Domino is a game in which players place dominoes on a rectangular grid, then use other dominoes to knock them over. The first domino to fall starts a chain reaction that causes the other pieces to topple as well. There are many different types of domino sets in use around the world and a great variety of games that can be played with them. The most popular domino game in the West is either Draw or Block, which can be played with a standard (double-six) domino set comprising 28 tiles, or with a double-nine or double-twelve set.
Dominoes are small, flat discs made of wood or other material that are marked on one side with an arrangement of spots, like those on a die. The other sides are blank or identically patterned. Each piece has a tip that can be used to push another domino over.
In his book The Domino Theory, Victor Cha describes the United States’ containment strategy in East Asia by analogy to the falling domino theory. This strategic approach involved forging a series of deep, tight bilateral alliances with Asian countries to control their ability to use force and to foster material and political dependency on the United States.
Before Hevesh or a team of engineers creates an intricate domino installation, they must carefully plan out the structure. For example, they need to determine how many dominoes will be needed and how they will be arranged. They also need to calculate the total distance of the dominoes. Then, they divide this distance into fractions to help them figure out how many dominoes are required to reach each point of their design.
Once the first domino is toppled, the entire line of dominoes will start falling at a constant speed without losing any energy. This is because the pulse of energy is all or nothing, much like a nerve impulse in your body. Furthermore, this pulse travels in only one direction.
After the dominoes have fallen, the energy that was stored in them transforms into kinetic energy—the energy of motion. This energy then passes from the first domino to the next domino, which gets a little push from the kinetic energy of the first. This process continues until the last domino falls.
Similarly, when you’re writing a story, think of each plot beat as a single domino that can be tipped over by the next scene. For this reason, it’s important to plan out your story so that the plot points follow logically from each other. For instance, if your hero does something that’s immoral or goes against societal norms, you must show why it makes sense for him to do so. Otherwise, readers will feel that the logic of your story is shaky. This can cause confusion and frustration. To avoid this, write scenes that build upon the logic of the previous scene. Eventually, your readers will be able to understand why your hero behaves in the manner that he does.