We’ve all seen those amazing domino constructions that, when tipped ever-so-slightly, cause the rest to fall in a beautiful cascade of rhythmic motion. When it comes to story, we use the phrase “domino effect” to describe any actions that have a ripple effect and influence the next scene in a novel or short story. As a writer, it’s important to keep this concept of the domino effect in mind because each scene should advance the plot, rather than merely stand alone.
Dominoes are small rectangular blocks of wood or ivory with a number of dots on each end. They can be stacked on end in long lines to create a game. The idea behind the games is to place the dominoes in such a way that the ends of the dominoes touch each other. If the number on one end of the domino matches the number on the exposed end of another, players score points by counting the total of all the dots.
Stacking dominoes in a line can also be used to make intricate art. This is known as domino art, and it can be very elaborate. People can create curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, or even 3D structures such as towers and pyramids. Domino art can be very time consuming, as each piece of the design must be carefully placed and balanced before it can be successfully completed.
Domino’s was facing some serious problems when David Brandon became CEO of the company in 2004. The company had been losing money for years, and they were in danger of going bankrupt. Brandon put a lot of work into revitalizing the company, including a new leadership training program and listening to employees. The company was able to recover from its financial problems and grow, thanks to these changes.
Like domino constructions, stories need to be timed correctly. The scenes in a novel should not feel too long (heavy on details or minutiae) nor too short (making a scene seem shallow at times of great discovery or at plot points). It’s important to pay close attention to the timing of each scene and how it relates to the rest of the story. If you’re not careful, you could end up with a lopsided novel where the reader loses interest.
In both domino constructions and stories, the key to success is the timing of each scene. When a novel is well-paced, each scene builds upon the last in such a way that readers will be eager to see what happens next.
When it comes to writing novels, we can learn a lot from the principles of domino construction. The best way to do this is to think of each scene as a domino, and how it will impact the next scene. This is an excellent exercise to do if you’re having trouble getting your book’s structure just right.