visits a drunkard who's been jailed for far more serious charges than usual, relaying a conditional offer from the victim to drop the charges and avoid a court appearance if the drunkard leaves town and never comes back. Neither the drunkard nor the victim have appeared before in the story, and neither will appear again. The scene reveals a bit about Little Red's beliefs, but Little Red isn't the focus in it--it's all about the drunkard, exploring her as a negative counterpart to Little Red's more uplifting philosophy, and providing more weight for the characters who disagree with Little Red.

Focusing solely on themes, the drunkard's chapter fits with the rest of the story. Focusing solely on character, the drunkard's not directly relevant to how the main characters grow and change, and her chapter could be cut without impacting other characters' development. Which is the bigger consideration?


Reminds me of the difference between, say the LOTR books and film.

The bigger consideration is the theme, because even the main characters growth and change is subservient to it.

But what you have is a choice between "tightness" and a "richer world." Both have their place. In film, tightness would likely win over. In novel, a richer world probably would.

You could try writing the richer world and then tighten it in later drafts, as the later versions will heavily influence your final outcome.
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
I think, what you may be striving for is a B-Plot/C-Plot/Sub-plot. Those can be very useful if they relate to the main story in some thematic/emotional/spiritual way. A lot of times the main sub-plot is the love story, but there are many other types.

Take Star Wars, one of the subplots is Luke's transformation from farm boy to Jedi Knight like his father and that plays heavily in determining the outcome of the end. But if you think about it, that plot could easily be removed. Ben could just be some old soldier that teaches Luke to shoot and fight, and at the end those lessons could be what lets Luke make the shot instead of the Force. Or if Ben never existed, Luke could just be a naturally gifted pilot and marksman. Less satisfying, but doable.

All Hollywood films have a b-plot/helper plot, that at least tangentially relates to the main plot, and helps the main plot along thematically/emotionally/spiritually/etc. It gives the viewer/reader a slightly different point of view of main plot. It can hold a mirror up to the main plot and explore what if. One classic example is the tempted hero gets to meet someone who went down that same path.

These sub plots can be short or long, but like anything in the story, should be set up a little and shouldn't come out of the blue. Like your story, I'm assuming that Little Red is relaying the off because he was involved in the initial incident in some way. It's not just a scene with no prior set up, is it?
 
These sub plots can be short or long, but like anything in the story, should be set up a little and shouldn't come out of the blue. Like your story, I'm assuming that Little Red is relaying the off because he was involved in the initial incident in some way. It's not just a scene with no prior set up, is it?

Hmm . . . There's not a lot of setup for Little Red getting involved in this particular incident, but I explain why he's doing it (he's a friend of the victim), and I generally set up that he's been sticking his nose in as many problems as he possibly can. He was never much of a leader before the main incident that started the story, but he was someone who went out of his way to help other people, and he's now in a position where he can really step up to the plate and protect a lot of people. (This is going to create a lot of conflict, since he's the highest-profile character who wants to embrace what's happened rather than reverse it.)
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
If he's a friend of the victim, then that's a perfectly good entry point as long as the existence of the friend has been established earlier on and that their relationship is such that Little Red would do this for them.
 

Cloud

Minstrel
I guess my two cents is "don't try and edit your instincts too much as you go".

Write what feels right, and what feels important to your theme/characters.

If, when you get to the end of your story and you've got a more objective perspective it feels bloated and meandering THEN revisit those scenes which are superfluous to the central plot and see which can be cut/combined or integrated into the main plot for cohesively.
 
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