Domino is a game that requires careful planning, attention to detail and an understanding of the basic rules. It is played on a table or other flat surface with the domino pieces, each of which has a number showing at one end. The dominoes are then arranged in a line, depending on the rules of the game. When a player makes a play, he must make sure that the open end of his domino touches the end of the line of play. If he misses this point, he must recall his tile and may be penalized in the score.
The word “domino” derives from the Italian verb dominare, meaning to impose or dominate. The word and the game both appeared in France around 1750. Earlier, it had denoted a long hooded cloak worn together with a mask at carnival season or during a masquerade. It is possible that this connection was carried over to the domino pieces, which were often made of ebony blacks and ivory faces to suggest the priest’s hooded cloak over his surplice.
There are many different domino games, but they all have some common elements. Most involve two or more players, but some can be played solo. Some have a fixed limit on the number of tiles that can be laid, and others allow players to buy additional dominoes from the stock. A few have rules that are specific to each player, such as whether they can only play a single or double domino or can mix the halves of a double.
When the stock is shuffled and distributed to the players, each person draws a domino from it for his hand. This will determine who will play the first domino. Some games require that the first play be made by the player with the highest double in his hand. Others have rules for how the order of play is determined, such as by the heaviest single or double in each player’s hand.
As each domino is pushed across the table, it causes the next domino to tip over. This creates a chain reaction, with one domino pushing over the other until all the dominoes have fallen. The physics behind this is simple: when a domino stands upright, it has potential energy, or stored energy, based on its position. When the first domino falls, much of this energy is converted to kinetic energy, or the energy of motion. The energy then travels to the next domino, giving it the push it needs to fall as well. Whether you write your novel off the cuff or carefully outline every plot beat, it is helpful to consider how each scene domino contributes to your story’s larger plot. Each scene domino is a building block that creates your story’s domino effect. Using these scene dominoes in your writing can help you build a strong, compelling narrative.