Domino is a type of game that involves knocking over a series of tiles in a specific order. The game is a popular form of gambling and has several variations. Dominoes are usually twice as long as they are wide, and the edges are marked with a number of spots or pips, which represent values from six (the highest value) down to none or blank. The total of the pips is the domino’s rank or weight.
A skilled domino builder can set up a sequence of hundreds or thousands of dominoes that will all fall with the nudge of one single piece. In fact, there are competitions where the builders attempt to set up the most complex domino reaction before a live audience of fans. The results can be mesmerizing.
Some learning challenges impact students just like falling dominoes. One small mistake can cause a domino to fall and disrupt the entire sequence before the student even knows what has happened. Then, the student must compensate for the incorrect action by using a different skill that may not be as effective or efficient. This can lead to a cycle of compensation that can have lasting negative consequences for the student’s ability to learn and achieve success.
For a writer, the concept of a domino effect can be applied to plotting a novel. Whether you’re a pantser who writes off the cuff or use an outline tool like Scrivener, it’s important to ensure that the scenes in your story logically connect. For example, if your heroine uncovers a clue that will lead to a climactic scene in the next chapter, but that scene doesn’t do much to raise tension or reveal the answer to the mystery, something’s wrong.
Domino is a word that has roots in the Latin for “lucky.” The term was once used to describe a hooded cape worn together with a mask during carnival season or at a masquerade party. It may have also been a reference to the black domino pieces that contrast with a priest’s white surplice. In the 18th century, domino was introduced to England from Italy and France. The European version differed from the Chinese variety in that it did not include military-civilian suits or duplicates. Its name was later adapted to the game as well.