Subplots are a tool that can heighten the tension and intensify the conflict in a story. They can add new plot points that deliver obstacles for the main character that result in a more dramatic climax. Subplots enrich character development. A secondary plot can reveal new information about a main character.

A subplot can focus on another aspect of the protagonist, or it can follow the story of another main character and his or her development. It can drive home theme and it can aid in world-building. Subplots will enrich your novel and make your story a more compelling read.

Why does an author use a subplot in a novel? to resolve the problem that the main characters face. to introduce the conflict that drives the central plot. to prepare readers for sequels to the original text. to develop secondary characters and story lines.

Most stories have at least 2 or 3 subplots, and can have more. But you don’t want them to take AWAY from the main storyline, only add to it! The first 8-10 pages of your second act is where your main character will face their first major test or challenge and take the first step in their arc.

A good rule of thumb might be: Include as many characters as needed to tell the story and evoke the proper style and scope—and no more. For intimate novels, this number might be as small as 2-5 secondary characters, and for broader stories, this number might be 20-30.

The short answer is: no such number exists. You can include as many characters in your novel as you want to. It’s your story, and there’s no rule book you need to follow on how to write a great story. The creative process is yours to own.

Writing a story with multiple main characters or protagonists is possible, but it will not be easy. Carefully think through your story idea and whether you might tell it in a simpler format. There’s a reason there are so many books with only one protagonist.

Antagonists are plot devices that create obstructions and challenges for your hero protagonist. You can have more than one antagonist in your story. But, the villain must remain the protagonist’s main opponent.

How to Successfully Feature Multiple Main Characters

1. Think Reader-First. You want nothing to stand in the way of the reader’s experience.
2. Make Your POV Characters Distinct. In subsequent books in the Left Behind series, I used as many as five different perspective characters for one novel.
3. Choose Carefully.

How To: Balance a BIG Cast of Characters

1. Set a limit. I’ve heard it said that there shouldn’t be more than seven to ten supporting characters in a novel.
2. Don’t get complicated. Like I said before, focus on developing your main players.
3. Give them something special.
4. Show a change.
5. Don’t be mean.
6. Cast the stereotypes.

one protagonist

So a typical book page has, say 1,500 to 1,800 characters (not counting spaces.). If we consider 250 pages as standard book length, then you’re talking about maybe 400,000 characters if you don’t count the spaces; 500,000 if you do. That would suggest that you can get an auto-translation done for $10.

50,000 to 85,000 words

You don’t want to overwrite and be forced to use a teeny font. This trim size is good for only 200 to 250 words per printed book page. This translates into just 20,000 to 25,000 words for a 100 page book, 30,000 to 42,500 words for a 150-page book, perhaps just 40,000 words for a 200-page book.

10 pages

For your printed book only project, your binding options are a result of your page count. If you are choosing perfect binding or adhesive case wrap (hard cover) for your book, you need at least 24 pages. If you take a sheet of paper and fold it in half, you have an example of the 4 pages.

3 pages

Seven

The 7 story archetypes are:

• Overcoming the Monster.
• Rags to Riches.
• The Quest.
• Voyage and Return.
• Comedy.
• Tragedy.
• Rebirth.

An archetype is an emotion, character type, or event that is notably recurrent across the human experience. In the arts, an archetype creates an immediate sense of familiarity, allowing an audience member to relate to an event or character without having to necessarily ponder why they relate.

archetype /AHR-kih-type/ noun. 1 : the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype; also : a perfect example.

The quest: In a quest archetype, the main character must reach a certain location, attain a certain object, or fulfill a certain objective while conquering many obstacles along the way. The Odyssey is a classic quest story.

Archetype (defined) Archetype: Generally, the original model from which something is developed or made; in literary criticism, those images, figures, character types, settings, and story patterns that, according to the Swiss analytical psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, are universally shared by people across cultures.