Uncovering the Power of Subtext in Screenwriting: How to Say More with Less

Are you familiar with the phrase 'less is more'? This concept also applies to writing dialogue. While you may feel inclined to explicitly convey a character's emotions through speech, it is uncommon for individuals to directly express their feelings in everyday conversations.

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People typically don't communicate using lengthy, intricate sentences. They tend to interrupt one another and use concise, fragmented dialect. Excessive verbosity in dialogue may seem unnatural and forced. To enhance believability, you can keep dialogue succinct to mirror the rhythm and natural flow of genuine conversations.

By not explicitly stating their feelings, characters prompt the audience to interpret and uncover their true emotions. This enhances the audience's immersion in the story as the dialogue becomes more authentic and reflective of real life.

What is subtext?

To encourage your audience to interact with your writing, consider incorporating subtext into your dialogue. Subtext refers to the implied meaning or message conveyed through context, behaviour, or tone, rather than being explicitly stated in the dialogue or actions. It delves into the genuine thoughts and emotions of the characters, even when their words may suggest otherwise. By incorporating subtext, you can enrich the story's authenticity, captivate the audience, and introduce additional layers of complexity to give them more to think about.

“’Sub’ means below, as in the implication below the “text”. The text — a character’s actual spoken words — is like a buoy or marker dye, designed to lead us to a spot. We stare at the surface, but sense what is underneath it.” - Scott Myers, Screenwriter

Examples of subtext

As an example, character A may have a fear of public speaking. They find themselves in a scenario where they need to address a large audience. To ease their anxiety, they decide to discuss the situation with character B. If we were to depict this conversation explicitly, it could unfold in the following manner:

• Character A: “I’m absolutely terrified to go on stage and speak in front of everyone”

• Character B: “It’s okay to be scared. Just take a few deep breaths”

Character A in this instance has explicitly conveyed their fear to the audience. Instead of demonstrating the character's emotions through nuanced interactions, we are simply informing the audience about how the character feels.

Employing subtext can enhance the development of characters by giving them increased emotional complexity. For example, character A is still anxious about performing on stage, but now they are attempting to hide their fear from their friend. Using subtext to subtly expose character A's genuine emotions could transform the scene in the following way:

• Character B: “Nervous?”

• Character A: “No, I’m fine. Just wish I hadn’t skipped breakfast”

Within this scenario, character A tries to hide their fear by assuring character B that everything is okay. Nevertheless, character A subtly alludes to their queasy stomach by joking about skipping breakfast. By making this joke, character A indirectly conveys their fear of public speaking, even without explicitly acknowledging it. This underlying message illustrates the intricacies of human conduct, as individuals frequently use humour to disguise their true feelings, inadvertently exposing their genuine emotions. This approach can make scenes more engaging and allows the audience to discern the emotions that are concealed beneath the surface.

In the following scene from The Lion King (1994), Mufasa confronts his brother, Scar, after he failed to witness the presentation of Simba, the future king.

• Mufasa: “Don’t turn your back on me, Scar.”

• Scar: “Oh, no, Mufasa. Perhaps you shouldn’t turn your back on me.”

• Mufasa: “Is that a challenge?”

• Scar: “Temper, temper. I wouldn’t dream of challenging you.”

At surface value, this interaction seems to be about loyalty and respect. Although the two brothers don’t express their distaste for one another directly, the subtext makes it clear that there is friction between them. Scar’s animosity towards Mufasa is evident to the audience. This is particularly noticeable when he says, “Perhaps you shouldn’t turn your back on me,” foreshadowing his betrayal and desire for power. Scar's light-hearted, playful tone conceals his true intentions, heightening the tension within the scene.

Why is subtext important?

Screenwriters can use subtext as a powerful technique to add realism, establish suspense, enhance characterization, and keep audiences engaged. It can be used to help you avoid writing dialogue that could be considered too on-the-nose. Using overly direct dialogue can tell the audience how the character feels, but subtext allows you to show them through the subtleties of character interaction.

