A ticking clock... that horrendous countdown... incoming disaster in 5...4...3...

For a long time, it was a joke that movies always ended their countdowns at "1".  In fact, the great movie, "Galaxy Quest" makes this a key point (and it works perfectly). But, the idea of a disaster approaching within a specific timeframe is potent and keeps an audience primed for action. There's an expectation of growing conflict as the deadline looms nearer. And that's great news for storytellers. It's pure gold.

Sure, the idea can be taken too far. Anything can. Still, impending doom is dynamic, something easily understood, and puts danger right on top of the heroes with palpable force. We all know what it's like to face a countdown (though rarely as challenging as most fictional ones), and so the crisis is quickly explained. And that allows the real action to get going without getting bogged down by specifics and all sorts of background.

--Oh no! The hero is strapped to a railroad track and the train is coming!--

Easy. Quick. Now, show me how they survive, or what happens, just relieve the tension as that horrendous train steams closer and closer. I want to know what happens next! Tell me NOW! I'm on the edge of my seat...

Ticking clocks. I love them!

- M