Domino is a tile-based game where players place dominoes to build chains that fall in different patterns. The player who plays the last domino wins the game. The number of points scored depends on how many adjacent sides a domino has, how the dominoes are arranged and the rules of the game. A typical domino set has two matching ends, each marked with a value, which is typically represented by dots or Arabic numerals. Some large sets use more readable pips or even pictures, and may also have additional markings to distinguish the various types of dominoes.
The game can be played with one, two, or more players. The simplest rules are that the first player places a domino on the table and that each subsequent player must play a domino such that its ends match the existing ones. A domino chain can develop in a variety of ways depending on the rules, and is normally formed by playing to a double domino (i.e., a domino with either two or six dots on each of its ends). The resulting chain may be straight, curved, or in the shape of a snake-line. The shape of the chain may also depend on whether the dominoes are stacked or on the size of the playing surface.
Despite the fact that they’re small and seemingly insignificant, each domino has the power to catalyze an entire chain reaction. This is due to the physics of gravity. When a domino is standing upright, it has potential energy, which is stored based on its position. But when the domino falls, much of that potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it hits other tiles and causes them to topple.
As a writer, it’s important to understand the domino effect in order to create an engaging story. For example, if you’re a pantser—a writer who doesn’t make detailed outlines of their manuscript beforehand—you might find that scenes you write don’t flow together well or are at the wrong angle. By using the domino effect, you can weed out unnecessary or repetitive scenes and focus on those that will bring your story to life.
Another way to think of the domino effect is in terms of character logic. If a character takes an action that’s against societal norms, it may disrupt the momentum of the story. To avoid this, writers must provide enough motivation and/or reason for their characters to do what they’re doing so that readers can forgive them or at least keep liking them as a hero.