: Re: Where in the writing process do you work in subtext? In the BBC Sherlock fandom there are many lively discussions about how a lot of the story takes place in subtext: Person C is a "mirror"

@Moriarity138

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As someone who is a big fan of subtext, I find it can be a trap for me, in that I get too obsessed with it, to the point where it hurts the surface text. And I agree with what that a lot of the subtext in good writing enters organically, without the writer's conscious effort.

But with that said, adding a judicious amount of subtext can be a great way to expand the depth of a piece of writing. Here are a couple ways I've seen it used effectively:

To explore or reveal parts of a character's mental state, particularly when the character is not conscious of those things. For instance, subtext in dialog and/or description can be used to foreshadow a love affair, or build sexual tension. This is especially helpful when you don't want to be too "on the nose" as Goldman said. In real life, people are often unaware of these things, or circumspect about referring to them, so it's realistic for your characters to be as well. I saw a great example of this recently in the HBO show "Insecure." Several of the show's main characters went to see a hip-hop gospel play called "The Last Suppa." The show-within-a-show was played for laughs, and very entertaining, but the theme of Judas betraying Christ doubled as a callback to the main character's guilt about having cheated on her boyfriend. The subtext was all in her reactions to the material.
Subtext can also ground your story in a larger context. For instance, Cabaret is the story of a young man living in a foreign country, falling in love with an actress, and exploring his sexuality. But the context is that the foreign country is Germany just prior to WWII. The main story stands on its own, but the subtext adds depth and significance.

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