Most of you have heard of the "Rule of Three", but some of you have not. More of us use it in our writing without even thinking about it.
While Googling for info the other night and watching a rerun of NCIS, Tony DiNozzo mentioned it while explaining the developement of a crime the team was investigating about a serial killer. He said, "Do something once it's a tragedy, twice it's a coincidence, three times it's a pattern." Just what I was looking for.
Further searching turned up a great blog by Brian Clark. He talks how the rule of three has been used throughout history in nursery rhymes, comedy, and diverse areas of life. Stop by and check out Brian's blog at:
http://www.copyblogger.com/rule-of-three/
Carra,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the link to Brian Clark's blog. I read and learned from his piece on the rule of three. I'd never heard that term until you mentioned it (or forgot if I did) but now I realize I've utilized it in my writing a lot. My Texas Druids series is in three parts, and the first book, Darlin' Druid, is divided into three sections. First there's the trip west by rail, second is the portion set in Utah, and third the climactic sequence in Texas.
Brian points out in his blog that we are preconditioned in childhood to view things in sets of three, and I think he's right. He covers other inportant topics on his site, as well. I'm very glad to find him -- thanks to you! Lyn