How to Use the Domino Effect in Fiction
We’ve all seen those domino constructions where, after tipping the first piece ever-so-slightly, all the rest fall in a beautiful cascade of rhythmic motion. This is the “domino effect,” and it applies to anything that triggers a series of actions that result in a desired outcome. When we think about the domino effect in terms of writing, it’s a great way to illustrate what is often necessary in the process of plotting out a novel.
Whether you’re a pantser who writes off the cuff or a meticulous outliner, the story of your book ultimately comes down to one question: What happens next? Considering how to use the domino effect in your fiction will help you answer that question in a compelling way.
Dominoes are cousins to playing cards, and they’ve been used for centuries as a tool for game play and testing the patience of players. Their history dates back to China in the 1300s, and the earliest known games involved dropping and stacking these rectangular blocks with markings on them. The most common domino set has 28 tiles with a value from six to zero pips. A domino is twice as long as it is wide and features a line in the middle to divide it visually into two squares. Each side has a number of dots, or pips, that indicate its rank and weight. A heavier, more valuable tile will have a higher number of pips.
In 1985, Domino’s Pizza CEO Tom Monaghan introduced a new business model for the company by promising that pizza would be delivered in 30 minutes or less. While this was a big promise to make, it also put Domino’s in an unsustainable position because demand for delivery was much greater than anticipated. The company’s debt soon grew to $943 million and it started losing money.
Domino’s was in danger of fading away, but it found its niche in the market by listening to its customers and delivering a high-quality product that was fast and convenient. The company’s leadership also took note of its employee feedback and made changes to improve the workplace experience. One of these changes was to encourage employees to bring in their own ideas for the business and allow them to take ownership of the company.
Hevesh is a professional domino artist who creates mind-blowing displays that can take hours to complete. She follows a version of the engineering-design process when she creates her installations, and her domino pieces are carefully placed so that they can tumble according to the laws of physics.
Like domino pieces, Hevesh’s designs are based on the idea that every action has a reaction, and those reactions can lead to bigger, more dramatic results. To achieve the desired outcomes of her work, Hevesh starts with a theme or purpose and brainstorms images and words that might help convey its message. She then starts laying the foundation for her installation with the most important dominoes, which are usually larger in size than the others. Once these are in place, she can then create the smaller elements that will eventually add up to her final masterpiece.