The Domino Effect in Writing
Domino is the name of a popular game that involves stacking small, rectangular pieces of cardboard on end and then falling them one at a time. The result is a chain reaction where each domino causes the next to topple over and so on. It’s a simple concept, but it can lead to some complex and exciting designs. It’s also a metaphor for life. We often hear the phrase “the domino effect” to describe something that starts out small and leads to much bigger and more catastrophic consequences.
When Hevesh first started collecting dominoes, she didn’t have any idea she would become a domino artist and create some of the most elaborate displays on the planet. Her YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers, and she’s worked on projects involving as many as 300,000 dominoes. Her most complex setups take several nail-biting minutes to fall, and she’s even set a Guinness World Record for the most dominoes toppled in a circular arrangement.
The word domino comes from the Latin dominus, meaning lord or master. It can be a noun or verb, but it’s generally used as a noun to refer to someone who has authority over others or something. The game of domino is widely played in the US, and there are numerous rules and variations on how it’s played. Most of these variations revolve around how the game is won, how points are awarded, and how the pieces can be moved between players.
There are many different types of dominoes, and each variation has specific advantages and disadvantages. For example, some people prefer to use double-nine dominoes because they have the most number of spots and are easy to read. Other people prefer jumbo dominoes because they have more surface area and can be used to play games with multiple players. There are even domino sets that can be rolled to create shapes and figures.
Plotting a novel is a lot like setting up dominoes. Whether you write off the cuff or follow a strict outline using software such as Scrivener, the key to writing a compelling story is understanding how to make each scene connect with the ones that come before it. This is where the domino metaphor comes in handy.
For instance, if your heroine uncovers a clue in one scene but the antagonist doesn’t act on it in the next, something is wrong. This could mean that the clue is at the wrong angle or doesn’t have enough logical impact on the scene ahead of it. In other words, the domino effect isn’t working properly. Taking a cue from Hevesh, consider how the scenes in your story fit together and how they build toward the big showdown at the end of the book. This will help ensure that your plot is a success.