The Domino Effect in Fiction
Domino is a type of game in which players try to score points by laying dominoes face down on a table. They can be played by two to four people and are similar to dice or playing cards. Like those games, each piece features a line in the middle that divides it into two squares; each side is either blank or marked with spots called pips. In most traditional domino sets, one tile has a number of pips from six to none, with larger and more elaborate sets containing up to 190 pieces.
The domino effect
It’s not uncommon for a single domino to knock over dozens or even hundreds of others. That’s because the potential energy of one domino can be transferred to a second, and that transferred energy is passed on from domino to domino until the whole domino has been tipped over.
But what if each of those dozens or hundreds of dominos were one-and-a-half times their normal size? That’s because, according to physicist Lorne Whitehead at the University of British Columbia, dominoes can actually knock down things about one-and-a-half times their size.
When it comes to fiction, the domino effect is one of the most important concepts to understand, because it helps us answer our most basic question: What happens next? By considering this concept, we can create more compelling stories.
Getting Started With Dominoes
If you’ve ever watched an artist set up a series of dominoes in a long line, you know how much fun it is to watch them fall. The trick is to space them well, so that each domino in the line can tip over before the next falls. This can lead to very complex designs, such as curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, or stacked walls.
Creating a domino art installation is also an exercise in visual creativity, since it requires the ability to see a design through to its final outcome. For example, if you’re designing a domino art installation for a movie or television show, you might draw out the track you’ll be displaying.
The process of completing a domino art installation can take months or years, depending on the complexity of the design and how many dominos you’re using. But it’s worth the effort to see the result.
In my role as a book editor, I’ve often tried to explain the domino effect to my clients. It’s a simple concept, but a powerful one. By applying it to your own business, you can improve decision making and focus on the most important tasks.
It’s a strategy that Charles Schwab once used to help him run his company successfully. He followed a similar approach to Lee’s: Pick the most important task you have to complete that day, and work on it fully until you’re done.
It’s a great way to prioritize the ideas you have and make sure they have enough time in the limelight before you get distracted by other projects. The more you share your ideas, the more momentum they’ll gain and the sooner they can move on to bigger and better things.