Don’t let the subplot derail the narrative

You may or may not have seen the recent interview on CBS This Morning that featured Bill Belichick, but as a former media trainer and PR exec, as well as a forever Tar Heel (where Belichick has signed on to be the head football coach this season), the interview has stuck with me. 

To summarize, the legendary coach was being interviewed to promote his newest book about his life in football. The interview mostly focused on his career and the lessons learned from his football coaching father. 

As one of the most decorated NFL coaches in history with a record six Super Bowl wins as a head coach and eight total Super Bowl rings from his career, there was a lot to talk about. 

So how did this interview with a venerated coach and experienced media dodger go so awry? 

At one point, the interviewer points out the presence of Jordon Hudson (Bill Belichick’s girlfriend)  in the room and how much attention their May/December relationship is receiving in the world. Bill handles this question nicely–he doesn’t pay much attention to what other people think. 

Then, the reporter asks where the pair met. 

Hudson interrupts to say they aren’t answering that question. 

Now, PR me is already cringing. 

Yes, you can set up ground rules for the reporters when you agree to an interview, but honestly, there is nothing to prevent them from asking a question. And frankly, this is a question they’ve answered publicly before, so there is no reason for the reporter to assume they are walking into a hornet’s nest by asking it. 

During media training, there are several tactics an interviewee learns to redirect the conversation back to what they came to discuss, and it’s all much better if that comes from the subject of the interview and not the flak in the back. In other words, the PR person in the room never wants to be part of the story. They are the emergency lever in this situation and one to be used sparingly. 

The reporter points out that Hudson was an active presence during the interview and insinuates that this was not the first, nor the last, interruption. 

The follow-up coverage to this interview is not about the six minutes Belichick spent discussing football, x’s and o’s, or even his time coaching one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. 

Nope. The focus is primarily on the dynamic between him and Hudson. Exactly the thing the couple wanted to avoid when they set the ground rules in the first place.  

While there is more we could dissect about the PR-snafu it is (and if this interview doesn’t indicate the value of trained (I went to Journalism school and specialized in PR and strategic communications studies) and experienced public relations professionals, I don’t know what does), I find it’s also indicative of what happens when our subplots take over the narrative. 

Obviously, Bill Belichick’s girlfriend is a part of his life. In the context of this interview about his life in football coaching, however, I’d consider her a subplot. I mean no offense to the happy couple, but based on the post-interview statements, the terms of the interview were to keep his personal life off the table, so I think they would agree.  

Belichick’s original answer to not caring about the outside noise about his relationship with a younger woman fits the narrative of the interview and his character – strong coach, focused on strategy, not worried about outside voices. 

The subplot, in this case, is still serving the main narrative nicely. 

It’s when her voice jumps in during the follow-up that the subplot takes the scene off track and we lose the main thread of the narrative. 

When you’re working with subplots in your fiction work, they should always augment, highlight, mirror, or directly impede your protagonist or main story line. In other words, they are always in service to the primary narrative, even if they seem unrelated at first.  

It can be easy to let our subplots take over. There are times when our subplot characters are just too much fun to write or we start following an adventure a little too long that they can detour us away from the main plot entirely. 

But when our subplot characters are interrupting our protagonist’s interview and hijack their story, that’s a problem. 

While there may be some damage control for Belichick and team to do (and in this day of social media it’s impossible to close Pandora’s box), your solutions as a writer are easier: 

• Check for how your subplot interacts with your main plot
• Why is the subplot there? (Make sure you know the answer to what purpose it serves) 
• Does the subplot help move the story forward in some way? 
• What are the goals of the subplot characters? 
• How much space is the subplot taking in your book? 

Once you know what purpose your subplot serves and analyze how much space it’s taking up, you can revise to ensure that it’s serving your primary plot. 

Understand who your story is about, ultimately. Make sure your reader walks away understanding the story whole, and not stuck on a subplot gone awry.