A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block, with one side marked with an arrangement of spots or pips like those on dice. The other side is blank or identically patterned. Dominoes are used to play a number of games, both blocking and scoring. They are also sometimes used as decorative elements in art and craft projects, and to build 3D structures such as towers and pyramids.
The most common use of domino is to describe a chain reaction that cascades from one event or situation to another, like the way a domino falls after it’s been tipped over. A domino effect can be good or bad, depending on whether the event is a positive occurrence that enhances a person’s life or a negative one that has a harmful impact.
When a person or group loses control of their lives, it can be like a domino falling on itself. An example of this occurs when a man shoots his wife in self-defense, causing legal and social consequences that can’t be undone.
Hevesh uses a similar analogy when she talks about writing: a story can be like a line of dominoes that builds up until the right nudge makes them all fall at once. The best storytellers are able to create scenes that flow smoothly, with no hiccups in logic or action.
To achieve this, a writer needs to plan their scenes ahead of time, even if they are not the type who works with outlines or plotting tools. If the writer “pants” the story, they will likely end up with scenes that are not in the correct place or don’t have enough impact on the scene ahead of them, like the pieces of a domino chain that don’t connect well to each other.
When Hevesh’s creations are built, she often makes test versions first to make sure they work properly. Then she starts putting them together, starting with the largest 3-D sections. She will then add flat arrangements and, finally, lines of dominoes that connect everything together.
She also makes a point of filming her constructions to ensure that what she wants to show in the final video is exactly what her audience will see. The videos she produces are then used as instructional aids to demonstrate how the art is constructed and how to follow the rules for creating a particular piece.
In addition to the aforementioned blocking and scoring games, dominoes can be used to play solitaire or trick-taking games. These games are often played to circumvent religious prohibitions against playing cards.
In many domino games, a player scores by awarding the number of pips on an opposing tile to the winner of a round. The number of pips on a domino can range from 1 to 12 or more, depending on the game and the rule set. In some games, doubles are placed cross-ways in the layout and straddle the edge of the domino they are connected to, while in others, a tile may be played against a double only on its long side.