The Domino Effect in Writing

Domino is a small rectangular wooden or plastic block with a face marked with an arrangement of spots resembling those on a die. The other side of a domino is blank or identically patterned. One of the most popular uses for dominoes is as a game played by two or more people, in which players place domino pieces (also called tiles) on the edge of a table. A player must place the first domino so that its identifying marks touch the edges of adjacent pieces in a chain, which gradually increases in length. The dominoes are then “stitched up” by sliding the bottom of the piece against the adjacent ones, converting some of the potential energy stored in them to kinetic energy, which causes the adjacent pieces to fall over.

In the early days of Domino’s, founder Fred Monaghan made the strategic decision to open restaurants near college campuses to capitalize on a growing market for fast-service pizza delivery. This strategy helped the company expand rapidly, reaching 200 locations by 1978.

Although Domino’s is now a multibillion-dollar global enterprise, the company still prides itself on innovation and customer service. Its latest offering is Domino’s Anywhere, which allows customers to order from any device with a web browser or smartphone app. Domino’s Anywhere is available in many markets, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

Whether you compose your novel off the cuff or plot it carefully with an outline, every story boils down to one key question: What happens next? Considering the domino effect in your writing can help you answer this question in a way that compels readers.

Hevesh works very hard to get her mind-blowing domino setups right. Before she puts the final touches on a design, she builds test versions and films them in slow motion to make sure everything flows. This helps her to fix any issues before she assembles the entire installation. She builds the largest 3-D sections of an installation first, then adds flat arrangements and lines of dominoes connecting them all together.

The term domino has a long history in both English and French, but the word did not appear in print until 1750. Earlier, domino denoted a long hooded cloak worn with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade. It also referred to the cape that a priest wore over his surplice.