When people talk about the domino effect, they usually mean that a small action can have a larger impact than one might expect. It’s a concept that applies to many aspects of life, from playing the game to writing a novel. When it comes to plotting a story, the domino effect helps us create a narrative structure that makes sense and keeps readers engaged.
Dominoes (also called bones, cards, men, pieces or tiles) are rectangular blocks of wood, clay, stone or other material, with a line or ridge down the center to divide it visually into two square faces. The face of each tile is marked with an arrangement of dots, called pips, that is similar to those on a die. The pips are normally arranged in a circle or other pattern, and the sum of the pips indicates the rank or value of the piece. A domino that has no pips or is blank is called a zero, and it is used to define the starting point of a game.
People use dominoes to play games that involve moving, blocking and scoring. Games may be simple or complex, and they can include combinations of skill, luck, strategy and physics. Dominoes are also often used for artistic purposes, such as building structures or creating art. People sometimes build amazing domino displays, and some even compete in domino shows.
Whether we’re playing the game or watching a domino cascade, there’s something about it that is just so satisfying. Each new domino that falls causes the next one to fall, and it continues until all of them have fallen. It’s a beautiful demonstration of the power of cause and effect.
This type of chain reaction isn’t just fun to watch, it can be useful for business and marketing. A good example is Domino’s, a pizza company that prides itself on listening to its customers and putting their needs into action. Their CEO recently made a big change in the company, and that change is already having positive results.
When it comes to writing, the domino effect can be used to create a scene structure that makes sense and ties in with the overall theme of the story. Each domino is a part of the larger narrative, and it contributes to the character’s development and the direction of the plot.
Regardless of whether we write off the cuff or compose a manuscript with a meticulous outline, plotting a story ultimately comes down to the same question: What happens next? If we want our characters to move in a meaningful way that’s consistent with the story, we need to ensure that each scene’s actions have natural consequences. In other words, we need to make sure that every domino in the sequence lands on a solid foundation. This article will show you how to do just that. It will teach you how to use the domino effect to write a story that’s both compelling and logical.