Domino is a game where players place domino tiles in a line or other pattern, and then flick (or push) the first one, starting a chain reaction that causes all the others to fall. The game can be as simple or complex as you want – the possibilities for layouts are endless. For example, you can create straight or curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, stacked walls, and even 3D structures like towers and pyramids.
Domino also refers to a particular leadership style, characterized by decisive action and an absence of bureaucracy. It’s different from the more traditional management approach, which places a greater emphasis on formal policies and procedures. Many businesses have adapted this Domino leadership style to better align with their employees’ needs, and to increase employee engagement.
As the first domino falls, much of its potential energy converts to kinetic energy (energy in motion). That kinetic energy is transferred to the next domino, providing the little push it needs to fall as well. And so on, until all the dominoes have fallen.
Lily Hevesh is a professional domino artist who has built mind-blowing setups using thousands of dominoes. She follows a version of the engineering-design process when creating her pieces, starting with considering a theme or purpose for the installation. Then she brainstorms images or words that might relate to that theme.
In the comics, Domino is a mutant who has the ability to cause things to happen in a sequence of events called a domino effect. Domino first appeared as part of the mercenary team the Six Pack, led by Cable. After the Pack dissolved following a mission in the Yucatan, Domino joined X-Force. She became known as the Domino Lady after a run-in with the Punisher, during which her luck powers prevented him from killing her.
Using dominoes as a metaphor for writing scenes in a story is an effective way to visualize the structure of your narrative. Think of each scene as a domino, inert and useless on its own but essential to the overall plot when combined with the other scene dominoes. As you nudge each domino into its next position, your readers will feel a natural progression through your story with no hiccups in logic.