The Domino Effect
Domino is a tile-based family of games that includes block-and-draw, scoring, and solitaire variations. It can be played with a traditional European set of 28 dominoes, or with other sets that feature different combinations of numbers of pips (or spots).
When playing block-and-draw domino games, the first player draws one domino from the stock or boneyard and plays it. The player who has the most dominoes with matching values wins the game. Then the next player chooses a domino from the boneyard and plays it. The players keep this pattern going until neither person can play a match.
In a scoring version of 5s-and-3s, each player chooses a domino from the stock or boneyard and adds it to an existing domino that has the same number of pips. Then the player who has the most dominoes whose total number of pips is divisible by five or three wins.
The domino effect can be used to create a cascade of new behaviors or a shift in a person’s beliefs. Jennifer Dukes Lee began making her bed each day as part of a new habit. As she continued to make her bed, other habits started to form around her commitment to a clean, organized home.
By the end of the fourth day, she had folded and put away a few clothes she’d been hanging out on the bed, picked up a sock, and organized some Tupperware in her cupboards. She even found a stuffed ornamental pig to place on her bed as a reminder of the habit she’d created.
As a result of the domino effect, Jennifer Dukes Lee has created a whole new self-image around keeping her house tidy and organized. Her self-image has impacted other parts of her life as well.
Another example of the domino effect in action is when a professional domino artist creates a stunning display. Hevesh, for instance, uses scientific principles to create complex designs that tumble one domino after the other in careful sequence.
Once Hevesh has her creations all in place, she just waits for the first domino to fall. She knows it’s possible to make these intricate displays because of one physical phenomenon: gravity.
When a domino falls, it slides against the other dominoes that are still standing, creating friction. This friction causes some of the energy to be converted into heat and sound, but it also pushes the domino’s bottom away from the surface they’re on, which causes them to knock over.
A single domino can knock over a whole line of dominoes, which is what makes the domino effect so compelling to watch. In domino shows, builders compete for the most elaborate and imaginative setups that use the domino effect to draw in fans.
The domino effect is a powerful narrative tool that can be used to create stories of epic proportions. Whether you’re writing a novel or a short story, consider how you can incorporate the domino effect into your plot. It’ll help you craft a story that has both action and reaction, and it’ll make your readers eager for the next domino to fall!