The Rule of Three means that a trio of events, characters, adjectives, etc is more pleasing to readers. It creates a pattern and reinforces how knowledgable you are, but is still catchy.
The Rule of Three will make your stories more powerful, whether they’re social media posts, conversations with friends, or creative writing.
You see the Rule of Three as far back as Latin- ”Veni, vidi, vici,” anyone? This means ”I came, I saw, I conquered,” as is an incredibly popular saying from one of the oldest languages in the world.
This is also used in popular culture- you see it often with famous trios like Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Kirk, Spock, and Bones, and Luke, Leia, and Han.
It also appears in art and interior design! Triadic structure is pleasing to the eye.
This rule is so engrained in me now that I almost don’t realise I’m doing it, and I’ve literally done it right here in on this page!
More Examples
- ”Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” from the US Declaration of Independence
- ”Stop, drop, and roll”
- Rumpelstiltskin spins thrice for the heroine and lets her guess his name three times over a period of three days
- In comedy you’ll see three characters: the blonde, brunette, and redhead, or the Scotsman, Irishman, and Englishman
- The three spirits in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: Past, Present, and Future
Implement
As you can see, this rule is so prevalent in our lives that it’s almost unnoticeable unless you know it’s there. All we know when we’re reading things is that they sound good, they flow well, and they create a pattern without being overwhelming.
When you’re next writing something, keep the Rule of Three in mind to make it that much more powerful.
