Although what you say is important, sometimes what you don’t say is even more important. That’s the concept behind Sub Text. This topic may be a bit Advanced, but we’re presenting it as a Basic level to let writers be aware of it…and possibly manage to squeeze a bit of it in any writing they are doing. We all know that you’ve done a lot of research to create your story world…and you really want to share all of it (which is Info Dump: the opposite of Sub Text), but most readers are at least as smart as you are—they can figure things out for themselves, so let them.
Sometimes you can achieve Sub Text by controlling POV. If the MC doesn’t know something but can perceive it from the actions of others, then so can the reader. You don’t need to be in another person’s head to know how they feel, and neither does the MC. When he responds appropriately, you may assume that the readers are smart enough to see the same clues he sees. They’ll discover what’s going on and understand the actions of the MC. It helps if you Resist the Urge to Explain anything…as long as it is clear. If it isn’t, you need to rewrite the section.
Unseen Secrets
Trying to create hidden information can be difficult…especially as you, the author, do know what they are thinking and feeling. The difficulty is not putting it down on paper, keeping it invisible, hiding beneath the words you give readers, but proper use of Sub Text can make your MC’s journey even more powerful. If your otherwise good character shows a pretence of being mean, his true nature will show through his actions, and we will soon come to understand the internal conflicts that make him act that way. Let readers draw their own conclusions—trust them to help you tell the story. Let readers take what would be just a pile of words and bring it to life.
Stories can contain much more than what shows on the page. Invite readers into the story and let them ask questions that you never address. Let them observe without telling them. They aren’t here to be taught—they want entertainment, but they also appreciate a good mind stretcher, a story that is thought-provoking and emotionally engaging. Trust them to want to delve into unstated backstories. You may know why a character acts the way he does, but if you intentionally don’t include that info, the readers will draw their own conclusions…and whether they match your ideas or not is irrelevant. In fact the more outlandish some reader’s ideas are, the more likely that the difference is going to engender conversation (discussion? arguments?) as he tells all his friends about your book.
Proving a Negative
Just as you can’t prove the non-existence of something, you might have difficulties understanding how to not put in what isn’t in your story. (Yes, that may be a double negative, but it’s the best way to say it.) Just give readers two points…and nothing in between. Let them connect the dots. The more those points differ, the less they align, the greater the mystery. Readers will be curious about the missing information and fill it in for themselves. When an internal revelation differs from how a character has appeared on the outside, there is a question, an implicit question…never explicit. Sub Text cannot be explicit…it must come implicitly from the apparent disparity.
Consider this minor example: a character gets mad and storms out of the room…only to return mere moments later to apologise. We don’t need to follow him as he considers his feelings…we know what he did. You give the reader the argument and the apology and leave the contemplation unstated.
What if the reader’s assumptions don’t fit your expectations? You need to include enough solid substance in your story that the shadowy Sub Text correctly suggest what you had in mind. The Sub Text can only derive from the context you’ve presented. Reveal enough about your characters, your plot, or your story world…but only what is absolutely needed…then leave the rest out. Do not explain the gaps.
—Ernest Hemingway in Death in the Afternoon
Where is Sub Text?
If Sub Text is never revealed, does it actually exist? Oh, yes, it exists all right, just as the underwater part of an iceberg exists, and you, the author, will know it well, probably written down on Character Sheets, just not in the manuscript. As with all the research you’ve done, you may want to include everything about your characters, but the Sub Text must remain below the surface. When you create your story world, you may have information in your notes that will never see the light of day…keep it that way. Even if you are especially proud of some detail you’ve created, be careful to never expose it to readers. Pointing out how clever you are doesn’t add to the story—it will kick them right out of it.
When characters tell all, they spoil the opportunity for Sub Text. Telling each other exactly what they’re thinking or talking about situations exactly as they are is On the Nose Writing. Certainly don’t let them talk about something that they already know (As You Know, Bob), even if it is necessary for the reader to hear. If you find them doing any of that, consider whether the information is vital to the story, and if it really is necessary, then use creativity and show rather than tell through dialogue or narrative—keep the iceberg under water. In fact, give them plenty of opportunities to keep quiet, as the silences between dialogue gives a place for Sub Text to live.
Remember the Iceberg
Hemingway coined the term Iceberg Theory in 1923 to label his minimalist writing technique, and even if you aren’t going to take it to the extreme that he did, it is a good concept to keep in mind as you write.