Adding humor to any type of writing is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3.
Not 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.
Or 1 – 2.
1 – 2 – 3.
Research shows we like lists of three. Four sounds overdone. Two feels incomplete. Three is just right.
I guess Goldilocks and the three bears were right.
The literary device known as The Rule of Three says lists are funnier, more satisfying, and more effective in threes.
I agree.
Here are three easy tips for adding humor using The Rule of Three:
1. Add an Unexpected Humorous Ending to a List of Three.
Whether you’re writing a serious or comedic piece, throwing in a humorous ending to a list of three grabs your reader’s attention.
Getting fit and trim is easy. Eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less processed foods, and borrow your skinny neighbor’s five kids and three dogs to chase around.
In the above example, the third point could easily lead into a serious discussion about adopting a more active lifestyle for an article on health and fitness.
It could also lead into a humorous anecdote in a novel about two friends who are opposites.
In my last article, I talked about using opposites in humor, which is otherwise known as juxtaposition for you scholarly types. Check it out here.
2. Add an Unexpected Serious Ending to a List of Three
A list that starts out humorous but ends in a more normal tone is another method for catching the reader by surprise and introducing the topic in a memorable way.
The following example could be used to introduce the topic of why every writer should join a critique group.
The most successful road to publishing awakens delusions of grandeur, unearths deep-seated insecurities, and leads through a writer’s critique group that will help keep the author grounded somewhere in between.
3. Change-up a Well-Known List of Three
Can you fill in the last word in each of these lists?
Live, Love, _____.
Friends, Romans, _____.
The good, the bad, and the _____.
Surely every American knows these famous phrases. (If not, check the bottom of the post for the answers.)
When we take a familiar list of three and change it up with something unfamiliar, we throw our reader off and make them laugh.
I came, I saw, I bought the t-shirt.
When well-done, The Rule of Three brings a smile to our readers’ faces, encourages them to keep reading, and results in smiling authors.
It’s a win-win.
Not everything has to be grouped in three’s.
Live, Love, Laugh.
Friends, Romans, countrymen.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
I came, I saw, I bought the t-shirt came from the famous quote by Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered.
What are some favorite change-ups you’ve heard? Share them in the comments below.
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