The magic ingredient in fiction is subtext. In part, it is magic because of the dynamic reaction it creates in readers: their sudden ability to become an intelligent participant in interpreting the story. But also, it is magic because, like any good trick, it can be difficult for authors to interpret exactly how to execute it. Nowhere […]
Search Results for: subtext
September 12, 2016 by 77 Comments Plotting Your NovelThe Only 5 Ingredients You Need for Story Subtext
If there’s a magic ingredient in writing, it’s story subtext. It’s actually not magic, of course, any more than any of the other demystified techniques of structure, theme, or character arc. But story subtext often seems like magic simply because, by its very nature, it is the execution of the unexplained. Subtext is supposed to be invisible. It lives […]
July 15, 2016 by 79 Comments DialogueHow to Write Subtext in Dialogue
Part 5 of The Do’s and Don’ts of Storytelling According to Marvel Good dialogue comes down to five factors: 1. Advances the plot. 2. Accurately represents characters. 3. Mimics realism. 4. Entertains. 5. Offers subtext. These are also pretty much the “levels” in which we master dialogue. When we start out learning to write, our main concern is that the dialogue […]
April 26, 2015 by 119 Comments Beginning Your BookFind Out if Your Prologue Is Destroying Your Story’s Subtext
You hear it all the time: prologues are evil. (And writers everywhere commence howling.) Now I’ll grant that “evil” is a slight exaggeration. We might call them “dangerous” instead, except that word is pretty ironic, since one of the chief reasons a prologue is so dangerous is because it allows authors to play it waaaaay yonder […]
August 24, 2011 by 14 Comments NarrativeHow to Create Subtext by Letting Your Readers Fill in the Blanks
As I discussed in a recent post (“Why Your Reader Is Your Co-Writer”), the best authors understand how to sketch their stories with just enough detail to let readers see the scene, while still leaving room for readers to fill in the blanks. The trick for how to create subtext with just the right balance […]
November 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment DialogueSubtext in Dialogue: 5 Places Where Your Characters Should Stop Talking
Dialogue is all about getting things said—usually important things: “I am your father.” “You can’t handle the truth!” “To be or not to be, that is the question.” “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” We spend a lot of time polishing our dialogue and learning how to make […]
August 10, 2008 by 20 Comments ThemeSubtext: The Art of Iceberging
Sometimes the most powerful writing isn’t so much about what’s said as what isn’t said. If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as […]
May 29, 2023 by 26 Comments Characters5 Ways to Use Your Character’s Shadows to Power Your Story
Complex characters mirror real-life humans in their contradictions of inner light and dark. As writers, it is our job to create these contrasts in ways that become cohesive and thematically meaningful. One of the simplest—and most effective—ways to do this is to explore shadow theory. In last week’s post, we talked about the concept of […]
May 15, 2023 by 53 Comments PodcastWhy There’s No Such Thing as “Just a Story”
Every so often, I will hear someone say, “It’s just a story.” Most often, I hear this said in situations in which a story is being critiqued. In response to comments that a story failed to reach its potential because it lacked theme or plot structure or strong characterization, a person might insist, “Well, it’s […]
