All four characters are now sitting on the porch of the parent's house after the news. Adam and Eve just told Adam's parents about his recent proposal to Eve. Let's say two characters are in love: a man we'll call Adam and a woman we'll call Eve. Now let's discuss how subtext can be used with just body language. On the surface, the two friends are just catching up about old times but the subtext is that of envy and judgment.
Tom can reference how great it was that Bob had his family there for him. Bob can be discussing the town they grew up in, where everyone struggled but some folks did well. There are many ways this kind of subtext can be indicated. Although the conversation is about the great friendship they built over the years, the subtext can be a feeling of abandonment by each other. In this particular scene, the two friends catch up on old times and reminisce about growing up together. The other friend has a blue-collar job that he is proud of we'll call this friend Tom. Let's say you have two characters, best friends, one of them just got out of prison for armed robbery and is looking for a job let's call this friend Bob. Once you have established the purpose of a particular scene and the characters' motivations in this particular scene, you can then experiment with subtext to make things even more interesting. Save your subtexts for the right moments when your conflicts and character tensions are on the verge of exploding. If every scene in your screenplay has some kind of subtext, then it doesn't become that special anymore. Subtext should be a tool that is used sparingly and at the right moments. If you know everything there is to know about your characters, then you should have no problem implementing subtext in any particular scene you wish. If you've been keeping up with this blog and have read other tips on screenwriting, then you should remember that knowing your characters in and out is the key to writing compelling scenes. A character can do a particular action, but depending on body language it can have an entire meaning. Characters' actions can have deep meaning under the surface. Let your reader enjoy what's on the surface of your scenes.ĭialogue is not the only way subtext can be utilized. You do not have to reveal everything to an audience for them to keep up with the story. Having too much exposition in a scene or the screenplay in general is a story killer. Using subtext is a great way to make sure your dialogue does not have too much exposition. Sometimes it's the things we don't say that end up affecting us the most and might also have a deeper meaning. Sometimes it's more fun to use subtext in a scene rather than having characters come out and say how they feel upfront. The words that they are speaking say one thing but their actions, subtle gestures, say otherwise. Subtext is the thing or emotion that lies just beneath the surface of a conversation two or more characters are having. This is great when characters who are at odds with one another meet to have a conversation. Some of the best moments in your writing can be brought about by subtext. In real-life conversations, we often say things that we do not mean, or wish we could say certain things. If used effectively, subtext can take a scene to extraordinary levels.
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