Domino, a cousin to playing cards and dice, is one of the oldest gaming devices. From professional domino competition to simply setting up and knocking down a set of dominoes, they provide hours of entertainment.
A domino is a flat thumb-sized rectangular block, either blank or bearing from one to six pips or dots. A complete domino set has 28 tiles and may be arranged in a variety of ways, most commonly in lines or angular patterns. Most domino games involve emptying one’s hand while blocking opponents’ play. Some games involve scoring, as in the game bergen and muggins, while others, such as matador, chicken foot, and Mexican train, are blocking games. All types of domino games can help develop hand-eye coordination and basic counting skills.
The word is derived from the Latin domino, meaning “I rule” or “he who controls the board.” A domino can also be used as an adjective, referring to someone or something that exerts influence over others. A domino effect occurs when a small event causes a chain reaction that leads to greater events. In writing, a scene domino can be seen as each point in a story that influences the next.
A man who can’t do arithmetic recalls how he was forced to use the domino method of adding in college, tapping out the numbers on his tongue and mentally laying down dominoes on the roof of his mouth. The method helped him pass the required math course and he was able to graduate.
Dominos are made of different materials, including polymer such as plastic, ceramic, and glass. Some are even molded from wood. Traditional sets are made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips. Sets made of these natural materials tend to be more expensive than those of polymer.
The leadership structure of Domino’s Pizza is often compared to the domino effect. Undercover Boss has sent CEO Don Meij into several locations where he is able to observe firsthand how the company’s managers and employees work together to solve problems in an effective manner. Dominos has a unique approach to management, focusing on developing leaders by working with them rather than taking a top-down approach. Considering the domino effect in novel writing can be helpful for writers who are trying to create an interesting plot. Whether the writer is writing off the cuff or following a detailed outline, knowing how to use scenes as dominoes can add to the story. The key is to consider what will happen after each domino falls. That question will dictate the rest of the story.