Some tips
1. Make sure that the stakes are very high.
2. Your characters should know that if they fail, the consequences will be dire.
3. Have your characters stubborn, and unwilling to make the changes they need to make to succeed, until there is no other hope.
4. Be subversive, but make sure your subversiveness rings true with your audience.
5. Create a rooting interest. The audience should be hoping that one side succeeds.
Sometimes, with all of the advances we have made in science, medicine, technology, and elsewhere, what a struggle it really is to survive in this world. We require food, shelter, security, and so much more.
The human brain is hardwired to survive. In order to survive, we need to be able to adapt, and respond to our environment. To do that, we rely heavily on our personal experience to guide us. We must feel the warmth of a fire, to understand that it is not adviseable to stick