: Re: Characters feelings; Using them for pacing/tension I'm writing a novel and in the opening chapter, one of the main characters finds herself traveling by foot through a very severe sandstorm. I

@Yeniel532

I've never been in a sandstorm either, so I don't know exactly how it feels or what all the risks of being stuck in one are, but people do generally seem to want to avoid them. Do a bit more research and see what else you find out about sandstorms. That said, you do have some options here that come to mind off the top of my head:
Option 1: The risk of choking may not be real, but for whatever reason your character thinks it is, or she thinks there is some risk of death, anyway, even if not by choking. Maybe she's heard scary things about sandstorms, or she is just very frightened by it. I would imagine it would be very disorienting, being unable to see where she is going with sand blowing around her face and into her eyes etc., so even if the danger is not real, as long as your character feels threatened, this can be used to create a sense of tension and urgency.
Option 2: There is some real risk of harm or death, even if it isn't choking. Maybe you find in your research that there are some other ways the sandstorm harms a person out in it, and you can use that. If not, you can add other threats. Maybe the terrain is treacherous and the fact the storm hinders visibility means your character could fall in ravine and break her leg (or her neck!), or maybe there is a risk she will lose her way due to the storm and wander around lost until she dies (middle of a desert with no landmarks if you end up somewhere unexpected?). Maybe there are sandstorm dwelling monsters that follow the storm and eat helpless folks caught inside it... If your character is familiar with the threats the storm brings, any of these things could make her concerned enough to attempt to avoid the risk.
I think I've answered your highlighted question, but to spell it out: Anything that believably threatens your character's well-being can create tension or urgency, even if the "threat" is more emotional than physical (regardless of whether the character thinks there is a phsyical threat or not!). There can be great tension and urgency in books where there is never any threat of physical harm of any of the characters. These stories rely on other things, such as emotional distress or changes in situation, to create tension.

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