by Domino is a game played by placing dominoes in a line and then tipping the first one ever-so-slightly. The rest then fall in a rhythmic cascade. Dominoes are also an excellent way to teach kids about physics and math. The principles that make dominoes so fun to play are also useful in writing fiction. Whether you compose your manuscript off the cuff or take your time with a careful outline, the process of plotting your novel ultimately comes down to one question: What happens next? Considering how to use the domino effect in your story will help you answer that question in a compelling way.
Dominoes come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common are square or rectangular, about the size of a thumb. Each has a blank face or one to six pips (or dots). A complete set of dominoes consists of 28 pieces. Dominoes are used for a variety of games, including matching the ends of dominoes, and for laying them down in lines or angular patterns. They can be glued together to form more elaborate constructions.
The game of dominoes arrived in Britain in the late 18th Century, possibly through French prisoners of war, and soon became popular in British inns and taverns. Dominoes are also popular in Latin America and Africa. In addition, there are a number of domino puzzles that require players to place tiles based on arithmetic properties of the pips.
Some of these puzzles are very complex, and it can be difficult for people to solve them on their own. One type of puzzle is called a domino ring, where the dominoes are arranged in a circle with each other and the center domino is missing. The player then has to fill in the missing dominoes with other pieces that match up in pairs.
Other games use the traditional dominoes, which are usually arranged in rows or a square on a tabletop. The game of dominoes can be played with a single player or a group. In group games, players compete against each other and try to win the most points by scoring a certain amount of pips on winning tiles or blocking their opponents from making a score.
In some sets of dominoes, the tiles are arranged in a boneyard (or stock) before the game begins. The stock is a row of 28 dominoes, and each player draws seven tiles from the boneyard to begin play. Each player must then cover the remaining tiles on his or her board with their own, so that the opponents can’t see them.
Lily Hevesh, a professional domino artist, has created mind-blowing domino setups using thousands of dominoes. When she creates a new layout, she follows a version of the engineering-design process. She considers the theme or purpose of her installation, and brainstorms images or words that might be relevant to it. Next, she starts to put together a pattern that will make the most effective layout. She checks that the sequence logically connects, and then she tests it to make sure it works.
