Bray Wyatt and Presence of Absence

Tips for writing characters that are no longer there

The world of pro wrestling was shaken to its core with the death of Bray Wyatt, who at the time was one of its brightest, most beloved stars. His unique star power and charisma coupled with his immense creativity and ability to engage and captivate a crowd above and beyond any other made his loss feel that much more devastating to his peers and fans. None felt his loss more than his brother Bo Dallas and his former tag team partner Eric Rowan, who have paid tribute to Bray by continuing storylines and gimmicks he had been developing prior to his passing. But even as they and their "Wyatt Sicks" crew wreak havoc on the WWE roster, you can tell that Bray left his indelible mark on everyone involved, even though he was no longer physically there. This is called the presence of absence.

When you remove a vital character from a story, it can and should have a major effect on the characters, environments and narrative. In the aftermath of Optimus prime dying in the original Transformers movie, his replacement Rodimus Prime struggled with living up to the legendary leader's legacy. Carrie's behavior in V.C. Andrews's Petals on the Wind was directly influenced by her brother Cory's death in Flowers in the Attic, as were their big sister Cathy's decisions influenced by their mother neglecting them for three years and ultimately abandoning them. The next-generation reboots of Quantum Leap and Night Court regularly referenced and drew inspiration from key characters from their previous iterations: most notably Dr. Sam Beckett and judge Harry Stone, respectively. The goal is for the reader to feel that character's absence as intimately as the other characters in the story. Here are some tips for how you can accomplish that.

Show what isn't there.
Your missing character took up physical space in your setting. with them gone, you need to describe that missing space. it could be a chair they used to sit in now being empty, or their seat at the dining room table being unfilled like after Big Mama's death in the movie Soul Food. You could draw attention to their voice and the unique sounds they made that could no longer be heard, or even photos where there would be a missing space where that person would have been. You can show this affect with personal belongings they left behind or items they routinely interacted with that remind as a silent witness to the character's absence.
on a larger scale, the acclaimed video game Outer Wilds shows the remnants of once bustling civilizations on entire planets by way of abandoned rooms and artifacts. Environmental cues can also work, by showing how their absence has affected it. something as simple as a withered plant the character used to take care of can draw attention to that.

Remembering the lost
Flashbacks and memories are a potent way to underscore the impact of the missing character. This is a way to contrast how life was like with them around with the current state of them being gone. Maybe hearing a phrase the character used to say or seeing an artifact they used to use would trigger a flashback where they are using that item or saying that phrase, which would emphasize the sentimental value of it. Or you can have your characters talking about their favorite memories of the character allowing them to bond over the character's memory. Memories can also trigger emotions, and this could be an opportunity for your characters to relay how the memory originally made them feel as it happened compared to how they feel about it now. Maybe a memory or flashback of an argument your characters had with the missing character could trigger a sense of regret and remorse now that they are gone. a visual aid like photos and documents that are connected to the character can also create a connection.

Symbolism
In WWE's moving tribute to Bray, they ended the moment with a shot of a wrestling ring, empty save the trademark rocking chair and lit lantern that became synonymous with Bray's Character. those artifacts represent everything wrestling fans loved about Bray's presence and creativity. If you have an understanding of the things that made your missing character special, you can find things that represent those aspects and display them prominently within the story. the acclaimed video game Ugly used this to great effect by having the presence of a key deceased character represented by the big named in their family crest. Any work or projects the character was known for or was involved in can also act as a symbol for them. for me, personally, losing my uncle Fred "V-Man" Watson to Cancer was a blow, but I can always remember him through the work he did as a community leader, activist and entrepreneur, specifically with his Victory Over Violence foundation and the cartoon mascots for it that I helped him create. whenever I look at the drawings I did for him, it reminds me of his story and his vision.

The five stages
It is important to show how the characters feel about your missing character no longer being there. That absence will affect their behavior and attitudes. They might avoid certain places, struggle with habits tied to the missing person or thing, or show signs of denial. You can also use the five stages of grief to show how the absence is affecting their mental and emotional health. You want to really delve into how your remaining characters react in their mental and emotional space to the loss and show how much that character truly meant to them. In Bray's case, both Bo Dallas and Eric Rowan felt lost and directionless without their beloved brother to guide them, and the weight of carrying on Bray's legacy also weighed heavily on them.

Conclusion
An important character no longer being part of the story should have a palpable impact on both the story and the story's audience, so the utmost care must be taken to have that character's absence resonate. There are a number of way to accomplish this, and I strongly recommend you give as many of them a try as needed to get your point across. Your story will be all the better for it.

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