In a new post, Janice Hardy reflects on the Rule of Three and how it can strengthen your writing. You’re probably familiar with the phrase “things happen in threes” – three deaths, three pieces of bad news, three bits of good luck. “It’s part of our culture and so ingrained in our subconscious that we notice (if not seek out) patterns that fit this rule,” Hardy says. “Using the rule of three in our writing lets us tap into this understood principle and helps pique reader interest as they look for these patterns.”
Essentially, the Rule of Three works like this: If something occurs once, we may observe it but not make any special note of it. If this something occurs twice, we pay more attention. If it happens a third time, we believe there’s a pattern. How can you put this to use in your writing? Hardy suggests the following:
- Foreshadowing and tension. Foreshadowing also establishes patterns that your reader is supposed to notice, creating tension and anticipation. “It almost always starts with a brief glimpse of something that seems unimportant, then is seen again later with a little more importance, and finally revealed in an impactful way,” Hardy writes. Your three things can be a single element repeated three times or something that repeats but escalates.
- Resonance. If you want your readers to remember something, repeat it. But reiterate the information in a way that feels fresh each time. Don’t simply restate the obvious.
- Surprises and twists. When you start a pattern, readers will expect the third item. This is a great opportunity to throw in a twist. If two bad things happen when your hero encounters a minor character, have the third interaction end positively. If two bad things happen to one character, have the third land on a different character, and in a worse way.
