This week screenwriter Brian asked me to talk about the B-story. And even though I’ve answered a lot of questions on the topic during workshops, I haven’t written much about it. So here we go – let’s talk about some B-story misconceptions and best practices.
What is a B-story?
The primary plotline in your movie is the A-story. The pursuit of the story goal. It’s Clarice trying to catch serial killer Buffalo Bill, or Evelyn trying to save the multiverse, or Jules trying to stop her best friend’s wedding.
So you have that main plotline, but then you may also have supporting plotlines. Some people call any subplot a B-story. Some people might get more specific and label them the B-story, the C-story, and so on.
Like everything else in the screenplay, a supporting plotline helps to tell the bigger story, the story told by the movie as a whole.
No matter the details of plot or genre, usually the overall story you’re telling is about a character (the protagonist) going through a transformative or defining experience. So a B-story, then, contributes to that story about that transformational experience.
By doing so, a good B-story helps to strengthen and crystallize the thematic message and adds meaning to the story.
That might sound fairly straightforward, but over the years I’ve fielded many B-story questions from confused writers.
One of the reasons?
The source a lot of writers turn to for information about the B-story (or where they first learned the concept to begin with) is Save the Cat, which seems to outline some pretty specific parameters that leave writers with lingering questions.
At first glance, B-story “rules” can be confusing
STC mentions a couple of things the B-story does that may come off as strict guidelines, but should be thought of as tools, not rules.
First off, calling it “the” B-story implies there’s only one subplot allowed per screenplay. (I’ve gotten this question a fair amount.) So, for the record: a movie can have more than one subplot.
And things like, “the A and B stories cross at the Midpoint” (another famous STC guideline) might be true a lot of the time, and it’s a useful prompt to consider when you’re trying to generate ideas for plot, but it’s not something your movie must do or fail otherwise.
The STC beat sheet also introduces the B-story right after the Break into Act 2. Which, honestly, confuses a lot of people. Your B-story character(s) can be introduced in Act 1. You don’t have to wait until Act 2 to introduce characters involved in a B-story if it makes more sense to introduce them earlier.
Often your B-story doesn’t begin to develop in earnest until Act 2, which makes sense – you want to direct the audience’s focus to the main attraction in Act 1 so that we don’t get confused about who or what we’re truly watching. But that doesn’t mean supporting characters have to stay off the stage altogether until Act 2.
Look at Everything Everywhere All At Once, for example. Waymond and his divorce papers are in the movie from the very beginning, but the will-they-won’t-they-divorce B-story really plays out in Act 2, after Evelyn becomes aware of it.
Does the B-story have to be a romantic subplot?
Very often, the primary relationship subplot in a script is referred to as the B-story, but that doesn’t mean a B-story has to be romantic.
In EEAAO, Evelyn & Waymond’s marital status is a subplot. In Shaun of the Dead, we track Shaun’s relationship with best friend Ed as a subplot.
You may be asking why I identify the Waymond relationship as a B-story and not Evelyn’s relationship with daughter Joy. My answer (nerd alert):
Because Joy is a foundational part of the A-story. Evelyn is trying to save the multiverse from Jobu Tupaki, who is Joy. Joy also becomes part of the escalated stakes in the A-story. Waymond plays a part in the A-story, too, but his relationship with Evelyn isn’t the subject of the A-story.
Ultimately, does it really matter which relationship you call the B-story? No, it does not!
Call the relationship with Waymond or Joy the B-story. Or both! The important thing is to identify them as elements of the overall story you’re telling so that you can make sure to develop them and weave them into the tapestry of the movie. You want to make sure that they are supporting your big story and adding something to the telling of it.
3 common functions of a B-story
As you may have picked up from the examples above, there are a few common ways for a B-story to function within the overall story.
- It might impact the protagonist’s pursuit of the story goal (the A-story), like the Hannibal Lecter relationship in Silence of the Lambs, or Andi’s friendship with Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada.
- It might affect the protagonist’s transformation (learning the thematic lesson), like the Waymond relationship in EEAAO, or Cal’s relationship with his son in Crazy Stupid Love.
- It might explore an additional angle on the thematic idea, like the Nemo/Marlin subplot in Finding Dory, or the Linguini/Colette romance in Ratatouille.
Remember, these are not meant to be rules. Think of them as prompts you can use to think through and discover new things about your story.
And there can be overlap between the functions. A subplot may serve multiple functions and that’s okay! Every story is unique, so if there is a rule to adhere to, it’s find what works best for the story you want to tell.