Domino is a family of games played with dominoes, a set of small plastic or wood tiles. Each has a line in the middle, dividing it into two squares. Each side has a different number of dots or pips. A domino is considered to be a “heavy” or “light” depending on the number of pips it has. Typically, the higher the number of pips, the more valuable the domino is.
Dominos are used to make patterns or play games of chance, strategy, and skill. They can also be used to teach arithmetic and spatial awareness. A popular game is a variation of Concentration, where players try to match ends of tiles that have matching pips, such as all the ones touching each other or all the twos touching each other. The player with the highest score wins.
The word “domino” is derived from the Latin, domine, meaning master. In early English, it was spelled dominus. Over time, the word grew to mean something that influences something else, such as a person who has control over a situation. This linguistic evolution is a good example of how the idea of a domino can spread and influence other ideas over time.
In the 1960s, a Michigan businessman named Tom Monaghan opened the first Domino’s Pizza franchise in Ypsilanti. He marketed the chain by placing pizzerias near college campuses. This strategic choice helped the company grow quickly in its early years. By 1978, Domino’s had over 200 locations.
While the original strategy of Domino’s was focused on speed and efficiency, this wasn’t enough to sustain its growth over time. To address this problem, the company began focusing on better ingredients and more efficient delivery services. This was a major shift for the company, but it was necessary to ensure Domino’s remained competitive in its industry.
In a more subtle way, Domino’s has adopted the concept of a domino effect in its corporate culture. Rather than being ruled by a hierarchical structure, the company has embraced a leadership model that encourages employees to step up and take on new responsibilities. This value has spread to other parts of the organization, including leadership training programs and a college recruiting system.
Whether you write by the seat of your pants or use an outline tool like Scrivener to plan out your novel, you can think of the process of creating scenes in your story as a domino effect. When one scene impacts the next in a positive way, you create the domino effect. Whether you write by the seat of your pant or use an outline tool, consider using the domino effect in your writing to create more compelling stories.