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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40004
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40004
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

> What are some conventions for creating a sense of urgency?

Maybe there are conventions, I'd posit that there must be motivation, and **stress** from thwarting factors. A sense of limited time is also common but not essential.

Your character/s have an **objective** (let's postulate some):

- To survive the bomb.
- To get out of the maze.
- To get rid of the incriminating evidence.
- To get to a safe place.
- To have sex.

Etc..

Then you need some potentially or actually **confounding events/conditions**

- The bomb countdown speeds up, the door is locked.
- The maze changes every time you think you know where you are, the lights are going out one by one.
- The cops pull you over - broken taillight the gun is in the glovebox - with your prints on it.
- Your captor cuts your feet off. ;)
- The person you're making out with with in the sauna is really sexy and your towel is tiny. Your mom comes to the door.

You can then find that the character is stuck **in a bind** :

- If you try to diffuse the bomb it may explode - time is running out.

- Do you give in to your fear of the dark, the only way out is further into darkness - or follow your urge to huddle in a corner? It's getting darker.

- If you seem nervous the cop gets suspicious, this makes you even more nervous.

- If you crawl away you won't get far and will get punished for trying, your captor is out shopping, but for how long? Won't get another chance for weeks.

- You are both really excited but your mom starts telling you (from outside the door) about the intricacies of your granddad's bowel problems - If you give your mom the wrong answer she may come in. The towel is _really really tiny_. The towel slides to the floor...

Thus in each situation you add a second motivating factor, the factors potentially contradict or conflict each-other. A finite or **indeterminate** amount of time to finish a critical task is often a factor - **certain** known things to be found in tension with an element of uncertainty is very familiar from popular fiction - ie. what could happen - the **potential**. Also fair to say, one of the motivating factors commonly involves **fear**.

You will notice however that both the person in the sauna and the situation with the cop are not dependent on time so much as other factors, the immediacy ( **certainty** ) of the cop's/mom's presence, the gun ( **fear** of getting caught)/massive barely concealed boner ( **fear** of embarrassment) , the ( **potential** ) interactions and the cop's/mom's/lover's ( **indeterminate** ) thoughts and future actions. Those ones could be kept going for as long as you like without significant handwaving.

[Cognitive dissonance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance) is a closely but not exclusively associated phenomenon.

> When confronted with facts that contradict personal beliefs, ideals, and values, people will find a way to resolve the contradiction in order to reduce their discomfort.

Again it comes down to psychological **stress**.

Original score: 0