Roll Your Character
No, I don’t mean you should roll your character down a hill like Jack and Jill! (Pardon the bad joke moment). I am pulling terminology here from the world of D & D (Dungeons and Dragons). I am going to talk about how to “roll” your character in very general terms so if you want a more detailed beginner’s guide to character creation via D & D, here is one guide you can check out.
There are many different ways you could “roll” your character, but let’s play with the attributes that traditional D & D utilizes: strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. (And before you dive in, you don’t have to think of these just with a fictional character, you could also analyze someone you want to write about for non-fiction by using these terms as jumping off points).
Strength - Think of this word’s different connotations. There is the physical ability to lift, say, large packages, but there is also the physical ability to withstand great forces. And what about strength of emotion or strength of character itself?
Constitution - The first definition that might come to mind with this word as it relates to a character, is the physical make-up of said character, their composition; but, what about their mental and emotional constituent parts?
Dexterity - This word may call to mind the hands and tasks that require skill. But what about mental dexterity? What about other areas of prowess (or lack thereof) might your character possess?
Intelligence - The definition of this word is often couched in academic intelligence but what other types of intelligences might your character have? Street smarts? Emotional intelligence? Or are they associated with the word intelligence because they are involved with the military or espionage?
Wisdom - You might ask how this word is different from intelligence. Consider whether your character utilizes sound judgment. Or is your character an elder with a lifetime of learned wisdom? Or is your character going to have an obsession with their wisdom teeth? (Pardon the second bad joke moment).
Charisma - This word may have you thinking of someone who is flirtatious, but what other ways can your character be compelling? Or do they completely lack charisma? Could they have charisma in one specific area but lack it in all others? There is a lesser known definition which talks about someone’s charisma being a divinely bestowed talent or power.
You don’t need to explore each of these areas with your character (and you will certainly find other areas to explore) but I wanted to provide, for some, a different way to look at your characters through very action-based character traits.
BONUS
A Non D&D Guide to Rolling Your Character
Do you have any dice in your position? No worries if you don't! You can use any number of random roll programs online. When I'm playing with this I like to just use a pair of dice and have my highest number equal to 12.
Pick which attributes you want to assess. You can do this with a variety of online tools or you could just go old school with paper. I enjoy using Google Jamboard or Google Keep.
Roll those Dice! Once you have your list and your highest number designated, roll those dice and jot down the results.
Analyze your numbers. What do these numbers say to you? Does this change the character you were considering? Do you have ideas for a different type of character now?
What other aspects of your characters do you now want to explore? Do you want to:
7 - Take your character for a little freewriting session?
8 - Try a cluster map of some sort? See how different characteristics might branch off of each other?
15 - Take your character on a poetic journey?