The re-write: the sub-plot

I started fiddling with the re-write of Conscience in June.  It was going rather well, when I worked on it, which wasn't often.  I was about one third of the way through it but last week I was overwhelmed by the conviction that I must have a sub-plot.  At first I thought about doing something with the under-age boy who runs off to the war.  I think I will do something with him, he's a good Finn like character - I could bring him back in vol 2 - but I couldn't engage enough with the child to make his story major.  

Previously I had toyed with the idea of using Gwen, David's sister, and contrasting her happy love affair with Frank with D's tribulations.  I have already made her a fan of suffrage, although not a militant suffragette...,and then I was listening to Woman's Hour - and taking notes, all about the suffragette movements, and I saw a way of marrying Gwen/love/freedom - with suffrage issues.  I am rather excited about this, but also heavy hearted, it means more reading, more research, more thought, and worst (because the other things don't matter) a great deal more time before I can submit it to any one.   So... I am now declaring myself a fortnight off for reading.  I am going spurn the computer - at least after 12.00.  I can do emails and work in the morning, then read and note in the afternoon... good!