Let's write!

Things have been hectic for me lately, so I thought, why not go with it? Write a scene where your character or characters are up against a deadline. It could be something real-life-ish, like a work deadline or trying to pack the car and gather the kids to leave on vacation before rush hour starts, or it could be the hero trying to stop a bomb from going off or racing to catch a vial of deadly virus that got thrown into the air. Your character(s) could win, or they could fail.

The catch? Only write the last 30 seconds (or less) before the deadline. Try to capture that sense of urgency and panic. Don't set up the situation - assume the reader knows what's going on, so that you don't slow down the action.