Domino is a word that means “to set in motion, to begin to cause something to happen rapidly and with increasing force,” but it’s also a popular name for a game that involves stacking flat blocks of clay or wood and then arranging them into straight or curved lines, or even an intricate pattern, before someone flips the first one over. It’s a fun and challenging hobby that requires patience, skill and strategic planning, but it’s also a great way to pass the time or make new friends.
The game’s popularity has grown over the years and many companies now produce dominoes of varying sizes, shapes and colors. Most domino sets are sold in 28 tiles, though larger and smaller sets exist as well. The dominoes are divided into suits, each of which has a different number of dots on each face. A tile that has a single dot is considered to belong to the suit of one’s, while a tile with two dots belongs to the suit of two’s. A tile with three dots belongs to the suit of three’s and four dots belongs to the suit of five’s.
There are numerous games that can be played with dominoes, but the most common types of domino play fall into two categories: blocking and scoring. In blocking games, each player in turn places a domino edge to edge against another, positioning it so that the exposed ends of both pieces match: for example, a single’s end touches a double’s end or a two’s end touches a one’s end. If both ends match, the player scores a point and continues playing. If the match isn’t made, the player loses and the other players score points for completing the chain.
Using the Domino image in this way is also a good reminder to write what you want to write, rather than what you think others will want to read. This will keep your story fresh and interesting, and it will help to ensure that scenes don’t get buried beneath scenes that are a bit too similar. It’s especially important if you’re a pantster, that is, if you don’t make a detailed outline of your plot ahead of time. Using tools like Scrivener can be helpful in this case, but it’s also important to let your story take you where it needs to go. Similarly, if you’re on a particular journey with your characters but find that the path isn’t working for them any more, it’s okay to rearrange and start over.