The Domino Effect

Domino, from Latin dominion, is a small, flat rectangular block used as a gaming object. It is usually made of rigid material such as wood or bone, and is often decorated with a pattern of spots on one side. These spots are called pips, and they are similar to those on a die.

There are many games that can be played with domino, and each game has its own rules. The most basic domino set has 28 tiles, seven doubles (same number on both ends from double blank to double six), and 21 singles (a different number on each end or a number and a blank). The most popular form of domino is the double-six set, although it is possible to play with more than two players using other sets of dominoes that include larger numbers of doubles and singles.

A famous example of a domino effect occurred when Domino’s Pizza, the company known for its fast and convenient delivery service, created an autonomous robot that could deliver pizzas to customers within a one-mile radius. This innovative strategy generated a huge amount of positive publicity for the company, and it also helped to attract new customers who might have been skeptical of ordering from another delivery service.

Another interesting use of the domino concept occurs when analyzing the process by which scenes in a story or novel are laid out. Like the dominoes that cascade in a construction, scenes in a story must be carefully spaced so that they occur at just the right moments to advance the action toward its goal. They must not be too long or too short, or the story will feel overly padded with detail or slow to develop.

When the first domino falls, much of its potential energy is converted to kinetic energy as it pushes against the next domino. That energy is then transferred to the next domino, and so on, until the last domino has fallen. The timing of these dominoes is what makes the whole sequence work, and it’s the same principle that applies to storytelling.

In the case of a novel, each scene is like a domino, and when the final scene has been laid down, all that remains to be done is for the rest of the story to fall into place in a smooth cascade. Fortunately, writing skills are the key to making that happen. By focusing on writing strong scenes that progress the story, writers can create an effective and exciting read for their readers. Here are some helpful tips on how to do just that.