Domino is a character who generates a psionic aura that alters probabilities, allowing her to experience “good luck” while her opponents experience “bad.” This can be anything from hitting just the right button to shut down an overloading machine to having her enemies’ equipment malfunction. Despite this power, Domino is not completely invulnerable; she must consciously take precautions to avoid being hurt by this effect.
Domino has a strong work ethic and is determined to succeed in all endeavors, no matter how trivial. She is a natural leader and a self-starter who can often get things done quickly and efficiently. For example, she once managed to make her bed four days in a row. This seemed like a mundane task, but the domino effect was quite powerful: each day she finished the most important task first and worked on it until it was completed, which in turn motivated her to complete other tasks, such as folding laundry or organizing Tupperware in a cupboard.
A domino is a small rectangular tile with an arrangement of dots or “pips” on one face, and a blank or identically patterned surface on the other. The first domino laid down in a line starts a chain reaction that causes the rest of the tiles to fall in sequence.
The term domino is derived from the Italian word domicello, which refers to a type of hooded garment worn during carnival season or at a masquerade ball. Its French equivalent, domino, earlier denoted a cape worn by a priest over his or her surplice. It is believed that the ebony-black domino pieces may have been inspired by this garment, in that the blacks of the hooded cloak matched the contrasting black of the playing piece.
Historically, dominoes were made from ivory or bone with a pips inlay. More recently, sets have been made from a variety of different materials, including stone (such as marble or soapstone); other woods (e.g., ebony, redwood or oak); metals (such as brass or pewter); and ceramic clay. Some sets also feature the domino top half thickness in a different material, such as silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), while the lower layer is a dark hardwood, such as ebony.
In writing, a scene domino is a point that logically connects to the following scenes. Each scene should have a clear goal and provide a natural progression for the story, moving forward in time and emotion. This is not easy to do, but it’s essential for a compelling story that readers will enjoy. It’s helpful to check your entire manuscript for scene dominoes–do the last few scenes logically connect with each other, with a clear progression of emotional beats that move your characters toward their final goals? If not, you’re probably missing something.