Domino is a game in which dominoes (also called bones, pieces, men, or stones) are set up side by side on an even surface and then tipped so that one domino causes the next to fall. A player wins by covering the entire board with dominoes or by having the most dominoes remaining when all of their opponents have wiped out their stock.
The first domino was a small rectangular block with a raised central pip, like the kind you might find on a tile or a poker chip, that was used as a gaming piece in a variety of ways. In addition to blocking and scoring games, dominoes can be used to create a wide range of patterning, layout, and decoration activities. In fact, some domino sets are so versatile that they can be used as a learning tool to teach geometry or the elements of physics.
People also use domino as toys, stacking them on end in long lines and then tipping the first one so that it sets off a chain reaction with the rest of the pieces toppling over. They can be set up in straight or curved lines, and incredibly complex designs can be built. Domino builders are often invited to show their creations at events where they compete for the most intricate and imaginative domino effect or reaction before a live audience.
A domino set usually contains 28 tiles with pips on all of their faces, but larger sets can be made by adding a number of extra pieces. Some players add “extended” dominoes with additional pips on the ends to make them more distinct. Some people have even built sets of dominoes with multiple colors.
Taking a lesson from the way in which dominoes are used to create patterns and reactions, we can look at our writing in a similar fashion. Each scene in a story, like each domino in a line, is ineffective on its own, but when put together with the scenes before it and after it, it creates a chain of events that leads to a dramatic climax or conclusion.
To make their pizza delivery business more competitive, Domino’s CEO Tom Monaghan began to think outside the box. He worked with crowd-sourced auto designers to develop a customized car for Domino’s deliveries, which the company calls the Domino’s DXP, which they describe as a “cheese lover’s Batmobile.” In addition, Monaghan and his team experimented with using different types of delivery methods.
Domino’s delivery drivers now work on bicycles and in electric scooters, as well as in their traditional trucks. In addition, they have partnered with Apple CarPlay to enable customers to order their pizzas directly from the dashboard of their connected car.
The point is that the simple act of making your bed in the morning can lead to a cascade of positive consequences in your life, so it’s important to take that first step every day. In your writing, the domino effect means any simple action that logically impacts the scene after it, just as a domino tipping over another domino results in a cascade of effects in a line of dominoes.