Domino — a rectangular block, usually black and white and bearing one to six pips (dots), that is used in various games by placing them in lines or angular patterns and then knocking them over. Often, dominoes are played by teams or individuals competing for the longest line of dominoes that can be built before someone else knocks them down. Some people even build domino shows where they create elaborate domino effects and reactions before a live audience.
The word domino is also used to describe a chain reaction or series of events that result from the initial action of one person or thing. It is sometimes used to refer to a large group of people or things that act together, such as a political movement or a sports team. The term can be literal or metaphorical and may apply to real world events, such as a series of domino falls that eventually result in a major earthquake or a terrorist attack.
Dominoes are great for learning about the concepts of cause and effect. The joy of building a long line of dominoes and then watching the entire set fall with just a slight nudge is very similar to the feeling that many students experience when their learning challenges are overcome.
Whether a writer composes her manuscript off the cuff or uses a strict outline to guide her story, every scene is like a domino that must fall in order for the narrative to progress. Using the concept of the domino effect can help writers better understand how their scenes and plot points will impact the next.
Just as a row of dominoes is made up of individual pieces that must be pushed over one by one, every scene in a story must be carefully planned to make sure it falls into place. In addition, the process of planning each scene in a story can help an author develop a narrative that is more likely to engage readers and keep them turning the pages.
As a child, my friends and I would play games with dominoes. A typical domino set consists of 28 small, oblong rectangular blocks. The ends of the dominoes are marked with 0-6 dots (or pips). Each player starts by choosing a domino from the boneyard and laying it down. Then, the player must find another domino that has a value that matches the pips on the end of the domino being played. Then the second domino is laid down and so on.
A popular game that involves the use of dominoes is called Twenty-One. The rules are fairly simple: Players begin with a set of twenty-one dominoes, and each player takes turns declaring a number from 1 to 21. The first player to reach 21 wins the game.
A domino set can be extended by adding a tile with more pips on each end to the original tiles. This makes the number of possible combinations of ends higher and allows for more complex games to be played.