Writing Subtext in Dialogue

Here’s a fact of life: people don’t always say exactly what they mean.

We might say, “I’m fine,” when we really mean, “I’m having a crappy day, but I don’t want to burden you with that.” We use euphemisms to soften the blow when we fire someone (“We’re going to have to let you go”) or break up with someone (“I think we’re better off as friends”).

In real life and in fiction, communication often involves subtext, a term Gotham Writers defines as “the meaning beneath the dialogue; what the speaker really means, even though he’s not saying it directly.”

Subtext involves hidden feelings— anger, love, mistrust — all the emotions characters don’t dare admit aloud. It can add sizzle to drab dialogue and make the speakers sound like real people.

“…if you’re aware as you’re writing that both characters have their own desires and conflicting emotions, if you allow them to reveal some of their feelings and hide others, they will become authentic and believable.”

— Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft