Domino (also called dominoes or domino) is a tile game of chance and skill. The tiles, normally twice as long as they are wide, have one face blank and the other faces bearing from one to six pips or spots. Eight such dominoes make up a complete set. The values of the pips are arranged such that each domino is either an all-or-nothing unit that adds up to a certain total or is a “lighter” unit that carries less energy and therefore can be knocked over more easily.
Dominoes are used for a variety of games, including simple blocking and scoring, more elaborate positioningal games, and positional games in which players take turns placing dominoes edge to edge with one another until they form a pattern or some specified total. Some sets have rules for the order in which dominoes must be placed and others allow for reversing the sequence of a row or column.
When the first domino falls, it carries potential energy that is transmitted to each of its neighbors. Some of this energy is converted to the kinetic energy needed to push on the next domino. And so on, a chain reaction that can extend over a large area.
Using this concept, writers can imagine scene dominoes that represent the events in their stories. Each domino in the chain is ineffective by itself, but when positioned strategically they can create a powerful and natural effect that moves the story forward.
For example, if your heroine finds the key to solving the mystery, and the next scene doesn’t advance the plot in any significant way, you might want to reconsider how the scene is positioned. Is it at the wrong angle, or does it have enough logical impact on the scenes ahead of it?
This principle is also demonstrated by a popular domino effect experiment: Place the same number of dominoes in a line and carefully observe them as they fall. The first domino may take a little while to fall, but once it does, the remaining dominoes will start falling quickly. This is because the first domino created a “pulse” that travels at a fixed speed and in one direction, much like the firing of a neuron in your body.
Dominos are often made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or dark hardwood such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips. Some sets are even made from materials such as marble, granite, soapstone, metals, or ceramic clay. They can be quite heavy and are usually quite expensive, but the beauty of a well-made set is such that many people enjoy owning them. Many domino enthusiasts build them into complex and beautiful structures, and some even compete in contests where they try to set up the most impressive domino effects before live audiences. In some cases, these builders can set up hundreds or thousands of dominoes in careful sequence before finally achieving the desired effect with just the nudge of a finger.