Day: May 19, 2023

Dominoes can be arranged to form straight lines, curved tracks, grids that make pictures when they fall, or 3D structures like towers and pyramids. They can be made out of wood, plastic, glass, or ceramics. They can be painted, stained or left in their natural color. They can even be decorated with different shapes, numbers or letters. There are so many ways to play with domino, but all of them involve the same basic idea: a single domino can start a chain reaction that leads to something bigger than you could have predicted.

This same concept is important in fiction, and it’s one of the most critical lessons I try to teach my clients when providing book editing services. Think of each plot beat in your novel as a domino. If you’re going to lay down a domino, it has to be interesting enough to get your readers interested in what’s happening next. If you’re just laying down a row of simple, one-sided dominoes, no one will care what happens to them.

The first domino is the “starter” and must be positioned properly to set up the chain reaction. Then, the other dominoes must be placed on top of it in order to continue the sequence. It’s not as easy as it looks, but when done well, it creates a stunning display.

To achieve this, a domino artist, like Hevesh, uses a version of the engineering-design process to create her mind-blowing setups. For example, she considers the theme or purpose of the installation she’s trying to create and brainstorms images or words that might be associated with it. She then creates a diagram that illustrates how the pieces will be positioned and what kind of effect they’ll have when they fall.

Once she’s created her domino masterpiece, it’s time to put it into action. The laws of physics are what really makes this happen, and Hevesh says that one physical phenomenon is especially crucial: gravity. This force pulls each knocked-over domino toward the ground, which in turn sends it crashing into the next domino and triggering the chain reaction.

Hevesh has created many amazing domino designs, and some of her largest ones have taken several nail-biting minutes to complete. But she always knows that she’s in good hands: “All I have to do is trust that the pieces will fall in the right place and at the right time.”

Whether you compose your manuscript off the cuff or take your time with an outline, there’s no doubt that the process of writing a novel is like setting up a giant domino rally. But no matter how you work, all of your efforts are for nothing if your story doesn’t have an ending that’s worthy of the big stage. That’s why it’s so essential to carefully consider each one of your plot beats to make sure they have the power and impact of a domino.

The word stuck is a catch-all term that describes feeling unable to move forward in some way. It’s a common feeling that people experience when they are dissatisfied with their job or relationships, for example. Feeling stuck in this way can cause significant emotional pain, and it can also lead to a variety of other problems. Luckily, there are ways to help you get unstuck.

One common way that we can feel stuck is when we have food stuck in our throats. This sensation is known as dysphagia, and it can be very uncomfortable, irritating or even painful. It can also be dangerous, as it could potentially block the windpipe and cause choking.

Another common way we can feel stuck is when a person’s foot gets stuck in the mud or a car is stuck in traffic. The idea behind this is that the object is fixed in one place and can’t be moved. This is also a very common feeling for students taking exams or people who are working on projects that they don’t find challenging.

Some common reasons for feelings of being stuck are a lack of motivation, the fear of failure and the inability to change one’s current circumstances. These types of feelings can be very debilitating and lead to a wide range of emotional problems such as anxiety and depression.

If you are feeling stuck, it’s important to identify the specific emotions and situations that are causing this. Then you can work to resolve these obstacles so that you can move forward in a more positive direction.

Stress can contribute to the feeling of being stuck by heightening activity in the amygdala and suppressing activity in the cortex, which can affect our ability to rationalize thoughts and make sense of them. Additionally, stress can also tax the body’s energy resources and cause fatigue, causing the brain to function more slowly than normal. This can make it difficult to think clearly and can contribute to the sensation of being stuck.

Other symptoms of being stuck include a compulsion to eat or an inability to sleep. A common symptom of this is an inability to remember things and a feeling of being trapped in certain places or situations, such as a bad relationship. These feelings can be very overwhelming and can cause a variety of emotional problems including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.

A key part of overcoming the feeling of being stuck is finding deeper meaning and purpose in life. Having a purpose can give people a clear set of goals and priorities to work toward, which in turn can help them feel more motivated and inspired. This can be a great way to get unstuck, especially if you’re feeling stuck at work or in your personal life.