Dominoes are small rectangular blocks of wood or plastic, each face bearing dots like those on dice. Each domino is normally twice as long as it is wide. The value of a domino is determined by counting the number of pips on one end, known as the face, and the number on the other, called the tail. A piece with a lot of pips is considered to be “heavier” than a lighter one.
A game of dominoes may be played with any of a large variety of rules. The most basic Western games involve blocking other players’ play while scoring points by accumulating a total of all the pips in the losing player’s hand. Many of these games are adaptations of card games, and they are often used to circumvent religious prohibitions on the use of cards.
Whether you compose your manuscript off the cuff or take time with a detailed outline, the process of plotting a novel ultimately comes down to the same question: What happens next? It is important to think carefully about how to answer this question, as the right sequence of events will ensure that your story builds and builds until its natural climax.
Hevesh, a 20-year-old from the United Kingdom, is a professional domino artist who has been creating stunning displays for more than a decade. Her YouTube channel features videos of her work, and she has created several elaborate domino sets for movies, TV shows, and events–including a recent album launch for pop star Katy Perry.
In her intricate creations, Hevesh places thousands of dominoes at exactly the correct positions. Each domino has inertia, a tendency to resist motion unless an outside force is applied. But a slight nudge is enough to trigger the domino effect, causing all the other pieces to fall in a beautiful cascade of rhythmic motion.
Like a well-designed domino arrangement, a great story has all the key components in place to fall into place seamlessly. A great story has emotional beats that progress and shift as they should, and it has a strong and clear character goal. It has tension that increases as it proceeds, and a climax that is both satisfying and inevitable.
Domino’s Pizza, a company in the United States, has been experimenting with a variety of delivery methods recently. It has a drone-based system for some locations, and it has also built a purpose-built vehicle designed to transport pizzas from the kitchen to customers’ homes. Its CEO has even gone undercover to analyze the way its employees work with their customers. The results appear to have been positive. It appears that the chain’s strategy is working. In addition to these innovative delivery systems, Domino’s Pizza has been focusing on the quality of its ingredients. This approach has been paying off, as the company reported record profits in 2014. The brand’s reputation for high-quality food and quick service continues to grow. As a result, it is not surprising that the company’s stock is trading at a premium to its competitors.