In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Becca Puglisi suggests five methods for adding subtext to your dialogue. “When writing strong dialogue, we often forget that real-life conversations are rarely straightforward,” she writes. “We hide our emotions, withhold information, dance around what we really mean, avoid certain topics, downplay shortcomings, or emphasize strengths—all of which leads to exchanges that aren’t totally honest.”
Subtext reveals what’s hidden: opinions, desires, fears, and vulnerabilities. “This is the beauty of subtext in dialogue,” Puglisi says. “It allows the character to carry on whatever subterfuge she deems necessary while revealing her true emotions and motivations to the reader. It’s also a great way to add tension and conflict.”
So, how can you add this subtext? Puglisi shares five methods:
- Dialogue. Your character may say everything is ok, but the reader knows better.
- Body Language. “Nonverbal communication often reveals to readers the truth beneath a character’s words,” Puglisi notes. Squirming, fidgeting, and fake smiles tell the reader that there’s a disconnect between word and thought.
- Visceral Reactions. Your character will have visceral reactions to stress, such as dry mouth, tension, and queasy feelings.
- Thoughts. “Because they’re private, thoughts are honest,” Puglisi writes. “Because there’s no reason for characters to disguise their thoughts, this can be the best vehicle for showing readers the truth behind the words.”
- Vocal Cues. When we try to hide something, we choose our words carefully. We might act out nonchalance, even when we don’t feel it. “When emotions are in flux, the voice often changes, and at first, there’s nothing we can do to stop it,” Puglisi notes. “Shifts in volume, pitch, timbre, and speed of speech happen before the character can force the voice back into submission. So variations in vocal cues can show readers that not all is as it seems.”
