A domino is any one of 28 small oblong pieces, marked with an arrangement of spots or pips (or blanks) and usually twice as long as wide, used to play positional games where the aim is to place tiles edge to edge so that their value is matched by those of other tile(s) already in the line. They are also sometimes known as bones, cards, men, tiles, or stones. The word domino derives from the Latin dominus, meaning lord, master, or sovereign.
A person who builds large domino installations, also known as “domino art,” often starts with a grid or chart that shows how the whole thing should look when it’s finished. He or she will then draw arrows to show how each domino should be positioned to achieve the desired result. Hevesh does this for each of the major 3-D sections of her installations before she assembles them all together.
Then Hevesh goes to work positioning each domino in the right way to create a track that will allow the most effective flow of energy through the entire piece. He or she may also make test versions of each section to see if it works as intended. Hevesh also films these tests in slow motion so he or she can make precise corrections before the final installation is built.
Dominoes are incredibly versatile, and there are endless ways they can be used. In addition to the traditional lines of dominoes that are lined up to be knocked over, there are also curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, and 3D structures like towers and pyramids. The possibilities are almost limitless, and the results are stunning.
If you’ve ever been to a domino rally, where a builder sets up hundreds or thousands of dominoes in a careful sequence, then it is amazing to see the entire display come down with the slightest nudge. Dominoes are a fascinating symbol of how one thing can impact many other things in a chain reaction.
Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, writing a novel involves thinking of each scene as a domino. Using this analogy can help you weed out scenes that aren’t moving the story forward and find ways to connect them in a more effective manner.
A domino has inertia, a tendency to resist motion, so it’s difficult to tip over by itself. A tiny nudge, however, is all it takes to release that energy and set the first domino in motion. As it pushes on the next domino, that domino releases more energy, and so on. The result is a series of events that build on each other and ultimately lead to the end of the story. The same is true in business: if you can’t figure out how to link your scenes together, then your novel will feel disconnected and unfocused. To avoid this, consider how the domino effect can be applied to your story and use it as a guide for your next draft.