By: Jami Gold
I’ve written many times about how much I love subtext, the
stuff that happens between the lines. We often hear that subtext is what’s not said,
but that can imply that subtext is limited to dialogue.
In fact, subtext lurks in many aspects of our
stories. The messages readers get from our writing aren’t always
explicitly stated—in dialogue or otherwise.
We can find implied messages in different story elements,
such as:
- Genre: Unspoken promises tell readers what they’ll find inside.
- Theme: Sets
up subconscious expectations in readers.
- Plot, actions, and characters: Create subtle impressions in
readers.
Each of those elements can “say” something—with implied
promises, expectations, or impressions—without coming out and stating the idea
directly for readers.
The Benefits of Subtext
When readers put story pieces together in their minds to
create a fuller understanding, they immerse themselves deeper
into the story. If a story is too “on the nose” or is spoon-fed to us, it can
feel insulting, like the author assumed we couldn’t figure it out on our own.
Subtext can also make our characters feel more realistic.
As September C.Fawkes says in her fantastic post on subtext:
“Whether or not we want to admit it, whether or not we are
even conscious of it, we all have things we don’t want others to know about us.
All of our characters do too. Using subtext makes our characters and story feel
more well-rounded and realistic.”
According to September, subtext also can add tension in
our story:
“When we communicate our feelings directly, we lose tension.
It’s what’s not being said that creates tension. It creates anticipation and
apprehension, keeps us interested because of what’s boiling under the surface.”
But another benefit to using subtext is that it helps
us build layered characters. Let’s take a closer look…
Layers and Subtext: The Key Idea
. . .
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~*~
If you missed my latest writing
and marketing tweets, here they are again:
- Dear Abby: How do targeting and bids work? | Pinterest for Business http://ow.ly/4n3RoK
- Subtext: Creating Layered Characters | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author http://ow.ly/4n3Rt5
- How to Save Money and Do Online Book Publicity Yourself | Jane Friedman http://ow.ly/4n3RSk
- HOW TO SURVIVE HARD KNOCKS U.: A Writer's Guide - Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris http://ow.ly/4n3RXC
- Amazon, Kindle, Authors and the Great Page Count Mystery | Digital Book World http://ow.ly/4n43LT
- When Failure Isn't an Option -- How to Find Your Readers http://ow.ly/4n4iBE
- Crafting Serial Fiction: An In-Depth Guide — M. L. Gardner http://ow.ly/4n4iO1
- How To Sell More Books on iBooks | The Creative Penn http://ow.ly/4n4iUm
- What Amazon and Libraries Have in Store for 2016 - BookWorks http://ow.ly/4n4iZj
- Do We Know What #SelfPublishing Is? | Notes from An Alien http://ow.ly/4n4j3C
- Handling The Pressure Of Being An Indie Author – Holly Evans http://ow.ly/4n4j84
- Write because you love writing::Ian Martyn http://ow.ly/4n4jeV
- Stories & Thoughts (Should you read self-published books?) http://ow.ly/4n4jiE
- To Swear Or Not To Swear - That Is The Fecking Question | Robin Storey http://ow.ly/4n4jo3
- Open eBooks for Children: Future Opportunity for Indie Authors - BookWorks http://ow.ly/4n4jsj
- Awesome Indies founder Tahlia Newland on challenges and opportunities for indie authors | Sandra Hutchison http://ow.ly/4n4jBD
FREE w/ #KindleU NYPD Detective is pulled into a Napa murder investigation https://t.co/N5h0lMMg7b 5-Star #Romance pic.twitter.com/6woglZyugS— Katherine L. Logan (@KathyLLogan) April 25, 2016
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