Where the term comes from
Merriam-Webster defines subtext as the implicit or metaphorical meaning of a literary text, and dates the word's first known use to 1862. In its explanatory note it gives the example of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, which is about the Salem witchcraft trials of the 17th century, while its subtext is a comparison with the "witch hunts" of the 1950s. The entry also warns against confusing subtext with subplot.
Wikipedia describes subtext as underlying meaning that is not explicitly stated but is understood by an audience, something a reader gathers by reading between the lines. It says a meaning that is spelled out is, by definition, not subtext, and that works where characters say exactly what they mean can be criticised as "on the nose", which weakens dramatic tension. It also notes that body language can carry subtext.
An example
Two sisters, Brigid and Calla Ostrander, are packing up their late mother's kitchen. On the page they argue about who gets the blue casserole dish. Brigid says, "You always did like that one." Calla says, "Take it, I don't need it." Neither mentions the farm, which Calla is selling over Brigid's objection, or the fact that Brigid stayed to nurse their mother while Calla sent money. The reader hears all of it in the way Brigid wraps the dish in a towel with exaggerated care and Calla puts it back on the counter without a word. Nothing in the dialogue is about the real fight, and that is why the scene works.
Common mistakes
- Having characters announce their feelings in complete sentences.
- Making the gap so wide that readers cannot find the real subject.
- Confusing subtext with a secret. Subtext can be something both characters know and avoid.
- Using it only in dialogue when action, objects and silence can carry it too.
- Adding a line of narration afterward to explain what the scene "really" meant.
How to check your manuscript
Choose a tense conversation and write two lines beside it: what each character is saying and what each wants. If the lines match, the scene is on the nose. Try cutting the most direct sentence and see whether the reader still understands. Another check is to ask what each character is avoiding, and whether the scene lets the reader notice the avoidance. For related terms, see show, don't tell, conflict, theme and stakes.
In Musael, the plan board keeps notes on every scene, so you can write what each character wants beside the scene and compare it with the dialogue.