A Novel is Like an Onion

[queenoftheskies]

It has layers.

(Yes, I liked Shrek.)

I think that layers add depth and reality to a novel. I think they make the characters and the worlds and the situations more believable.

I don't think that layers are necessarily the sub-plots, though I think they can be.

When you write, do you consciously include layers? Or do the layers develop from the development of the story and the characters?

Are your layers subtle? Do you think the reader notices them? Or do they blend so well that the result is a life and vibrancy to your work that makes it seem real?