History Main / TwentyFourHourTropeClock

The wee hours of the night, between about 1:00 and 5:00. People should not be awake at this time, so if you are, it's a sign that something's up. Maybe you're the undead and it's the only time you can go out. Maybe you're a criminal hoping to escape the cops' notice. Maybe you're an insomniac...or you've been [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife up all night reading TV Tropes]] or doing some other hobby. Of course, maybe you're simply up because your employer happens to work during this time. Sometimes known as ''the Hour of the Wolf''--the hour when you hear the wolves howl outside and shiver in fear.

Compare PlotTime, FlashbacksAndChronology. See also RightOnTheTick, and ClockTropes, for tropes about actual clocks or other timepieces.

Compare PlotTime, FlashbacksAndChronology. See also RightOnTheTick.

Also called twilight (no, not the lavender-coated unicorn/alicorn) although dawn is called twilight much less than dusk. It's the period when the moon is down but the sun isn't up (between the hours of five and six AM usually). Dawn is a transition time as well, but not as much as dusk -- a few shops open up (though many don't open until around seven or later), werewolves start changing back into humans, and the diurnal animals start waking up, which is often heralded by the famous "dawn chorus" (the sound of many birds singing at once), but kids don't usually get woken up for breakfast until around seven.

Night is a dangerous time. The sun is out completely and everything is dark. It's cold, lonely, and hard to see-- probably why humans have a natural fear of the night.[[note]]You may be thinking, "But I'm not afraid of the night?" That's because it's a ''natural'' fear, but sometimes kids can outgrow it.[[/note]] All decent people are at home in bed, which means ''indecent'' people are out and about, prowling the streets and doing unscrupulous things. Night is a spooky time, good for illegal activities, spying, [[WildTeenParty wild parties]], and trips to the local HauntedHouse. Basically, [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight all the things that make a story interesting.]]

Due to the high danger factor, night's a perennial-- er, ''diurnal'' favourite for writers.

Also called twilight (no, not the lavendar-coated unicorn/alicorn) although dawn is called twilight much less than dusk. It's the period when the moon is down but the sun isn't up (between the hours of five and six AM usually). Dawn is a transition time as well, but not as much as dusk- a few shops open up (though many don't open until around seven or later), werewolves start changing back into humans, and the diurnal animals start waking up, which is often heralded by the famous "dawn chorus" (the sound of many birds singing at once), but kids don't usually get woken up for breakfast until around seven.

-->-- '''[[Literature/BookOfEcclesiastes Ecclesiastes 1:5]]'''

Heroes '''always''' wake up late in the morning unless their job requires them to wake up early, and even then they'll like to sleep late when they have the chance.

Also called twilight ([[Literature/{{Twilight}} no comments, please]], and [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic not that one either]]), it's the period when the sun is down but the moon isn't up. Dusk is a transition time--kids get called in for supper, shops close up, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick humans start changing]] [[HypocriticalHumor into werewolves]], and the gentle song of the crickets (and other nocturnal animals) begins.

StockRoom cues: Sound effects of crickets chirping, owls hooting, and wolves howling. Clips of [[ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes glowing eyes]] in otherwise shadowy areas. Shots of the moon, [[WeirdMoon always full]] and frequently partially covered by a cloud.

Also called twilight (no, not the lavendar-coated unicorn/alicorn). It's the period when the moon is down but the sun isn't up. Dawn is a transition time-kids get woken up for breakfast, shops open up, werewolves start changing into humans, and the gentle song of the birds (and other diurnal animals) begins.

Early morning ends at ''dawn'', which leads to...

[[caption-width-right:247:Fill in the blanks.]]

[[quoteright:247:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clockface_5517.jpg]]

Roughly 13:00 to 17:00[[note]]this is in 24-hour notation, just to make it clearer that it doesn't last for sixteen hours...[[/note]]. Kids get home from school, people drive home from work. Most stuff that happens in stories happens in the afternoon, although there's nothing particularly special about it.

Night is a dangerous time. The sun is out completely and everything is dark. It's cold, lonely, and hard to see-- probably why humans have a natural fear of the night[[note]]You may be thinking, "But I'm not afraid of the night?" That's because it's a ''natural'' fear, but sometimes kids can outgrow it.[[/note]]. All decent people are at home in bed, which means ''indecent'' people are out and about, prowling the streets and doing unscrupulous things. Night is a spooky time, good for illegal activities, spying, [[WildTeenParty wild parties]], and trips to the local HauntedHouse. Basically, [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight all the things that make a story interesting.]]

Vaguely 7:00 until 9:00, "morning" is the waking-up period. This is another frequent starting point for stories, because unlike sunrise, normal people actually ''do'' wake up around than. Expect aspects of the average morning routine--hitting the alarm clock, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, trimming nose hairs, putting on clothes.

Heroes '''always''' wake up late in the morning.

Also called twilight ([[Literature/{{Twilight}} no comments, please]]), it's the period when the sun is down but the moon isn't up. Dusk is a transition time--kids get called in for supper, shops close up, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick humans start changing]] [[HypocriticalHumor into werewolves]], and the gentle song of the crickets begins.

