3 Ways to Use the Rule of Three in Writing to Satisfy Readers

Do you want to capture your readers’ attention, stud them to the page, and leave them clamoring for more? Using the Rule of Three in your writing is one way to meet reader beliefs and hire book interest.

It can quench readers.

It can create something that moves beings, deepens their understanding, and keeps them thinking about your legend long after they’ve downed the last word.

But how do you apply this rule into your fib naturally? Is it right for your journal?

Why You Should Care

Somerset Maugham said: “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately , no one knows what they are.”

I bring this up because I just wanted to clear the point that there really are no rules when it comes to fiction writing. But there are time-honored legends so ingrained in our culture and conscience that it would be foolish to ignore them.

“There certainly are no conventions when it comes to fiction writing. But there are time-honored knowledge that are deeply ingrained in our culture and shame, and it’s worthwhile to pay attention to them.Tweet thisTweet

Some of these are the genre conventions and obligatory scenes so critical to providing a pleasant know for the reader.

Others are broader in remit, reaching far across category boundaries to encompass many aspects of a reader’s life.

One of these is the Hero’s Journey. David Safford has written an excellent serial of articles exploring this subject, and I foster you to check them out.

Another of these far-reaching traditions is known as The Rule of Three.

What Is the Rule of Three?

You don’t have to be a fan of Schoolhouse Rock to know that three is a magic number. Listen to a persuasive loudspeaker, and you’ll hear him commit the Rule of Three time and again to drive home his items, motivate his audience, and improve their retention of his messages.( See how I merely did that ?)

Things happen in threes.

Or at least it seems that way, because the convention is so deeply entrenched in our artistic hopes. You can see thoughtfulness of this everywhere. The Holy Trinity. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Truth, justice, and the American way.

We see it all the time in our myth, too.

The three-act structure, beginning, middle, and terminate. The Three Little Pigs, the Three Amigos, the Three Musketeers. Grouping things in threes not only renders lilt and equilibrium, but also invokes a potent subconscious expectation.

Overall, the Rule of Three is the art of setting up and fulfilling a three-part pattern. It is a writing principle that is based on how people comprehend and retain information based on motifs. And like the amount four, it is a small number that allows us to remember important items although we are causing possibilities for developing conflict in a plot.

Unlike the quantity four though, peculiar digits tend to be more interesting.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways we can use the Rule of Three in our writing.

Boosting Character Dynamics

When you have two reputations, A interacts with B and B interacts with A. Certainly there can be tension, but it’s difficult to sustain in an interesting way.

Add a third character, and you’ve only deepened the dimensions of your patch enormously. Now we’ve get A to B, A to C, B to A, B to C, C to A, and C to B.

This affords abundance of remit for adding and escalating conflict.

Introducing a fourth reference to the mix can sometimes be too much, uttering it hard for the reader to keep straight, but three is perfect. Why do you think triangles are so favourite in literature?

Let’s take a look at some examples.

1. The Hunger Games

Katniss is torn between two loves, Gale and Peeta. Each of these men brings out something good in her, fulfilling a need. The ongoing tug of war between what she thoughts she requires and what she dissolves up with organizes a enforcing dynamic that carries the narrative through three novels.

Also known as the enjoy triangle, this is an excellent way to apply the Rule of Three in any legend, as a prime storyline or subplot.

Three generates pressure and patrols a choice.

2. Casablanca

Like The Hunger Games, the interactions here are primarily between Ilsa and her two lovers.

The story middles on themes of desire vs. honor and relinquish for another’s happiness. Without Laszlo catering a third side of the triangle, Rick and Ilsa’s startling conflict would be considerably flatter.

The story needs the tension. It, once again, starts pressure by pull reputations into hard recess that ask hard-bitten decisions.

3. Ghost

Sam dies, creating a gulf between him and Molly that exclusively Oda Mae can gap.

If Sam could just talk to Molly, they wouldn’t need Oda Mae, but the narrative wouldn’t have all the lovely aspect and conflict created by the threesome.

The threesome cures elevate the fib ventures, and these continue to escalate as the patch thickens.

Yes, but What Else Does it Do?

Though it manifests well in courage dynamics, the Rule of Three applies to so much more than love triangles alone.

Because it’s so ingrained in us, we instinctively strive it out and it thereby seizes our attention and benefits our interest.

Here are three other highways you can use the Rule of Three in your writing to strengthen your story.

1. Build tension

Story is about a character, in a define, with a problem.

The character launches on a series of try/ fail rounds. The number of cycles and how long this gone on will differ from narrative to narration, but the book is subliminally programmed to expect three.

The character makes an strive and disappoints; friction is the result.

When the character tries and neglects a second time, the tension is deepened. Success on the third try feels right. Four strives at the same feat is heading toward tedious.

Think Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Once is too easy; twice still doesn’t cut it. Three meters is just right.

2. Facilitate memory

There are a couple of aspects to be considered in this regard.

Scientific research suggests that humans retain things best in groups of three. Too, our abilities like to recognize and analyze patterns.

One point seems random. Two sites don’t undoubtedly correlate. But when a third target of data is added to a scenario, a possible blueprint formations, focusing the brain’s attention.

The other appearance is that readers tend to remember something that comes up three times, so you can use this to set up for later payoffs. Mention something early on then returning it up again down the road and you’ve set up an anticipation in the reader’s mind.

They remember and anticipate that third appearance.

3. Surprise

Public talkers and comics use the Rule of Three all the time to deliver important points and punchlines.

You can do it, too, in your writing to spring a surprise. Establish those first two points to get your reader anticipate a third, then change it.

I discussed this in my article, 5 Side-Splitting Ways to Infuse Humor Into Your Writing, and I hope you’ll throw that a speak. But here are a few short a few examples of the technique.

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”- Benjamin Disraeli

“There are three principal ways to lose money: wine, ladies, and engineers. While the first two are more pleasant, the third is by far the more certain.” –Baron Rothschild

“Three things your marriage wants you to do in the event of an argument–take a breath, take a hint, and take a hike.” –Joslyn Chase

Veni, Vidi, Vici

The Rule of Three can add conflict and dynamic to your planned. It can challenge your exponent to make decisions and face consequences.

The Rule of Three can fill gaps in your story’s content, and pull your readers into emotional minutes that they will remember long after they’re over.

Now that you have a firmer grasp on the Rule of Three, you are ready to go forth and quell!

Just be sure to remember the rule, know how to use it, and have fun!

How about you? Do you notice the Rule of Three in the books and movies you experience? Do you use it in your writing? Tell us about it in the comments.

Practice

Let’s write a scene employ the Rule of Three. Choose a prompt from below or come up with your own idea. Write a scene where the character manufactures three attempts to solve a problem, rising the tension after each failure, and discontinuing with success on the third try.

Liza has her routine “re ready for” the cheerleader tryouts, but she’s not certain her ankle hurt is sufficiently healed and it’s become meter! Ralph can’t believe he’s actually traveling through opening on a NASA assignment. Everything is awesome until he tries to contact Mission Control and the gear disappoints. Jennie has been seized and locked in a vault apartment. She must escape, employing simply the substance of her pocket and a piece of dirty string.

Write for fifteen minutes. When you’re finished, announce your work in the comments and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow scribes! Commenting on three novelists’ floors seems just about right, don’t you think?

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