Domino is a game where players place domino pieces edge to edge in long lines. Then, when the first one is tipped over, it triggers other dominoes to tip and so on in a sequence known as a domino effect. The result is an endless cascade that can create beautiful patterns and structures, from simple to complex. It’s also a metaphor for something much larger: the way one action can set off a chain reaction with far-reaching consequences.
A domino is a small, rectangular block with from one to six pips or dots on its face; 28 such pieces make up a complete set. A domino can be used in many different games, including the well-known game of drawing and counting tiles until all are played. It can also be used to create patterns and structures by arranging dominoes in lines and angular formations.
The most common domino sets are made of polymer (such as bakelite) or resin. Traditionally, dominoes were also made from bone (especially silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell, or MOP), ivory, and dark hardwoods such as ebony. In addition to being more expensive than polymer dominoes, these natural sets have a more classic look and feel.
MOP and ivory dominoes typically feature black or white pips, while ebony sets have dark-colored pips. In some cases, the pips are inlaid or painted in order to be more easily distinguished from each other. Some modern sets use Arabic numerals instead of pips for greater clarity and efficiency.
In stories, a domino effect occurs when a character’s actions cause other characters to act in ways that wouldn’t normally happen. This is similar to the domino effect in nature, where one event can initiate a chain reaction of other events that have much greater consequences than any single original action would have had on its own.
Like the domino effect in physics, a domino cascade can have positive or negative effects. A positive domino effect is when the action has desirable results, such as a business that grows rapidly or an experiment that leads to a breakthrough in science. A negative domino effect is the opposite, where an event has undesirable consequences, such as a terrorist attack or a natural disaster that causes widespread damage and loss of life.
When a domino effect occurs in fiction, it’s important for the author to keep the action moving quickly. Readers will want to see scenes that advance the story and lead the hero closer or farther from the goal. Scenes that are too long or overly complicated will slow down the pace of the story and make it difficult for readers to understand the logic behind the hero’s decisions. The same is true of domino constructions—it’s important that the pieces are spaced correctly so that the domino effect flows naturally. It’s also important that the story has a clear beginning, middle, and end so that readers can follow the hero’s progression from point A to point B.