Domino is a game that involves laying out dominoes on the floor and nudging them to fall. It’s also a great way to think about how plot beats in a novel come together.
The first step in laying out a domino track is to decide what type of arrangement you want to create. That can be as simple as straight lines or curved lines, grids that form pictures when they fall, or stacked domino walls. Or it can be a three-dimensional structure like a domino tower or pyramid.
After deciding what kind of arrangement she wants to use, Hevesh calculates how many of each domino type she’ll need. This is an important step, as it ensures she has enough of each color to complete her design without running out.
Another factor to consider is gravity. When Hevesh places a domino down, the surface has an inertia that can resist movement for quite a while. But a tiny nudge to the domino can push it past its tipping point and knock it down.
This is a great mental model to keep in mind when you’re thinking about implementing a new idea. It avoids the “flash in the pan” syndrome that can sometimes occur with big changes.
A good leader is a person who can build trust within the organization and empower their employees to make decisions. That means listening to what employees have to say, responding to concerns as they arise, and empowering people to do the work they are trained for.
When a leader does their job well, their employees are more likely to feel satisfied with their jobs and the work environment. That can result in less turnover and increased loyalty, which is a good thing for a company.
Hevesh is a great example of a leader who listens to her employees and works to implement their ideas. She understands that if she doesn’t provide feedback, the team won’t know what they can improve.
She also knows that it’s important to take time to brainstorm and plan before she gets started. That way, she can make sure her designs don’t look rushed or amateurish, and they’ll be ready to go when she’s done.
Once she has her plans in place, it’s time for the fun part. She starts by drawing out her design on paper, making sure to include a theme and how she’ll make the dominos fall.
Eventually, she puts the design onto the floor and begins to set them in place. She uses a ruler to line them up and then carefully nudges each domino with her finger to see what happens.
While it might seem silly at first, the nudge of the finger is what triggers the domino to fall, creating a chain reaction that’s exciting but also very predictable. It’s a good mental model to keep in mind as you write your next book, too.