Hey guys, I'm writing a psychological thriller novella and I think I screwed up on something. I introduced the subplot in the first chapter when in my outline I put it for the next chapter. Is it ok to have the subplots written in the next chapter as well?. Sorry, I know i'm making rookie mistakes lol. Anyways is it ok to have the same subplot in two chapters?. If anyone could help me on this I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks and have a great day!
I'm a bit confused by your question. Anything is doable, acceptable, okay, etc., as long as you as a writer make it work. There are accepted "rules," but some of the best texts break them. As with anything and everything in writing, breaking those rules must have a reason. If you can justify what you're doing, then it's absolutely fine. It is certainly, certainly acceptable to change things from your outline to your text! With that said, I generally find that the outline is most helpful for pacing purposes, to make sure everything flows in a cohesive manner at a reasonable speed. Differing from your outline in terms of pacing might be a bit risky, but I'm sure you can manage it if you keep all the pieces straight either in your head or on paper. And you can always edit! The first chapter seems a bit early for a subplot because it seems in the first chapter you'd just be introducing the characters and the main plot, but then again, I don't know how long your chapters or your novella is. What you shouldn't do is write essentially the same scene in two chapters. You shouldn't introduce a subplot in Chapter 1 and then re-introduce it in Chapter 2. The subplot needs to flow between chapters. One mistake I often see getting made - and often make myself! - is jerkily having subplots surface and disappear whenever there's a lull in action. Subplots, like all plots, need cohesion. In addition, your subplot should not exist for just one chapter. Unless it's a ridiculously easy fix (in which case, why include it if it's just a subplot?), it should have a larger arc and probably span multiple chapters. Again, this depends on the length of your chapters. Finally, my advice to you now is just write. You can go back and edit. Maybe in this instance your editing will involve copying-and-pasting one scene from Chapter A to Chapter B. It doesn't matter right now; you'll have plenty of time to tweak! Right now, just go for it. Good luck, have fun, and save what you write!
