Story Tropes: What’s the Subtext?

Here's the latest from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author :

The messages readers get from our writing aren’t always explicitly stated. In fact, we usually want to avoid the “too on-the-nose” problem that can come from stating a message outright. Instead, a story’s meaning and hidden messages often lurk in the subtext.

Subtext is everywhere in our story. Subtext flows throughout our plots and characters. If our protagonist saves a child, that creates different impressions than if they save a child’s...