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It plagues the mind of a roleplayer. It's a common insecurity that many of us hold. Our fears and insecurities wiggle their way into how we manifest ourselves in these imagined worlds, and we're forced to face them on a regular basis. Is my character... one-dimensional? It’s difficult to reason your way out of it. The definition of “one-dimensional” shifts based on who you ask. For some, it’s a specific archetype. For others, there’s a convoluted set of conditions that must be met for it. There is no one, definitive answer to what a one-dimensional character is. One's definition of a great character will be another's definition of a character who would be zero-dimensional if such a term were applicable for writing. Is Harry Potter one-dimensional? How about Aragorn? The Wicked Witch? How about that one really cool orcish character from that tabletop session six years ago? Some will say yes. Some will say no. How do you figure it out? When considering your character’s potential lack of complexity and nuance, you may be better suited by answering the questions below. Further explanation is provided in the spoiler tags! 1. When reading their history, is every event a moment of triumph or catastrophe? 2. Are their interactions with others rigid and unyielding? 3. Are their weaknesses more than footnotes unceremoniously added as an afterthought? 4. Does their personality clash with your writing style? There are also pitfalls as a writer that may contribute to how others perceive a character. Perhaps on paper your character is varied and has a boatload of nuance. This doesn’t matter if you make certain mistakes. Your character, in practice, will be interpreted differently than how you intend. Someone who is a lowly grunt in a decrepit business cannot be all-knowing about sensitive secrets (metagaming). Someone who has failure as a dominant personality trait cannot be momentously victorious all the time (god mode). Someone with questionable morals cannot make the right, ethical decision time and time again in a way that ensures everything goes ‘just right’ for those involved (higher self). Indeed, a one-dimensional character can sometimes be a writing style problem instead of a character problem. Self-awareness and being cognizant of your weaknesses can go a long way towards ensuring that your contributions to this collaboration of writers is stellar and a treat to digest. Did you learn something about your characters and how you present them to your fellow writers? Do you think something is missing from this guide? Feel free to let me know!