Promises and Payoffs

Part 5: Foreshadowing and Rule of Three

Welcome to the # part of my series of posts on Promises and Payoffs in Fiction. These entries explore the tools and methods writers use to create story promises to readers as well as how we sometimes break these promises unintentionally.

These posts will eventually become a craft book that will be published, and each paid member of Messy Muse will receive a signed copy when it comes out.

If you’d like to learn more about this method that I’ve taught to hundreds of writers who have gone on to improve their own stories, become a paid subscriber today.

Last week, we discussed Chekov’s Gun and the intentional use of description to make promises. Today, I’ll cover three more ways we make promises to our readers: Foreshadowing and the Rule of Three. Next week, I’ll cover the use of power words and genre-specific to create promises.

Let’s dive in.