Using Absence to Drive Narrative
“Absence is the highest form of presence,” according to James Joyce—and author Laurie Ann Doyle agrees. A “felt absence,” something that is offstage but critical to the plot can add depth to any type of writing—short story, novel or poetry. Traditional plotting methods like Freytag’s Pyramid (exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) can be helpful when starting a new writing project, Doyle said, but considering what is absent can also help writers find their way into and explore a story.
Searching for a missing someone or something is natural to plot, Doyle said, citing classic novels like Moby Dick and The Odyssey. Your character needs to be missing something, which sends them on a quest to find it. That missing thing can be a person, an animal, a physical object, or even an emotion such as the love of a parent—the possibilities are limitless. “People can even go missing on themselves if they lose track of what matters to them,” Doyle said.
Letting your reader know right away what your character wants to find is a compelling way to open a story or poem, and it creates empathy for the character. “We get invested in people who are invested in things,” Doyle said. “Let what is missing speak to the character and move on from there, allowing the imprint of that loss to reveal that character.” Although there should be one central thing that’s missing, you can add variations—other missing things—that echo the main one and add depth to the story.
Absence plays a critical part in art forms like painting and music, Doyle said, so it’s natural for it to factor into writing as well. “Felt absence” has become a catalyst for her own writing, as there are so many things that can go missing. “And absence doesn’t always bring loss,” she added. “It can also bring liberation.”
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