A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block bearing an arrangement of dots on one side, similar to those found on dice. The domino has a blank or identically patterned opposite side.
Dominoes are used for playing games of chance and skill, as well as for artistic purposes. They may be arranged in straight lines or in curved patterns, in grids that form pictures when they fall, or in 3-D structures such as towers and pyramids. Some artists even use dominoes to make artwork that looks like a map or a blueprint.
Unlike a deck of cards, dominoes are not divided into suits. Each domino has a unique marking, or “identity,” that distinguishes it from other tiles in the set. This marking, called a pip, is usually located in a circle on one of the four squares that divide the domino’s face into two sections. Some dominantoes also have a number on one of their sides.
The most basic domino set has 28 tiles and consists of double-sixes. The remaining tiles are shuffled and formed into a stock, or boneyard. Each player draws seven dominoes from the stock to form his hand, and places them on-edge in front of him so that other players can see the pips but not the values of other players’ hands.
When a player draws more dominoes for his hand than he is entitled to, these excess tiles are called overdraws and must be removed from his hand without looking at them. The tiles are returned to the stock and reshuffled before players draw their hands again.
Once a player has drawn his seven dominoes, the rules of the specific game determine who will begin play. This player is known as the setter, downer, or lead. The first player to play a domino may be required to place it on a double, or on an existing single tile already in the line of play.
In some domino games, the winner of the last game played may open the next round. Otherwise, the player with the highest domino in his hand begins play. If no player has a high double, then the player with the heaviest single takes the lead.
As Hevesh demonstrates, dominoes have the ability to surprise us by falling right where they stand. But their unmoving position is only as strong as the force of gravity. Whether you’re a pantser who writes a novel without an outline, or a plotter who follows an incredibly detailed one in Scrivener, you still have to consider how each scene you create will impact the scene that comes before it. Using the domino effect in your writing can help you achieve that effect, and avoid scenes that feel disconnected and unmotivated. Then you can watch your story come together, just like Hevesh’s dominoes.
