Domino is a popular game for many people, both young and old. Children love to line up the black and white rectangles in long rows, and then knock them down. The individual pieces are called dominoes, although you may also hear them referred to as bones, cards, tiles, spinners, or tickets. The most basic domino set contains 28 pieces. Other sets have more or less, depending on the type of game you are playing.
Dominoes can be used to play games such as block and scoring. They are also an effective tool for teaching math and number recognition. The word “domino” derives from the French for “cape,” suggesting that the hooded cloak worn by a priest over his white surplice served as an inspiration for the domino piece, with its contrasting black and ivory colors.
In the most basic Western domino game, two players use a double-six set of 28 dominoes. These are shuffled and gathered together to form a pile of dominoes, often called the stock or boneyard. Each player draws seven dominoes from the stock. When the first player plays one of his dominoes, it must match at least one end with a domino that has already been played. The most common matching ends are six and eight, so dominoes with other pips are generally not played.
The first domino to fall energizes all of the other dominoes in its row. This is why we often refer to the power of one domino action causing others to follow suit, a concept known as the domino effect. In fact, this is the essence of all good stories: something simple starts a chain reaction that ultimately creates a bigger and more dramatic outcome than would have been possible without that initial action.
A domino effect can occur in real life, too. We see it all the time, when a single event has a ripple effect that leads to unexpected consequences. An example of this can be seen in Admiral William H. McRaven’s first piece of advice to University of Texas graduates: Make your bed every morning.
If you want to have more control over your destiny, you might try thinking of your life like a set of dominoes. The key is not to set your hopes too high, but instead to focus on the positive things that you can change in your life.
Whether you prefer to plot your novel off the cuff or use software such as Scrivener to help you structure your story, a well-crafted scene is essential. If a scene doesn’t have enough impact, it might be like an empty domino that does nothing to advance your plot. The best way to avoid this is to ensure that each scene advances the story at the right pace and logically connects to the scenes ahead of it. This will allow your readers to engage with your story and understand what is at stake.