Night is a dangerous time. The sun is out completely and everything is dark. It's cold, lonely, and hard to see-- probably why humans have a natural fear of the night. All decent people are at home in bed, which means ''indecent'' people are out and about, prowling the streets and doing unscrupulous things. Night is a spooky time, good for illegal activities, spying, [[WildTeenParty wild parties]], and trips to the local HauntedHouse. Basically, [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight all the things that make a story interesting.]]

The spookiest time of night, bar none. Midnight is "the witching hour"--magical things happen at midnight, and not the good magic. TheHiddenHour is often immediately before or after midnight. Part of it is that midnight happens at [[NumerologicalMotif twelve o'clock]]--although for some reason, lunch doesn't have the same spook factor, likely because it happens during the fewer-spooky daytime, as well as the fact that midnight is considered the start of a new calendar day.

The wee hours of the night, between about 1:00 and 5:00. People should not be awake at this time, so if you are, it's a sign that something's up. Maybe you're the undead and it's the only time you can go out. Maybe you're a criminal hoping to escape the cops' notice. Maybe you're an insomniac...or you've been [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife up all night reading TV Tropes]]. Of course, maybe you're simply up because your employer happens to work during this time. Sometimes known as ''the Hour of the Wolf''--the hour when you hear the wolves howl outside and shiver in fear.

-->-- '''[[Literature/BookOfEcclesiastes Ecclesiastes 1:15]]'''

Vaguely 7:00 until 9:00, "morning" is the waking-up period. This is another frequent starting point for stories, because unlike sunrise, normal people actually ''do'' wake up around than. Expect aspects of the average morning routine-- hitting the alarm clock, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, trimming nose hairs, putting on clothes.

The spookiest time of night, bar none. Midnight is "the witching hour"-- magical things happen at midnight, and not the good magic. TheHiddenHour is often immediately before or after midnight. Part of it is that midnight happens at [[NumerologicalMotif twelve o'clock]]--although for some reason, lunch doesn't have the same spook factor, likely because it happens during the fewer-spooky daytime, as well as the fact that midnight is considered the start of a new calendar day.

The wee hours of the night, between about 1:00 and 5:00. People should not be awake at this time, so if you are, it's a sign that something's up. Maybe you're the undead and it's the only time you can go out. Maybe you're a criminal hoping to escape the cops' notice. Maybe you're an insomniac...or you've been [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife up all night reading TV Tropes]]. Of course, maybe you're simply up because you're employer happens to work during this time. Sometimes known as ''the Hour of the Wolf'' - the hour when you hear the wolves howl outside and shiver in fear.

* DarkestHour - in a literal sense, although many metaphorical darkest hours will occur at this time.

Roughly 13:00 to 17:00[[note]]this is in 24-hour notation to avoid confusion[[/note]]. Kids get home from school, people drive home from work. Most stuff that happens in stories happens in the afternoon, although there's nothing particularly special about it.

Roughly 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Kids get home from school, people drive home from work. Most stuff that happens in stories happens in the afternoon, although there's nothing particularly special about it.

!Sunrise:

!Morning:

!Mid-Morning:

!Noon:

!Afternoon/Evening:

!Sunset:

!Dusk:

!Night:

![[WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve Midnight]]:

* DoomsdayClock - inevitably set at ''X minutes to '''Midnight'''''.

!Early Morning:

!Sunrise:

The rotation of the Earth on its axis creates a 24-hour cycle known as a "day." Each day consists of a number of markers based on the position of the sun; these include morning, evening, and night. All are vital to the development of human life, so its no wonder there also important in human drama.

Sunrise, the three minute period when the sun climbs over the horizon and signals the start of day. Sunrise is a time of new beginnings, and as such it's an incredibly common place to open stories. Dawn/sunrise are also frequently used to end stories. Generally if a story ends on a sunrise, it's because the heroes have [[EarnYourHappyEnding gone through hell]] all night and daylight signals that the fighting is over. After all the stuff the heroes have been through, sunrise is the sign of renewal and continuing life. [[RuleOfSymbolism It's all very symbolic.]]

The rotation of the Earth on its axis creates a 24-hour cycle known as a "day." Each day consists of a number of markers based on the position of the sun; these include morning, evening, and night. All are vital to the development of human life, so it's no wonder they're also important in human drama.

Vaguely 7:00 until 9:00, "morning" is the waking-up period. This is another frequent starting point for stories, because unlike sunrise, normal people actually ''do'' wake up around then. Expect aspects of the average morning routine-- hitting the alarm clock, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, trimming nose hairs, putting on clothes.

The spookiest time of night, bar none. Midnight is "the witching hour"-- magical things happen at midnight, and not the good magic. TheHiddenHour is often immediately before or after midnight. Part of it is that midnight happens at [[NumerologicalMotif twelve o'clock]]--although for some reason, lunch doesn't have the same spook factor, likely because it happens during the less-spooky daytime, as well as the fact that midnight is considered the start of a new calendar day.

