It’s something that we all do, and often on a daily basis. We LIE! Hehehe! It’s true! It might be quick and automatic and usually pretty much harmless for the most part...but we all do it. People ask us how we’re doing, and we say, “I’m fine” or “I’m ok”...when nothing could be further from the truth. We go to jobs that we hate and stay in relationships that don’t make us happy and pretend that life is as good as it gets. We interact with people that we, literally, can’t stand...and smile in each other’s faces while doing it all for the other person’s benefit. I mean, think about it...no matter how small or harmless it may be...how many lies have you told today, alone? Even if it’s early in the morning, how many of you had some bacon for breakfast that was a little salty or not crispy enough, and told someone that it was awesome anyway? No judgements. Hehehe, it happens. And we all do it. Often without even thinking about it. Hell, I think you’d be a total asshole if you didn’t! LOL!

“Yes, honey! You DO look fat in that dress! Ewww! Take it off!”

Yeah...don’t do that.

This time around...we’re going to talk about writing subtext into your dialogue when it comes to your character conversations. It’s a fairly simple practice, but the subtlety that you use can save you a couple of steps and add another touch of finesse to your fiction once you learn to understand, analyze, and recognize, what you’re doing with it all. Doing it without thinking is a skill, but always take the extra time to figure out why you do it. Over the years, being able to look deeper into my own process has truly helped me to further elevate the quality of the stories that I put out there for my audience to enjoy. Not to mention that it has given me the confidence needed to stretch out and try new approaches outside of my comfort zone. So it’s a good habit to pick up for any of you authors who are looking to be writers for any length of time, either as a hobby or as a professional pursuit. Never stop growing. I don’t. Or...at least I try not to. Hehehe!

The biggest part of perfecting the method of writing subtext comes, mostly, from paying attention to original context. Pure and simple. The words of dialogue that you write into your story are supposed to reflect the theme and tone of the story itself and the character relationships that you’ve built up so far. It’s an organic part of everything that’s going on with your creative offering. Woven into its very DNA. And this is expressed through your character’s actions. Their personalities, their own personal stories, and their interactions with one another. So...a simple line of dialogue, like...

“Sounds like an awesome time to me.”

Can have a wide variety of different meanings depending on the context surrounding that statement and the events that happened in the story that came before it. And that context becomes the building blocks around the elements mentioned above. Use this to your advantage, and spare your readers any need for wasted adjectives or drawn out exposition.

“Sounds like an awesome time to me.”

If you have a shy and awkward main character saying this to someone that he’s absolutely crazy about...it comes off as endearing and special in a lot of charming ways. Awwww, it inspires a heavy dose of warm fuzzies and makes you feel good inside. However, coming from a love rival to your main character who is suspicious of their intentions...then that same brief sentence of dialogue might feel inappropriate and threatening to your readers, as it might be seen as a temptation for your protagonist, or as an attempt to steal the attention of the main love interest. The sentence is the same, word for word...but the subtext is now very different. It takes on a completely different meaning. Then again...having this exact same line, spoken word for word, spoken by one character to another who have a long standing feud and a passionate HATRED for one another...it comes off as sarcastic and almost and sometimes ‘comical’ in nature. Because what’s being said here is obviously not an honest representation of what the character thinks. But you don’t have to take the extra time to say, “He said sarcastically.” It’s already implied.

Now, there are times when I do it anyway, or I make sure to add the physical action of a roll of the eyes, or a sense of craving, or an awkward attempt to hide one’s emotions...but it’s not really necessary. I could cut those parts out, and the context will still carry the subtext of that one line of dialogue without any ‘help’ from extra writing or descriptions if I choose not to use them. Knowing the characters the way that my readers do up until that part of the story, the dialogue will read the way it’s supposed to read. They’ll get it. They’ll know what the physical actions imply by attaching them to what they already know about the character.

It’s all simply an indirect form of communication. Just like it exists in real life. The people who know you best can figure out when you’re lying to them, or keeping a secret, when you’re bragging, or when you’re holding back. And you probably know them well enough to be able to tell the same about them too. Gestures, tone of voice, posture, the volume at which they speak...they are all hidden clues relating to what’s going on beyond what they tell you. Unfortunately, when it comes to the written word, we don’t really have all of these cues to use to get our point across. You have to approach with the elusive guidance of subtext, using our word alone and nothing else.

If your protagonist is in a bad mood, heartbroken, or downright angry...your audience should already be well informed as to why they feel that way. What happened? What’s going through their heads right now? Are they the kind of person who would express something like that to one good friend but not to their parents? How do those two relationships differ in the way that your fans will read those few lines of dialogue? As always, the key is to show and not tell. By using the ‘tell’ method, everyone that reads the words you added to your story are going to read them the exact same way. And that works if that’s your intention. But not every line you add to your story was not meant to be taken literally. To those who haven’t caught on to the empathetic side of your characters...they won’t have a real insight into certain parts of your story are written. Even if you’re deliberately trying to sneak subtext into your fiction...there’s a chance that a part of your audience simply won’t get it. You need context for to guide them. Are they pouting, are they exquisitely happy, are they horny...you can find ways to write that ut and make it understood without saying it out loud.

For example...’flirting’ is subtext. I mean, I’m assuming that your characters don’t always come right out and tell the guy they’re head over heels in love with that they can’t wait to get them naked in their bed for a long hot night of sweaty sex. (Hehehe, again...I said assuming!) But flirting is different.

“Maybe we can hang out some time.”

“I think it might be kinda cool for you and me to go to a movie this weekend.”

“What? Don’t sell yourself short. I think you’re pretty cute just like you are.”

None of these things are brazenly saying that they want you. They’re not even directly asking anybody out on an official date. But the subtextof what your characters are trying accomplish lie beneath the seemingly harmless and passive words that are being spoken aloud. Or, in an authors case...what’s being written into the text. And you build up that flirtatious tone, the tension, the suspense...by clearly defining the goals, fears, and desires, of the characters involved...both ahead of time, and then reinforcing them afterwards. It’s the best way for you to get subtext to work in my opinion.

You don’t have to force it into your fiction because there’s nothing to force. When you’re writing, get into the heads of your characters, put your readers into the moments that you create...and the subtext will, quite naturally begin to build itself and weave itself into everything that you do. Take notice of what you are doing at all times...even when it comes naturally. Look at your own work...read over it again, and think about how it sounds in your head. What you put emphasis on, how it makes you feel, and why. I’m just talking about words on a screen here. They’re the same for you as they are for everyone else. But they are interpreted differently. Every single line of dialogue and written action is seen as a part of the ‘show’ part of the equation, and this is where the emotion lies. And as I’ve said a million times before...the emotion is what makes a story work. Bad form, structure, and mechanics count too...but mostly because it creates stumbling blocks for the emotional involvement. Always keep that in mind.

Subtext can often craft moments for your story, your characters, and your readers, that simple words on the screen can’t. Just remember to be subtle about it, and build your moments gradually as your fiction progresses. The subtext will build itself if the context for the moment is there, but pay attention to it, figure out it works best for you and your particular style, and then enhance your skills at using it to your advantage along the way. Cool?

I really hope that this helps out, you guys. Almost every time that I go back to one of my older stories, I see things that I think I could have done differently, or probably done better, if I wasn’t just making it all up as I went along. Hehehe, geez! I’m surprised that I even made it this far!

Happy writing, you guys! And I’ll be back with more soon! Until then...stay beautiful!