#writing subtext

Last week, in Monday’s post, ‘The Second Draft – Subtext,‘ we barely skimmed the surface of that aspect of our story. We discussed how it can be conveyed as part of world-building. But subtext is so much more. Subtext is emotion. It’s the hidden story, the hints, allegations, and secret reasoning. Subtext is the content that supports both the dialogue and the personal events experienced by the…

Subtext is a complex but essential aspect of storytelling. As the word implies, subtext lies below the surface (sub) and supports the plot and the conversations (text). It is the hidden story, an unstated knowledge embedded within the narrative. Subtext can be inserted into the story through the layers of worldbuilding. It is conveyed by the images we place in the environment and how the setting…

Subtext: The Magic Dust of Good Screenwriting

Some script experts don’t even mention it. Others, aware of the importance of subtext in movies, mention it all the time. I’ve spent a significant part of my time as a writer and a director thinking about it. Let’s find out what it is and what it implies. What is Subtext? Like many powerful ideas, the answer is simple. Subtext is what a scene (in TV, a film, or a book) is really about. The…