The wee hours of the night, between about 1:00 and 5:00. People should not be awake at this time, so if you are, it's a sign that something's up. Maybe you're the undead and it's the only time you can go out. Maybe you're a criminal hoping to escape the cops' notice. Maybe you're an insomniac...or you've been [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife up all night reading TV Tropes]]. Of course, maybe you're simply up because your employer happens to work during this time. Sometimes known as ''the Hour of the Wolf'' - the hour when you hear the wolves howl outside and shiver in fear.

Sunrise, the three minute period when the sun climbs-- we've been here before, haven't we? Oh well, days are cycles. It happens. Daily.

Also called twilight ([[Literature/{{Twilight}} no comments, please]]), it's the period when the sun is down but the moon isn't up. Dusk is a transition time--kids gets called in for supper, shops close up, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick humans start changing]] [[HypocriticalHumor into werewolves]], and the gentle song of the crickets begins.

Sunrise, the three minute period when the sun climbs over the horizon and signals the start of day. Sunrise is a time of new beginnings, and as such it's an incredibly common place to open stories. Dawn/sunrise are also frequently used to end stories. Generally if a story ends on a sunrise, it’s because the heroes have [[EarnYourHappyEnding gone through hell]] all night and daylight signals that the fighting is over. After all the stuff the heroes have been through, sunrise is the sign of renewal and continuing life. [[RuleOfSymbolism It’s all very symbolic.]]

Waking or staying up to watch the sunrise is considered romantic by some. [[StandardSnippet Stock music cues]] are Grieg’s ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAbwMGZtIsY Morning Music]]'' and Rossini’s ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RM7cQCC4sU Ranz des Vaches]]'' from the William Tell Overture.

Vaguely 7:00 until 9:00, “morning” is the waking-up period. This is another frequent starting point for stories, because unlike sunrise, normal people actually ''do'' wake up around then. Expect aspects of the average morning routine-- hitting the alarm clock, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, trimming nose hairs, putting on clothes.

It’s the middle of the day, the transition between “morning” and “afternoon.” The sun is at its highest point, which means there’s the most light. It’s also the hottest time of the day, and tempers flare with the temperature. Old West shootouts happen at high noon. It’s a tense time.

Roughly 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Kids get home from school, people drive home from work. Most stuff that happens in stories happens in the afternoon, although there’s nothing particularly special about it.

Also called twilight ([[Literature/{{Twilight}} no comments, please]]), it’s the period when the sun is down but the moon isn’t up. Dusk is a transition time--kids gets called in for supper, shops close up, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick humans start changing into werewolves,]] and the gentle song of the crickets begins.

Night is a dangerous time. The sun is out completely and everything is dark. It’s cold, lonely, and hard to see-- probably why humans have a natural fear of the night. All decent people are at home in bed, which means ''indecent'' people are out and about, prowling the streets and doing unscrupulous things. Night is a spooky time, good for illegal activities, spying, [[WildTeenParty wild parties]], and trips to the local HauntedHouse. Basically, [[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight all the things that make a story interesting.]]

Due to the high danger factor, night’s a perennial-- er, ''diurnal'' favourite for writers.

The spookiest time of day, bar none. Midnight is “the witching hour”-- magical things happen at midnight, and not the good magic. TheHiddenHour is often immediately before or after midnight. Part of it is that midnight happens at [[NumerologicalMotif twelve o'clock]]-- although for some reason, lunch doesn't have the same spook factor.

The wee hours of the night, between about 1:00 and 5:00. People should not be awake at this time, so if you are, it’s a sign that something’s up. Maybe you’re the undead and it’s the only time you can go out. Maybe you’re a criminal hoping to escape the cops’ notice. Maybe you’re an insomniac… or you’ve been [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife up all night reading TV Tropes]]. Sometimes known as ''the Hour of the Wolf'' - the hour when you hear the wolves howl outside and shiver in fear.

Lots of nightmare sufferers wake up around this time, just to rub salt in their wounds. [[note]]This is because REM sleep happens during this time. (REM sleep is when you dream.)[[/note]]

Early morning ends at ''dawn'', which leads to…

Sunrise, the three minute period when the sun climbs-- we’ve been here before, haven’t we? Oh well, days are cycles. It happens. Daily.

* MidnightSnack

!Midnight:

* WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve

Lots of nightmare sufferers wake up around this time, just to rub salt in their wounds. [[note]]This is because of REM sleep happens during this time. (REM sleep is when you dream.)[[/note]]

Lots of nightmare sufferers wake up around this time, just to rub salt in their wounds. [[hottip:*: This is because of REM sleep happens during this time. (REM sleep is when you dream.)]]

The spookiest time of day, bar none. Midnight is “the witching hour”-- magical things happen at midnight, and not the good magic. TheHiddenHour is often before or after midnight. Part of it is that midnight happens at [[NumerologicalMotif twelve o'clock]]-- although for some reason, lunch doesn't have the same spook factor.