In a game of domino, a set of dominoes are placed on the table with one side facing up and the other side blank or marked with a pattern of dots called pips. Normally, each side of the domino has an identical value, such as six pips on the face of the most common variant, but some sides may be missing pips or have more pips than others. The number of pips on a particular side determines its rank or weight, which can be used to calculate the score in some games.
When a domino is referred to as the “lead,” this refers to the first domino played in a turn, although some games allow players to play a tile anytime during their turn if it can be matched with an open end on the line of play. The lead may be determined by the winner of the last game, the highest double in a hand, or the rules of the specific domino game being played.
After all of the dominoes are arranged and shuffled, the players draw tiles from the stock to form their hands. The player who draws the heaviest domino begins play in most cases, though some games specify that a tie is broken by drawing new tiles from the stock. The heaviest domino can be either a double or a single, depending on the rules of the game being played.
Once the heaviest domino has been played, each other player makes their play. Unless otherwise specified by the rules of a particular game, a player must match his or her tile to the open end of the lead in order to advance the line of play. This configuration is also known as a layout, string, or line of play. The open ends of all the played dominoes form a connected network and the total number of pips on those ends is used to calculate a score.
A common concern for writers is making sure that their story logically progresses and shifts as the character moves through a series of emotional beats. Whether your story is an epic of thousands of scenes or a short story requiring only a few dozen, considering how you can use the domino effect can help ensure that all of the elements of your plot will fall into place and create a compelling tale. As you begin writing, keep the following tips in mind to help you harness the power of the domino effect.
