Today we looked at the power of three – using lists of three things within a sentence. Then we did some more co-editing and writing.
* * * * * * *
Using a list of three can add power to our writing in different ways.
1.)
We can effectively tell a story with imagery within one sentence.
eg.: “…we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America”*
2.)
We can help our imagery accrue power and clarity within the text as we ‘illustrate’ a previous point.
eg.: “Homes have been lost;
jobs shed;
businesses shuttered.” *
or: “… struggled and sacrificed and worked” *
* From the USA President Obama’s inaugural speech.
3.)
We can establish expectations and build interest in the readers’ minds by telling them what else we are about to write about later in our essay.
eg.: “Despite what dog lovers may believe, cats make excellent housepets as they are good companions, they are civilized members of the household, and they are easy to care for.”
From the introduction to “Cats – The Ideal Pet“
4.)
And, we can establish expectations, and then defeat them, by listing three things that are linked, but by making the third think linked in an unexpected and obviously humorous way.
The following is taken from a website on humour:
The first two items in the triplet set the pattern (the “straight” line) and the third item breaks the pattern (the curve/the twist/the derailment). Breaking the pattern heightens the tension and creates the surprise, usually resulting in laughter. There are countless patterns you could use:
Same Category/Same Category/Different Category (T-shirt which lists world-class cities: Paris/Tokyo/Naju).
Expected Trait/Expected Trait/Unexpected Trait (She was pretty, she was shapely, she was a man).
Something Everyone Loves/Something Everyone Loves/Something Everyone Hates (A Las Vegas wedding package contains everything you will need; music, flowers, a divorce document).
Ordinary/Ordinary/Ridiculous (I go to Las Vegas to see the shows, eat at the buffets and visit my money).
Extreme/Extreme/Ordinary (“Sorry I can’t come to the phone now: I’m either speaking to thousands, appearing on ‘Oprah’, or taking a nap.”)