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Your story could take place in a fantasy world filled with dragons, witches, and wizards. While the audience knows that the world is fictional, the narrative will feel truly believable if the characters engage in realistic interactions with each other.

People in real life rarely state their true feelings and say exactly what they mean. For example, someone could communicate more subtly to avoid conflict or choose to conceal their own emotions out of fear. You should apply this reasoning to your characters for creating subtle interactions.

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Consider developing a character who is serious and reserved, making it unlikely for them to openly convey their emotions. Explore the use of subtext to subtly reveal the true feelings of this character towards a particular situation. This technique can reveal a lot about someone’s personality, motivations, and relationships. For example, the character might verbally express one sentiment while actually harbouring romantic emotions for someone, choosing to conceal the truth to avoid potential pain. Utilising subtext in this manner can enhance the authenticity of interactions between your characters, reflecting real-life dynamics.

Moreover, the audience is encouraged to infer hidden meanings when there is a difference between words and intentions. This can also deepen their understanding of the characters' internal struggles and desires, thus increasing the audience's interest in discovering the underlying meaning.

How to use subtext

Understanding the various methods of using subtext is crucial for enhancing the authenticity of dialogue and the overall appeal of scenes.

1. Conflict between dialogue and physical action

As Ursula from The Little Mermaid (1989) famously puts it, “Don’t underestimate the importance of body language!”. While a character may verbally claim to be okay, their actions, such as trembling hands or clenched fists, can reveal otherwise. This contrast between spoken words and physical cues serves to convey the character's true emotional state to the audience. By employing this subtext, the scene gains complexity as it unveils the character's genuine sentiments and intentions.

2. Keep things unspoken

Even though dialogue is important for your story, it is not necessary for characters to always explicitly explain everything to the audience. Incorporating silence, pauses, and interruptions in your narrative can be as equally impactful as verbal communication. When a character chooses to stay quiet, it suggests that there is something that they don't want to share. Characters could even start to ramble and then stop themselves from accidentally revealing their deeper feelings.

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Employing subtext in this manner can also help build tension between characters. For example, other characters could question the character that is staying silent because they believe that they're hiding something. By using subtext effectively, viewers may be prompted to speculate about the genuine emotions and thoughts of the characters.

3. Use double meanings

Has someone ever said something to you and you’ve completely misinterpreted what they said? This can happen easily due to the multiple meanings that words and sentences can carry. You can incorporate subtext into your script by creating dialogue that could be interpreted in several different ways. By incorporating subtext into your script, you can create dialogue that leaves room for various interpretations. For example, a character might convey their emotions through metaphors, analogies, or using double entendre. Instead of explicitly stating their feelings about a situation, they could use more symbolic language to suggest their deeper emotions. This kind of subtextual use can build suspense and intrigue as the audience tries to unravel the real meaning behind the words.

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4. Imply through context

Context refers to the setting, past events, circumstances, relationships, and visual factors. This method relies on the audience’s engagement with the narrative, encouraging them to uncover the underlying sentiments or messages. For instance, you can explain a character’s actions by drawing on context from an earlier part of the story. This could involve subtly alluding to preceding scenes to enable the audience to grasp the emotional significance of the present conversation. For example, a parent's overly cautious behaviour towards child B might be contextualised by a prior incident involving the loss of child A. As the story progresses, the parent might caution child B with phrases like "Be careful" or "Don't stay out too late." Through the context provided, the audience can deduce that the parent is behaving this way out of fear of experiencing another loss.

Subtext as a secret weapon

Subtext in screenwriting has the potential to elevate the authenticity of your dialogue, deepen the complexity of your characters, and intensify the emotional impact of your scenes. Incorporating subtext allows screenwriters to craft engaging narratives that transport viewers on a journey beyond what is being explicitly shown or said.