Rule of threes

Rule of threes or "omne trium perfectum", spiritual or practical are rules that most people would live and die by. Ok i know, that sounds super dramatic. Personally, i am a believe of both the spiritual and practical. For those who dont know the spiritual replicate of three. For every three bad things to happen to you, three good things will then happen. In Survival the rule of threes is: you can survive for three minutes  without oxygen, you can survive three hours without shelter from a harsh environment and you can survive three days without water.

Simply put, the rule of threes is a blanket principle which states that ideas are more interesting, more enjoyable and more memorable for your audience. But we aren't here to look at a blanket rule of threes we want to know more, delving deeper into why the rule of threes is so important especially in literacy. 

Practically, rule of threes is a common principle that applies to writing, both during the writing process and during the final stages. The rule of threes for for writing incorporates 'the set up', 'the build' and 'the punch line'. 

Perfect examples of this are:

1. "The three little pigs" : The first little pig sets up the story building his house of straw (Which the wolf later blows over). The same happens to the second pig's stick house, (creating the sense of anticipation - what will happen next). The third pig breaks the pattern when he build his house out of bricks, pushing the fables resolution, in a nice neat bow. 

2. "Goldilocks and the three bears" : Each of the porridge bowls is too hot until she reaches the third which is just right. The same thing happens when she tries the beds .The first bed Goldilocks tries is too hard, the second is too soft, and the third is just right, which allows her to falls asleep (the start of the conflict). The arrival of the bears, have actions parallel to those of goldilocks. (The punch line here is when they notice Goldilocks in their bed). 

3. The three wise men: (The father, the son and the hold spirit). In the bible, baby Jesus is visited by an unnamed  number of Magi, popular represented as three wise men. Each brought with them three gifts (Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh) the concept of the Holy Trinity, that God can be represented by three distinct manifestations, developed by early Christians.

Three ways to incorporate the 'set up', 'the build' and 'the punch line' are:

1. Three-part structure. This is an important structure that can be used to organise your writing. The beginning (sets things up), Build anticipation, punchline, resolution, or plot twist. An easy way to apply this to your writing is by having three characters experience the same situation in slightly different ways.

2. Tricolon. At the sentence level, attempt to use a group of three words that parallel each other in length or form. This is known as a tricolon and produces memorable, rhythmic phrases. An example and arguably one of the most famous uses of a tricolon was used by Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the United States Declaration of Independence saying "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." Another example from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, "We cannot desecrate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground."

3. Hendiatris: the use of three words that work together to convey a single concept. Think marketing guru when applying this method. Hendiatris is most commonly used for advertising creating slogans and speech writing. William Shakespeare used hendiatris in Julius Caesar, "I came, i saw, i conquered" and "Friends, Romans, countrymen." 

But the rule of threes doesn't just end there. As Catherine Milne, head of fiction at Harper Collins Australia quotes. When a manuscript is finished it should be read by three people. 

1. a friend (they provide the feedback that is more cushioned) they are also arguably one of the most important feedback providers because they give you the confidence you needed.

2. A fellow writer (they offer constructive feedback) pushing you to create your best work

3. Your editor (This is definitely the hardest step) they offer you the uncushioned, rawest, most opinionated review of your manuscript. 

Whatever aspect of life you are in, as long as you have 'the rule of threes' in the back of your mind.