One of the more subtle parts of storytelling is knowing what to say and when. In books, we use text to convey our message, but that text is made of context and subtext. Both are important for conveying meaning, but they serve very different purposes so you can’t use either one all the time. Let’s dive into each and learn how they can enhance your story.
Writing Context
The foundation of writing is text, the words that convey what’s happening. What you need to build on top of that is context. Let’s look at its definition, usage, and what happens when context is left out.
Definition
Context literally means “with text.” It is the information that accompanies the story to make it understandable. These are the grounding details readers need to follow what’s happening and accurately interpret it. Some examples of context information are time of day, location, and a character’s background.
Usage
Context happens through the lens of your POV characters. It is through their eyes we are told how to interpret the scenes, what boundaries are in place, and what value to put on what’s happening. They give significance to the story world.
In order to convey context, you can use several different methods. You can simply tell the reader, use dialogue to explain, or use your character’s reactions to show how to interpret what’s happening. All methods are acceptable, just remember to keep it concise and only give the readers what they need to understand the scene.
Without Context
What happens when a story lacks context? In short, the story is too vague to follow. No reader will get invested in a scene that confuses them about basic details. If they can’t get invested, they will stop reading. Readers need the guidance context provides to enjoy the story.
Example
Let’s look at an example of something without context.
Jack marched down the crowded street, shoving aside anyone who dared enter his path. Most knew to get out of the way, but one teenage boy felt particularly daring, passing so close that he bumped into Jack’s side. Feet planted on the sidewalk, Jack took a deep breath. A smile curled his lips, then he turned and dashed back the way he came.
Anyone know what’s happening? We have the basics. A man is walking down the street, and others seem to avoid him. When someone bumps into him, he smiles and runs away. We know what happened, but we don’t really know what’s going on. Are people just avoiding him because he looks like he’s in a bad mood? Did the teenager remind him of his son at home and Jack was running back to him? Does Jack have an anger problem so he took a deep breath to calm himself, smiled with pride that he managed it, and then run to work off any lingering anger? We have no clue. There’s no context.
So, let’s look at the text again with context. I’ve put the sections that add context in bold for ease of reading.
Jack marched down the crowded street, shoving aside anyone who dared enter his path. Most knew to stay out of the Street Lord’s way, but one teenage boy felt particularly daring, passing so close that he bumped into Jack’s side. But not just that, the kid’s right hand had brushed Jack’s coat pocket and removed his wallet. Feet planted on the sidewalk, Jack took a deep breath, preparing for the chase. A smile curled his lips as he remembered his first take from someone in power. Jack turned and dashed back the way he came, seeking the teenager who thought he could pickpocket a Street Lord.
Now we have a good idea what’s happening and why Jack reacted the way he did. We know others are avoiding him because of his reputation as a Street Lord. We know that the teen actually stole from Jack. Also, we see Jack’s external reaction to chase after the teen and get back what’s been stolen, and his internal reaction of revisiting a happy memory of the first time he stole.
Context shows us how to interpret the story accurately so we can follow along with the POV character. Without it, the story is just text that feels vague and meaningless.
Creating Subtext
Once you have text and context for your story, you need to add the final touch of subtext. This is the part that makes readers feel connected to the story. Let’s look at its definition, usage, and what text is like without it.
Definition
Subtext means “underneath text.” It’s often what people mean when they say to “read between the lines.” If context is what helps the reader understand the story, subtext is what happens when the story is bigger than what’s on the page. It’s when a reader comes to their own conclusions about something that isn’t written out clearly. Some examples are: someone non-verbally hinting at something they won’t say, or someone saying one thing but doing another.
Usage
Subtext normally comes to light in one of two ways: implications or contradictions. Implications are when you strongly hint at something without out right stating it. An example of an implication is showing a man eyeing a woman, and then having another man walk up and put his arm around that woman. Nothing is said, but the reader understands that it means the woman is off limits for a romantic relationship.
Contradictions are when you put two things together so one is obviously false. An example of a contradiction is having a woman walk up to a man, tell him she hates him, and then kiss him. She can’t hate him and want to kiss him so the reader must come to a conclusion about the contradiction: she doesn’t really hate him. In stories, the closer the contradictions are to each other, the stronger the subtext. If the woman had made her declaration and then waited several pages to kiss him, it would be harder to see through her lie. Depending on how hard you want to hit your reader with the subtext, you need to space out your contradictions accordingly.
Subtext helps create tension about what isn’t said so the readers feel anxious about the characters. It’s like adding indirect conflict. Instead of a character telling another he loves her, you can hint at it through actions and dialogue. This creates anticipation in the reader that builds up until that moment of declaration.
Subtext can be used to create unreliable narrators and naive POV characters. Both instances mean creating a character that sees the world one way while the reader sees it another. The POV character thinks he’s a hero, but the readers see the awful things he does. Or, the POV character interprets someone’s actions toward them as kind but the reader can see the underlying haughtiness in the interactions. Subtext can also create humor, making the readers discover the punch line themselves.
My favorite part about subtext though is it can give your readers revelations that your characters may not have themselves. Subtext makes readers active participants in the story because they have to intellectually get involved to come to their own conclusions. By engaging them in subtext, you can show them things about the story that the characters can’t see. It’s like creating a story within a story just for your reader.
Without Subtext
When a story lacks subtext, it feels flat. Everything is literal, and that’s not how life happens. As adults, we all learn how to wield subtext. We can take hints, talk around heated topics, and hide things about ourselves from others. All of that is subtext. It’s a part of daily lives. A story with nothing happening beneath the surface will feel fake. The reader may understand what’s happening through the text and context, but they won’t be engaged in the story.
Example
Let’s take our example from earlier and add some subtext in bold to give the scene meaning for the reader. We know what’s happening and why, but let’s find out what isn’t being said.
Jack marched down the crowded street, shoving aside anyone who dared enter his path. Most knew to stay out of the Street Lord’s way, but one teenage boy felt particularly daring, passing so close that he bumped into Jack’s side. But not just that, the kid’s right hand had brushed Jack’s coat pocket and removed his wallet. Feet planted on the sidewalk, Jack took a deep breath, preparing for the chase. A smile curled his lips as he remembered his first take from someone in power. Jack turned and dashed back the way he came, seeking the teenager who thought he could pickpocket a Street Lord. The arrogance of such a teen. Jack’s lips twitched in an almost smile. He’d have to beat that ego out of the kid. Not that beatings had worked on him. No, if the boy was anything like him, he’d only grow more impetuous. And look where that had lead Jack—straight to the top of the food chain.
Here we have some internal reactions from Jack about the theft. He says the teen is arrogant, but the thought makes him smile. He comments on having to punish the kid, but at the same time he’s drawing similarities between the teen and himself. So, the readers have to draw their own conclusions. Is Jack really upset with the boy or is he proud of him? Does he see the kid as a protégé or a threat to his power? The rest of the story would probably clue the reader into which of these ways to lean, but even just this paragraph encourages readers to see the subtext and draw a conclusion.
Final Thoughts
Context and subtext aren’t topics I see often in the writing world, but they’re as important to storytelling as how to word your text. Finding the balance is key though. Too much context, and you’re info dumping. Too little, and you leave the reader confused. Same thing with subtext. Too much, and you’ll have dense prose that makes the reader draw too many conclusions to keep them all straight. Too little, and you have a flat story. As with all things, practice is the best way to hone your skills. So, write each scene with a layer of context and then subtext, and then have some readers give you feedback on how well you did.
Thanks for reading!
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