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Rule of Three

The document discusses the "rule of three" in storytelling and comedy. The rule establishes that things are most satisfying and humorous when presented in a pattern of three, with a beginning, middle, and end. Following this format allows the audience to anticipate a resolution or punchline. Effective use of the rule saves the funniest or most surprising element for the last item in a series of three. Examples are provided of jokes that follow this rule of threes structure to maximize humor. The document encourages using prompts to practice writing jokes that employ the rule of three.

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Shaurya Arya
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515 views

Rule of Three

The document discusses the "rule of three" in storytelling and comedy. The rule establishes that things are most satisfying and humorous when presented in a pattern of three, with a beginning, middle, and end. Following this format allows the audience to anticipate a resolution or punchline. Effective use of the rule saves the funniest or most surprising element for the last item in a series of three. Examples are provided of jokes that follow this rule of threes structure to maximize humor. The document encourages using prompts to practice writing jokes that employ the rule of three.

Uploaded by

Shaurya Arya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Rule of three

What is the rule of 3?


The rule of three establishes a pattern and then ends with something unexpected.
It has a beginning, a middle, and an end
Why follow the rule of three?
1. We like things with a beginning, middle, and end
Recently, I saw a newbie try his hand at a local stand-up comedy open mic.
He grabbed the microphone and started telling a story about his roommate walking
in on him while he was masturbating.
Aaaand… that was the end of the story.
Highly dissatisfying. (Probably for everyone involved.)
Why? Because this turdburger didn’t tell a story with a beginning, middle, and
end! He left off the end and expected the audience to laugh anyway.
But no one was ready to laugh, because we were still waiting for the story to end
(and for this dude to get offstage).

2. Three is the minimum number required to create a pattern or “streak”


Interestingly, one study found that “the third repeat event in a sequence is pivotal
to the subjective belief that a streak is occurring.”

3. A series of 3 offers a concrete “middle” choice


We also like things in threes because offering three items can help anchor the
“middle” choice as the best or most popular. This is a useful pricing tactic, and
one you’ll see all over SaaS and other service-provider websites.

How to use the rule of 3?


In general, if you’re writing copy with a series of three, save the funny word or
phrase for the last item in the series. That ensures it’ll have the maximum punch.
What’s funny?
Usually it’s something surprising or shocking. Or something that’s the opposite of
what you were led to expect (this is called a reversal).
Some examples-
“I can’t think of anything worse after a night of drinking than waking up next to someone and
not being able to remember their name, or how you met, or why they’re dead.”

“I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighbourhood


to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.”

It’s your turn to now write a few jokes keeping this rule in mind.
We are providing you with a few prompts to kickstart your creativity, but your jokes don’t have
to be limited to these.

Prompts-
3 characteristics of Kashmir
3 funny situations you are generally in
3 girlfriend/boyfriend situations you’ve been in
3 times you felt embarrassed
3 people you hate
3 things that have changes your lives
3 jobs you think are funny
3 food items you dislike
3 Bollywood stars who would go to jail the earliest
3 friends of yours who would murder someone to do something, and what for

Keep in mind the rule of 3 while writing your jokes! Make sure your jokes have a beginning,
a middle, and an end! Get started!
REFERENCES
https://punchlinecopy.com/funnier-copy-rule-of-3/
https://punchlinecopy.com/category/comedy/
https://www.writersdigest.com/there-are-no-rules/comedy-writing-secrets-triples

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