Dominoes can be used in a variety of games, from simple block-building to skill-based match-ups. Some of the most popular games feature matching colored dominoes, although many people also enjoy using one-color ones. Others use them to line up a series of dots or even to create intricate designs. The term “domino effect” can be applied both literally (an observed sequence of actual collisions) and metaphorically (causal linkages within systems such as global finance or politics). The mechanical domino effect can also be exploited in Rube Goldberg machines.
The most common domino game requires two players and a double-six set. The 28 tiles are shuffled and then arranged into a stock, called the boneyard, with the heaviest domino on the left. Each player then draws seven tiles from the boneyard. Players alternate taking turns placing and playing their tiles. Play continues until either a player can no longer lay a domino or the total value of the remaining dominoes exceeds that of their opponents. Then play passes to the other player.
Whenever someone drops a domino, that domino causes the rest of them to fall. Likewise, if someone tries to break a link in a chain, it can cause the whole chain to collapse. The process of a domino collapsing is known as the domino effect.
In order to prevent a domino effect, some people try to sabotage the chain of events that leads to a disaster. For example, an individual might deliberately snatch the only domino they can reach from a group. Another way to prevent a domino effect is to sabotage the entire chain from the beginning.
Dominoes have inertia, a tendency to resist motion without outside force. However, a small nudge can overcome this resistance. That nudge is enough to convert the potential energy that the domino had stored in its upright position to kinetic energy, or energy of motion. Then the force of gravity causes the domino to tip over. The kinetic energy is transmitted to the next domino, which gets the push it needs to fall over as well.
When Hevesh knocks over one of her mind-blowing domino setups, she is demonstrating the power of the domino effect. It’s the same principle that allows an engineer to design a skyscraper or a scientist to construct a complex chemical experiment.
When writing a novel, the domino effect can help you create a plot that is more interesting and compelling. Whether you work off of a written outline or write by the seat of your pants, thinking about the domino effect can give your story a sense of momentum and drama that may have been missing before. So the next time you sit down to write, remember the domino effect and see if you can turn your story into a blockbuster.