Have you ever witnessed the bewitching domino effect, where thousands or even millions of dominoes are set in careful sequence and then all toppled at once with just the slightest touch from one? It is a powerful metaphor for storytelling: whether writing fiction off-cuff or following an outline, story structure and plotting are governed by domino effects; each small action can set off chain reactions which lead to your protagonist reaching his or her next goal or challenge in your story’s plotline.
Dominoes are small rectangular blocks used in games of chance or skill. Each domino features an identity-bearing side marked with spots (called pips in dice) to identify it from other dominoes; its opposite side may remain blank or identically patterned for easier matching purposes. Each side’s unique pattern distinguishes it from all others; numbers or ranks on these sides identify its value as assigned to it based on number of spots or rank in suit; their thickness typically doubles length-to-width ratio; thus giving dominoes their nickname of thickness.
The first dominoes were constructed in Italy in 1742, but have since spread throughout Europe with France and Belgium being its primary centers. Today there are various games played with dominos from blocking to scoring to more complicated strategy ones, some even being used artistically like sculptures or puzzles!
One of the most satisfying domino games is a race to see who can construct the longest chain of dominoes, often recorded and presented as videos for entertainment purposes. Dominoes may be made out of various materials including bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or dark hardwood such as ebony; in addition, some sets may combine traditional materials such as these with polymers such as plastic.
After the domino rally, Domino’s concentrated more on expanding its menu and delivery services, but soon afterwards began to lose direction due to leadership changes and financial troubles resulting in massive decline of the company and signs that it might close or fold altogether.
Domino’s finally managed to turn around its fortunes by hiring new leaders and making strategic changes, including changing marketing approach to focus more on quality than speed, but even then relied heavily on its domino effect to get customers returning and grow business. To be effective, however, the domino effect requires constant momentum; otherwise it becomes increasingly difficult to pick back up again later. It is therefore wise to begin early by setting goals that are both attainable and manageable so as not to derail its effectiveness.