How Domino Can Help Writers Create Their Own Story Chains
Domino, in its simplest form, is a small rectangular block used to initiate a sequence of events that results in the falling or destruction of many more blocks. While domino is a great game for young children, it also has important lessons about the power of chain reactions and the impact of one action on many others. In writing, the lesson from domino can help authors understand how to create their own story chains.
The most basic domino games involve arranging dominoes in straight or curved lines, then flicking the first one to cause the entire line to fall. The process can be simple or elaborate, with some artists creating intricate 3-D structures that take several nail-biting minutes to complete. Hevesh, a domino artist whose YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers, has created mind-blowing domino installations that have been featured in movies and even at the launch of a pop music album.
Hevesh begins her designs by considering the theme or purpose of an installation. Then she brainstorms images or words that might relate to the theme and begin planning how she wants each domino to fit into the overall design. She makes test versions of each section and films them to ensure they work individually. Finally, she assembles the sections in the final layout.
When Hevesh builds a complex domino setup, each of the dominoes must be placed at just the right spot in order for the cascade to work. The positioning of each domino is crucial, as is the timing of when each domino falls. The goal of a domino construction is to create a sequence that reveals the deeper message or emotion that the artist is trying to convey.
Similarly, the timing of scenes in a novel is critical. If a scene is overlong (heavy on details or minutiae) it can become tedious for readers. On the other hand, if a scene is too short, readers may feel like they have already figured out what’s going to happen next and won’t be engaged with the story.
Students’ learning challenges can be similar to dominoes, and it is important for educators to recognize when a student’s compensatory skills are reaching their limit. When students compensate for a weak skill, it taxes working memory and limits their ability to process information. This can lead to frustration and a lack of motivation, as students struggle to keep up with classroom material. When compensatory skills are limited, teachers can help students to develop strategies that will allow them to focus on more challenging work.