Dispatch From The Quest: Waka Brown

Over the course of the 24 weeks I am working with the writers in The Quest, each will write a weekly dispatch to share with the GITS community. There are several reasons for doing this, the main one educational: Hopefully you will learn something of value for your own understanding of the craft from the experiences of the Questers. I should also add they are a great group of people, so I expect you will enjoy getting to know them.

Today: Waka goes searching for subtext… on the home front:

This week in the Quest, we’ve been studying dialogue. I love writing dialogue, I love the witty back and forth between characters, the banter. However, as Troy mentioned in his previous dispatch, the Quest has been an “I knew that… or did I?” type of experience.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the lecture on subtext. I’ve written many a scene in which there is subtext, but in retrospect, a lot of the subtext has come from rewriting. First, I’ll write the scene, realize the dialogue is too “on the nose” and then rework so there’s more subtlety and nuance. Since one of our exercises this week is to write a scene with subtext, I knew I’d have to start early to have anything presentable by the end of the week.

To this end, I decided to listen for subtext in our everyday interactions, and since most of my waking hours are spent with my children, I started with them. I learned pretty quickly, there is very little subtext when speaking with a 4 year-old.

My 4 y.o.: “I want a cookie.” (Subtext: I want a cookie)

However, advancing a little in age, even at 5 there is more subtext in his language.

My. 5 y.o.: “Mommy, Leo said ‘poop.’” (Subtext: Leo said “poop” and I want you to punish him for this because nothing gives me as much pleasure as when my little brother gets in trouble.)

And a little more subtext with my 8 y.o.

My 8 y.o.: “Mommy, I’m being good, aren’t I?” (Subtext 1: Say yes, and I will hit you up for something like a playdate or that cookie you aren’t giving my brother. Subtext 2: You love me best.)

And boy, if you want subtext, just listen to how a married couple talks to each other. Let’s look at a recent conversation between my husband and myself:

Husband: Honey, have you seen my flash drive? (Subtext: Where did you hide my flash drive? You always hide everything.)

Me: No. (Subtext: Why would I hide your flash drive? And I don’t hide things. It’s called “cleaning up”)

Husband: It’s kind of black and about this size. (Subtext: I’m pretty sure you don’t know what a flash drive is. And I know you hid it someplace so I’m going to ask again to give you a chance to remember where)

Me. No. I checked the pockets before I did the laundry, too (Subtext: I’m not an idiot. I know what a flash drive looks like and I checked your pockets even though this is something you should be doing. And I only mentioned it because I know this is what you’re going to ask next)

Husband: Oh. (Subtext: I was going to ask about the laundry, but she beat me to it so I have nothing else to say)

10 minutes later:

Husband: I found it! (Subtext: I’m sorry I accused you in my head of hiding my flash drive.)

Me: Good! (Subtext: Apology accepted)

In many ways subtext is necessary to keep relationships and in a larger sense, society running smoothly. In writing, I feel like it is the tuba that comes in with an oom-PAH, oom-PAH on the 2 and 4 beat to balance out the flutes and clarinets. It’s not the highlight, but it makes the music more pleasant to listen to, just like subtext makes writing more interesting to read.

And yes, I do realize it’s possible my husband really just wanted to know if I had seen his flash drive.

UPDATE: So it’s been 3 days since I began writing this dispatch. For our “scene with subtext” exercise I started writing… and writing… and writing. Finally, about 10 pages later, I might have a scene with some subtext. Not clever subtext. Clunky subtext. Ugh. An “I knew that… or did I?” and “No, you didn’t!” week for me. But, going back to my 3 rules for the Quest — family suffered? No! Work suffered? No! Personal hygiene suffered? No… but I’ve eaten every cookie in the house, I’ve raided the kids’ candy bags, and really wish I had some Doritos or doughnuts now. But I never said anything about junk food! So I’m still good.

We hear and read a lot in the online screenwriting universe about the importance of writing dialogue with subtext which is all well and good. But how to go about writing it? That is a subject representing a whole corner of the web strewn with nothing but dust and tumbleweeds.

One thing we can do is look for it in our everyday lives — just like Waka did. I think she’s right: We use subtext in relationships, especially close ones all the time. So perhaps by becoming more attuned to our own employment of it, we can become more comfortable writing it in our scripts.

Subtext: Pay attention, people! There are screenwriting lessons all around us in our daily lives!

Tomorrow: Another Dispatch From The Quest.

About Waka: Kansan turned Californian turned Oregonian. Fan of Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, Richard Curtis, Tina Fey (who isn’t?), & I still use a $30 Tracfone @wakatb.

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