Comments by "p11" (@porky1118) on "Trope Talk: Rule of 3" video.

  1. Sometimes, the hero has to accomplish two of three trials. In this case, the hero loses two and wins one, but never wins or loses all of them :P
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  2. I like to use an extended version of the structure of Mother 3 instead of the three act structure. It has an intro and 8 chapters. My extended version adds four extra chapters, the last three being a thee act structure. The intro should be clear, a small introduction to the world The first chapter is still some kind of introduction and setup of the story. The second and third tell two different stories, which belong together, but show different sides of the same aspect. At the ending of the third chapter, both chapters are resolved together in some way. From the fourth chapter onwards, something changed completely. The fourth chapter introduces these changes while being a setup for chapter 5. Chapter 5 resolves this setup and prepares chapter 7. In chapter 6, not much happens, but it's important. Chapter 7 is the longest chapter. It explores the rest of the world in a more dynamic structure and might be a bit repetitive. It's basically an own structure in itself. Chapter 8 is something completely different. It does not revisit any established places. And it resolves the story in some way, while leaving a lot of questions. That's basically the structure of Mother 3 a bit more abstract, so you have more creative freedom. For example chapter 2 and 3 in Mother 3 are about different characters, which work for opposite sides at the same time. But in a story I wrote using this system, it's about two different concepts explored by the same person. My first extension adds a ninth chapter, which shows the world after the main conflict is resolved. My second extension adds three more chapters, which tell a side story. In chapter 10 something is discovered, which might still lead to problems. In chapter 11, they try solve the problem, but fail. In chapter 12, they finally manage to really solve the problem.
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  3. There's a German book, where the main characters always count to four instead of three.
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  4. Sometimes, the hero has to accomplish two of three trials. In this case, the hero loses two and wins one, but never wins or loses all of them :P
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