A domino is a flat, thumbsized, rectangular block bearing one to six pips or dots. The word “domino” is also used to refer to any of the many games played with these pieces, most of which involve placing them edge-to-edge against each other in lines or angular patterns. These games can be blocking or scoring and include both single-player and multi-player options.
Dominos are available in bright colors and come with instructions for building many different kinds of patterns. However, constructing the most complex structures can take several nail-biting minutes to set up. This is because each individual domino has inertia, a tendency to resist motion until enough force is applied. Even a small nudge can cause a domino to fall, and that first domino will then push on the next one, and the next and the next until an entire chain of millions of pieces falls over in spectacular fashion.
When Hevesh sets up her intricate dominoes, she often tests each section before putting it all together. She also films the process in slow motion, so she can fix any mistakes as soon as they happen. For example, if the dominoes aren’t stacked properly or if there’s too much friction between the tiles, she can re-film the section and make adjustments.
Once all the sections are ready, Hevesh starts by arranging the biggest 3-D portions. Then she adds flat arrangements and, finally, the lines of dominoes that connect all the sections together. She also makes sure all the pieces are arranged in the same way before she starts playing with them. She’s filmed her largest domino installations for her YouTube channel, and she’s worked on projects with hundreds of thousands of dominoes for movies, TV shows, and events.
The oldest known manual written about dominoes dates back to the Xuanhe period in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a forgery, and scholars have debated the authenticity of this text.
In fiction, dominoes can represent scenes or a character’s emotional state. They can also be an entire storyline or argument. The important thing is to be sure that all of your scene dominoes logically fit together and affect the next ones that you write.
For example, if you’re writing a scene where your character is arguing with their partner, it’s essential that they can logically support their point. It may take some work to connect all the scene dominoes in your story, but you should be able to show how each one contributes to the story. The best way to check this is to go through the scenes you’ve already written and ask yourself, “Does this scene logically fit with the next one?”