Still deciding ... honestly there are too many choices.
For my first time through, I'll probably go with a straight warrior who becomes a battlemage over time kind of character, and I'll probably be a human race, just not sure which yet -- either Imperial or Nord, right now I'm leaning towards Nord because I think the prison you're released from is an Imperial one ... so there's the racial backstory there in the back of my mind -- the idea that he was wrongly imprisoned just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the wrong race. If I go Nord, he'll definitely be Conan-esce, very buff, a hulk of a man. If I go Imperial, he'll be muscular, but not a beefcake.
It's the second time through, where I'll be a Pure Mage and end up adding speech, alchemy, and some other skills I didn't get the first time through. This one, I will probably be an Orc, mostly because I always liked the idea of this female Orc Witch ... she'll also be totally evil and go on regular murderous rampages.
My third class is character to be a total Dunmer "Drizzt Do'Urden" ripoff ... a dark elf ranger, good with bows, one handed dual-wielding, and general thievery skills.
If I can actually make it through the game three times ... I'll be perfectly satisfied with the game.