Save the Cat Breakdown Series, Part 9
B Story
In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of Fun and Games, and how it is where the true meat of the story begins. It is the point where the protagonist is taking action to achieve their goal, often still blinded by their misbelief, and it is where the promises set up in the first act of the story are fulfilled. In this article, we are exploring a sub-beat of the Fun and Games, the B Story, or the subplot.
What is the B Story story beat?
This story beat is where a subplot is introduced, usually a love interest or a sidekick story that is woven in and out of the main plot of the story. It is most often used to convey the theme of the novel, but is also useful to explore character arcs and side characters. The B Story usually begins at around 22%, or at approximately 17,600 words.
For example, in Toy Story, the B Story is Buzz Lightyear’s misbelief that he actually is a space ranger. This becomes challenged when he sees an advert for himself as a toy and he must come to terms with the reality. This subplot is interwoven through the main plot of Woody’s story and it impacts not only Buzz’s own character arc, but Woody’s as well.
In my own novel, the B Story is where one of the protagonists learns that his mother has early onset dementia and his complete refusal to deal with this fact. This is a side story that, while it has nothing really to do with his main motivation of saving the small town ice rink, it leaks in to what he does and affects it in a way that prevents his drive from becoming one dimensional.
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