How Dominoes Affect Story Plots

domino

A domino is a small rectangular block used as a gaming object. It has one side marked with an arrangement of dots, called pips, like those on a die. The other side is blank or identically patterned. Dominoes have been in use for centuries throughout the world to play a variety of games. They can be made of bone, ivory, or a dark hardwood, such as ebony, with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on them. They are also made of a range of other materials, including natural stone (e.g., marble, granite, or soapstone); other types of wood (e.g., spruce, oak, or redwood); metals such as brass or pewter; ceramic clay; and crystal or glass.

Hevesh began building domino arrangements when she was 10. Her YouTube channel, Hevesh5, now has more than 2 million subscribers, and she’s worked on team projects involving up to 300,000 dominoes. Her largest installations can take several nail-biting minutes to fall. Each domino has a certain amount of inertia, which means that it resists motion until a little nudge is applied. Once that happens, the potential energy in that domino becomes available to push on other pieces and cause them to topple as well.

In a story, a domino effect occurs when a change in one scene leads to a chain reaction that affects subsequent scenes. For example, if a character is given a clue in one scene that can help solve the mystery, then the next scene should reveal how she used this information to find the solution.

For many writers, especially those who don’t use outlines or other tools to plot their stories, the domino concept can be useful when planning out scenes that need to follow each other in a specific order. By considering how a scene can impact the scenes ahead of it, you can ensure that your novel’s plot makes sense and keeps readers engaged.

Dominos Pizza founder Tom Monaghan honed his strategy for growth by listening to his customers. He emphasized placing pizzerias near college campuses, where the company could build a loyal base of young patrons who wanted to get their pizza quickly. He also encouraged managers to listen carefully to employee feedback and respond quickly with changes such as relaxed dress codes or new leadership training programs. Those efforts helped the company grow faster than its competitors. These days, Dominos is a top workplace for employees thanks to its commitment to its values and focus on customer satisfaction.

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