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| Betsy St. Amant |
Hey readers, don’t you just love when a story’s layers and secrets
develop into rich subtext—hidden meaning? We delight at the metamessages of the characters' dialogue or body language, and we connect. Author Betsy St. Amant is here today to offer advice on including
subtext in our fiction. Enjoy! ~ Annette
The Art of Subtext
by Betsy St. Amant
I’m
an avid reader. Growing up, I read a lot of books. Most of them were good. Some
were great. And rarely was there a book I found that I just didn’t want to
finish. (I’ve only ever thrown one across the room. ::wink::)
And
then there were novels that excelled above the rest. These were the novels I
read that stayed with me for days, weeks, even months after The End. The characters and stories
lingered in my heart and I could never place why—until I started learning the industry
for myself and realized the magic factor. That secret ingredient that made those
stories rise above the others and touch places in the reader’s heart that other
novels couldn’t quite graze.
Subtext.
By
definition, subtext is “an underlying and
often distinct theme in a piece of writing or conversation.” The use of
subtext in novels changes everything, providing an extra layer of depth and
richness of meaning that connects the character and reader in a unique way.
I’ve
found the best way to learn subtext is in watching movies or TV shows. One of
my favorite examples is in the popular TV show Friends, when Joey has discovered he has feelings for Rachel that
go beyond friendship. But he won’t tell her; he’s trying to fight those
feelings out of loyalty to his best friend and Rachel’s ex, Ross. There’s a
really powerful scene in one episode where Rachel is curled up in the recliner,
watching the horror movie Cujo. Joey comes in the apartment and sits down to
watch with her, and Rachel insists he comes closer because the movie is
freaking her out. At a particularly intense point of the movie, Rachel shrieks
and burrows into Joey’s shoulder. He puts his arm around her and holds her and
she looks up at him and asks “Aren’t you scared?” Joey swallows hard and says,
“Terrified.”
I
love that moment because they are talking about two entirely different things.
Rachel is obviously talking about the movie, Joey is talking about his heart
for Rachel and the proximity he has with her in that moment and how everything
is changing.
It’s
powerful and connects the “reader” (or viewer) to Joey (the character) because
we know what he means, but Rachel doesn’t. It gives us a secret with the
character that makes him (or her) more real and relatable.
That
connection is what causes characters and stories to linger long after the book
has been shut and tucked away on a bookshelf.
I
try to use subtext in my novels in that way—be it relational subtext, spiritual
subtext, etc—in order create a lasting attachment with my readers, and to
provide them with an opportunity to go deeper than the surface level of the
story.
The
art of using subtext comes in remembering that subtly is key. You can’t beat
your reader over the head with obvious subtext, or it becomes author intrusion.
You have to trust your reader to get it—and trust your characters to share it
appropriately. ::smile::
~~~~~
Betsy St.
Amant has a heart for three things: chocolate, new shoes, and sharing the amazing
news of God’s grace through her novels. She lives in Louisiana with her
adorable story-telling young daughter, a collection of Austen novels, and an
impressive stash of Pickle Pringles. A freelance journalist and fiction author,
Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is multi-published
in Contemporary Romance via Love Inspired and Harper Collins (Zondervan). When
she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to a Disney soundtrack with her
daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of
writing.
~~~~~
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| All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes |
Kat Varland has had enough of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
At twenty-six years old, Kat is still living in the shadows of her family in Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Still working shifts at her Aunt Maggie’s bakery. Still wondering what to do with her passion for baking and her business degree. And still single.
But when Lucas Brannen, Kat’s best friend, signs her up for a reality TV bake-off on Cupcake Combat, everything Kat ever wanted is suddenly dangled in front of her: creative license as a baker, recognition as a visionary . . . and a job at a famous bakery in New York.
As the competition heats up, Lucas realizes he might have made a huge mistake. As much as he wants the best for Kat, the only thing he wants for himself—her—is suddenly in danger of slipping away.
The bright lights of reality cooking wars and the chance at a successful career dazzle Kat’s senses and Lucas is faced with a difficult choice: help his friend achieve her dreams . . . or sabotage her chances to keep her in Louisiana.
