Domino is a small, rectangular game piece with anywhere from 0 to 6 dots. You can use them to create intricate patterns or just set them up so that when you knock down one, the rest fall in a beautiful, rhythmic cascade. It’s a fun way to spend time with friends and family. This game has inspired a lot of creativity. Artists have used dominoes to make straight lines, curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, stacked walls, and 3D structures like towers and pyramids. Some artists have even created rainbow spirals using thousands of dominoes!
Domino also refers to a system of rules and scoring that is used for games played with a standard domino set. The game is played in pairs, with the first player placing a domino edge to edge against an already placed domino so that their total value matches the sum of the two ends (e.g. five and three makes nine, which is divisible by both five and three). Points are scored when the total of the end tiles is divisible by both five or three, and there is a maximum score for each pair.
The most basic western domino variant requires a double-six set with 28 tiles. When the dominoes are shuffled, they are put into a stack that is known as the stock or boneyard. Each player draws seven tiles from the stock. The players then play a game of domino, with the winning player being the one who wins all the pieces in their opponents’ hands. The stock or boneyard is re-shuffled after each game, and the next round begins with the players drawing from the top of the reshuffled deck.
In business, the term domino refers to a chain effect where one action causes a series of other actions that result in a desired outcome. This idea is popular in management books, and in recent years it has become an important strategy for organizations looking to increase productivity. The Domino Effect is also commonly used in the context of learning challenges, especially in schools where students struggle with a specific skill. Often, students will compensate for this challenge by picking up another skill, which eventually impacts their ability to learn the initial skill. This can cause a domino effect of problems that may be difficult to stop.
The Domino Effect is a great tool to use when planning your scenes. Lay them out in order and step back to see if they logically connect with each other, and if the emotional beats shift as they should do throughout the story. This will help you ensure that your writing is strong, and that when readers pick up your book, they have a clear idea of where the story is headed.