The rule of three is a principle in writing that suggests a trio of events or characters is more humorous, satisfying, or effective than other numbers1. We see the number used all over the place from religion to advertising content. Being the smallest number that can establish a pattern, three gets things stuck in our heads.
I mean, come on, look at this list:
- Faith, hope, love
- Stop, drop, roll
- Father, Son, Holy Spirit
- Blood, sweat, tears
I could go on. For a long while. I mean, I am a writer after all, and a fairly decent researcher, word lover, and random trivia memorizer. But that’s a rabbit trail we don’t need to travel. Today, I want to talk about three new books!
Today marks the release of Something Borrowed: Christmas Weddings Collection! This five-book set joins two that came out last week, Hearts Aglow, the fifth Christmas Lights collection, and Five Gold Rings, the seventh Crossroads collection.
Eyebrow raises and widened eyes are the typical response I get when people find out I wrote three Christmas books this year, all set to release within a week. I know. It was a crazy decision, but I knew God called me to each one for a different reason. And knowing I was responding to that call gave me a measure of peace rather than stress because if God calls, He also is faithful to equip, and He will always work things for His good and His glory.
Enter the first story, Always Been Yours. I started writing it last November after our Once Upon a Christmas collection came out and we first began brainstorming Something Borrowed. Not only did I enjoy telling the story of a *slightly* dramatic, big-hearted, confident plus-size heroine and the injured best friend who’s been in love with her for years, but Toni, Mikal, Teresa, and Andrea have forged a deep, abiding friendship that has been an answer to prayer for each of us.
The story itself is a little lighter on the faith elements than many of my other books, but it was what poured out and I know God can use it (and will)! Not everything we do as believers has to be explicitly Christian in order to convey His message or heart. Hanady accepts people for who they are and doesn’t quite understand when others don’t. I love that about her!
Then there’s Christmas Mercy. Earlier this year when I was finishing up Whatever Happens Next, I knew Vera and Edie would need a story of their own. I’ve long wanted to write a second chance romance, so when Amanda Tru announced her idea for this season’s Crossroads set (couples once jilted), the outline I’d already sketched was too coincidental to be anything but a God idea. The faith threads are woven into their daily lives, though still not overpowering, as Vera and Rob come to understand grace, mercy, forgiveness, and restoration.
And finally, This and Every Christmas. I was a little nervous, to be honest, when it came time to write a third book for the 2020 Christmas Lights gang. After months of quarantine, stay-home orders, political vitriol, and other negativity sucking up my creativity as well as a bit of burnout from already completing 3 1/2 other books (that half is still a WIP), I basically got on my knees and begged for something to spark.
While working on other things, I suddenly had a clear picture of a young boy and girl meeting between the pines on a Christmas tree farm every year on the same day over the course of several years. Most titles don’t come to me until the book’s been written, but this one I knew right away. I also knew they went their separate ways, Noah got married and had a daughter and later became a widower before they met again as adults. Trusting God to carry me through writing this story resulted in a completely different style of tale than I usually write, but one of the most enriching experiences I’ve had as a writer to this point.
Seeing the Rule of Three playing itself out in such a positive way this season has been a balm to my heart this year. Has it been stressful? Sure. Exhausting? Absolutely. But it’s taught me to let go of my illusions of having any control whatsoever, trust the Great Storyteller, and follow His lead. And what a rewarding life lesson for us all in this dumpster fire of a year, am I right?
What trios have you experienced this year? Have good things come in threes for you? Comment below and let’s chat about it!
1Quoted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)
