Rolling the dice for story ideas

One question I get a lot when I tell people that I’m a writer is ‘how do you come up with stories.’ The truth is, there are lots of different ways and I’m not going to list them all here, that would make for a very boring read.

However, my latest and most successful method was inspired by my son’s impressive collection of dice from his Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop games. His bag is full of dice ranging from three-sided to twenty-sided, in every colour imaginable. You can find packs like these at most gaming stores.

The set I bought for my son, and later another one for my writing, came with a small black fabric pouch to keep them in. How the dice method works is that each die, and each number on that die, has a value or attribute assigned to it. The more dice you use, the more attributes you can include, so that part is entirely up to you.

For example, I’ve allocated dice values for different character roles such as protagonist, antagonist, villain, and love interest. I also have dice for settings and careers. One of my favourites is the weapon die, because someone always dies in my thrillers.

I turned to some of my favourite writing resources when deciding what attributes I wanted to allocate. In particular, I love the Thesaurus series by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, especially their Conflict Thesaurus, Emotional Wounds Thesaurus, and Emotion Amplifiers. I also draw inspiration from 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them.

Now, I know some of you might think that you can already buy dice with “writing” attributes assigned to them, and you’re right. For me, I prefer the freedom to decide which attributes work best for my process. For example, I don’t include “romance” as a genre option, but I have Forbidden Love and Love as plot types. Although if I’m honest, I usually roll again if those come up. I know my limitations.

This method allows you to tailor the attributes to suit your writing style and comfort zone. You can keep it as flexible or as focused as you like.

I just toss the dice across my writing desk and look at what combinations come up after everything is ready. It sounds a little wild, but that’s exactly how my novel The Watcher’s Prey was born.

Here’s another example of what the Dice Method can produce. I haven’t yet decided whether to pursue this idea, but it perfectly illustrates how the process works:

• Genre: Psychological Thriller

• Themes: Obsession, Power Struggles, Justice vs. Revenge

• Plot: Rivalry

• Weapon: Drugs

• Setting: Restaurant

• Conflicts: Work-life balance being threatened; feeling excluded

• Emotional Wound: Being victimised by a perpetrator who was never caught

• Wound Amplifier: Chronic physical health condition

And from those elements, here's the rough concept that emerged:

Michelin-star chef Adrien has built a name for himself, but when his old culinary school rival Marcus opens a competing restaurant across the street, his world begins to spiral. Their rivalry escalates as Marcus sabotages his reputation, while Adrien struggles with a chronic neurological condition that worsens under stress. When he uncovers evidence linking Marcus to a past assault that left him physically impaired, Adrien snaps and fights back the only way he knows how: by lacing Marcus’s signature dish with a hallucinogen, triggering a public meltdown that could destroy them both.

Not every dice combination will lead to something you can use, but that’s part of the fun. I keep rolling and listing the attributes until something resonates. Alternatively, you can take the most unlikely combinations and challenge yourself to make it work. The choices really are endless.

If you enjoyed this post, please like, comment or share. It’s one of the quickest, easiest, and completely free ways you can support my writing goals, and it truly makes a difference.