What: Letting the true meaning lie beneath the words, so characters evade rather than announce.
Why: The unsaid outweighs the said; subtext involves the viewer and gives dialogue depth.
How: Have a character speak of something small while the real conflict runs beneath it (talking about dinner as they fall apart).
Common mistake: 'On-the-nose' talk where characters declare their feelings outright.
Exercise: Rewrite an on-the-nose scene so all the meaning lives beneath the surface without naming feelings.