Domino is a game or set of rules for playing a game with dominoes, small tiles that are shaped like a circle with an inverted “U” on one side and a line or ridge running across the top. Each piece has an arrangement of spots, or “pips”, that correspond to those on a die. There are a variety of games that may be played with dominoes, but the most common involves placing a tile on the table and forming a chain by touching it to another tile with matching ends or numbers. Players score points by adding up the total number of pips on the exposed ends of the dominoes.

The term “domino” also refers to the effect of a single event that sets off a chain reaction of similar or related events, which are sometimes called domino effects. It is often used in political and business contexts to describe the way a change or event can have unforeseen effects that reach beyond the initial impact.

In a game of domino, each player takes turns laying down a domino on the table. Then each player must position the domino so that its end touches an end of the preceding domino (normally a matching end with a number showing) or if it is a double, a cross-way match, as perpendicular to the other side of the domino. The resulting chain of dominoes gradually increases in length as more tiles are added to it. Each player must carefully consider the best option before laying down a tile, as the result of a misplaced domino can be devastating for their opponents.

A crooked or unsteady stack of dominoes can cause them to slide and potentially spill over the table, although this is less likely on a hard surface than on carpet. In addition, a domino only needs to be slightly shifted for gravity to take over and pull it down the rest of the way.

While Domino is not considered a strategic game, it can still teach players a lot about how to plan out their moves and think ahead to what might happen next. The most successful Domino players have a good understanding of the rules of the game and what each move will entail. This way, they can anticipate the actions of their opponents and plan accordingly.

This principle of planning ahead can be applied to writing as well. If a scene in a story doesn’t advance the hero or villain closer to their goal, or if it feels slow or dragged out at a key plot point, it is probably unnecessary. Similarly, if a scene has a lot of detail or minutiae it can distract from the main action and create confusion.

If you don’t use outlines or other tools like Scrivener to help you plot, then you need to be careful not to write scenes that are too long or short and lose their impact. Like the domino effect, a good story requires scenes that are properly spaced if they are going to work well.