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1UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein amazed the world in 1905 when he published his paper on special UsefulNotes/{{relativity}}, which predicted --among other things-- that time was, indeed, relative.
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3The writers, however, were left unimpressed, because they have been familiar with a similar principle for ages untold: for you see, it is a trivial matter to derive from the TheoryOfNarrativeCausality that -- just as things happen because the plot damn well needs them to -- they also happen ''when'' it is convenient for the story.
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5This phenomenon is known as Plot Time, and it crops up in a lot of {{Trope}}s.
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7Not to be confused with TimeTravelTropes, though the two do frequently cooperate. Compare TwentyFourHourTropeClock, for how times are used in plots.
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9!!Tropes:
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11[[index]]
12* BaitAndSwitchTimeSkip: It ''seems'' like a long time has passed, but it's only been a little while.
13* ComicBookTime: A long-running series fudges the passage of time so that the main characters barely age (if at all) while time appears to pass as normal for the rest of the world.
14* ConversationCut: A conversation continues across a scene change without interruption.
15* CorrelationCausationGag: A gag where a small action is mistaken for the cause of a large action because they correlate.
16* DramaticallyDelayedDrug: A drug doesn't work until it's most dramatic — or inconvenient.
17* FrozenInTime: A fictional universe is limited to a specific time period, no matter how much time passes in real life.
18* JustInTime: A rescue arrives just in the nick of time.
19* MagicCountdown: Time flows differently on time counters that are currently not onscreen or discussed.
20* PlotDetour: The plot is put on hold for a trivial reason.
21* RealTime: Media shown in real time, with nothing sped up, slowed down, or cut.
22* RefugeeFromTime: A character's backstory never changes with the time period.
23* RidiculouslyFastConstruction: Buildings and units are produced at improbably high speed.
24* ScottyTime: Someone has much less time than they need to get the job done, yet they get it done.
25* SneezeCut: You sneeze when people elsewhere are talking about you.
26* SoapOperaRapidAgingSyndrome: A character inexplicably becomes older between appearances.
27* TalkingIsAFreeAction: When a character is in danger, they somehow have enough time to talk about something right before getting out of harm's way or falling victim to the disaster.
28* TimeSkip: A work skips to a specific amount of time later.
29* TransformationAtTheSpeedOfPlot: TheVirus progresses as quickly or slowly as required for dramatic effect.
30* TransformationIsAFreeAction: When a character goes through a transformation sequence, no one does anything until after the transformation is complete.
31* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: Characters or vehicles travel as quickly or slowly as the plot demands.
32* VideoGameTime: A video game trope where actions that should require vastly different timescales occur at the same rate.
33* WebcomicTime: Real time progresses much faster than in-universe time due to the rate at which a serialized story is produced.
34[[/index]]

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