Pressure

Pressure is what makes us do things NOW. It HELPs add tension to your story and can even create conflict for the character. When under pressure, your hero is forced to act, to improvise and to find new solutions or reveal information he/she wanted to keep secret… Pressure makes your hero reveal his/her real nature.

Example Lola is secretly in love with Clark. She wants to invite him on holiday with her, maybe to put an end to too much waiting. She has been meaning to ask him for hours but doesn’t dare get to the point and babbles on instead about subjects far removed from what is really on her mind. Clark gets up, says it is late and he has to go. It’s now or never…

EXERCISE 18 Imagine several everyday situations then add pressure to them. If they become dramatic, i.e. situations of conflict, write them.

HELP Think Pressure, but also Emergency. Emergency arises when time is running out. It is a way of creating pressure. Think about the pressure in a hospital ER. When running out of time, your hero starts running after time, in other words he/she tries to act faster which can cause greater complications.

Avoid gratuitous emergency. Imagine you are your hero and wonder why things are urgent for him/her. Nothing is ever urgent for no reason.