In our latest video, Adam shares how a ticking clock can help compress your plot, elevate the stakes, and drive your characters into conflict.
Let’s break down why this tool is so effective and how you can use it to fix pacing issues in your script.
What Is a Ticking Clock?
A ticking clock is a time constraint placed on your characters that forces them to act before the clock runs out.
Whether it's 60 minutes before a bomb goes off or a week before the big show, the key is that the ticking clock relates directly to your characters' objectives. This pressure keeps the audience on edge, waiting to see whether your characters will succeed or fail.
In the video, we dive deeper into how ticking clocks can transform your plot. Watch [here] to learn how you can introduce this tool to your screenplay.
Why Ticking Clocks Work
The beauty of a ticking clock lies in how it raises the stakes for your characters. When you attach a deadline to something your characters deeply care about, the urgency becomes real, and the audience becomes invested. They’ll be leaning forward, wondering, "Will they make it in time?"
We discuss some fantastic examples of ticking clocks in our video, like Marty McFly’s race against time in Back to the Future and the rising water in Titanic. Each of these moments tightens the story’s pacing, forcing the characters into immediate, high-stakes action.
How to Use Ticking Clocks in Your Story
If your Act Two is feeling sluggish, adding a ticking clock can provide much-needed momentum. Compress time, and make your characters' desires more urgent by attaching a specific deadline to their goals. This not only focuses the story but also adds energy and conflict.
A ticking clock can be:
Physical and specific: Like the lightning strike in Back to the Future.
Spontaneous and undefined: Like the rising water in Titanic.
By introducing these elements, you create a sense of anticipation and anxiety that pulls the audience into the story.
Check out the full video linked below!
Want to explore more techniques to improve your screenwriting? Don’t forget to check out our free course, Writing the Short, with NYU professor John Warren, where we cover everything you need to know about writing compelling short films.