Domino
The word domino is often associated with a chain reaction that can be set in motion with the smallest of movements. Think of the lines of dominoes that a builder carefully sets up, all toppling with the nudge of only one domino. It’s a fascinating sight to watch and it reminds us of how important the smallest action can be. The same idea applies to a story: One small action can impact the whole story.
There are many ways to use the Domino Effect in your writing. For instance, if you’re working on a scene that involves a character doing something unexpected, you can use the Domino Effect to help your readers understand why this is logical in the context of your story. In this way, you can create a narrative that’s compelling and satisfying for your readers.
Whether you compose your novel off the cuff or write it using a detailed outline, plotting your story comes down to answering one question: What happens next? The Domino Effect can be a helpful tool to help you answer this question in a compelling way.
In the early days of Domino’s Pizza, founder Jim Monaghan was able to keep the company growing by listening to his customers. He knew that his customer base was primarily college students who wanted to get their pizza quickly. So he decided to open locations near campuses. This strategy worked, and the business grew quickly.
The term “domino” itself has an interesting history. It was derived from the Latin word for Lord, dominus. Its earliest meaning was actually a long hooded cloak worn with a mask at a carnival or masquerade, and it later came to refer to the playing piece that was modeled after this garment.
The most common domino set is a double-six, with 28 tiles shuffled face down and placed in the center to form the boneyard. The value of each tile is determined by the number of dots or pips on its sides, which range from six to none or blank. These pips are called the ranking and weight of a tile, with a heavier tile having more pips and a lighter tile having less.
In the same way, some learning challenges impact students like falling dominoes. When a student compensates for an area of difficulty, it can negatively impact his or her ability to learn the skill. As a result, this compensation may become the norm, and the student begins to avoid learning that skill altogether. When this occurs, the student can be left without the necessary skills to succeed in a class or career. This is called the Domino Effect and it can be extremely difficult for a student to overcome.