How do you discover interesting characters for your fiction? They’re everywhere! For instance…

I had an awesome taxi ride last night. I sat in the front seat and chatted up this amazingly gregarious Lebanese guy. We traded immigrant stories, but it was mostly him talking a mile a minute, his franctic speech a perfect match for his driving. Enthusiastic, in love and struggling with life all at once. A hard working guy trying to make a living. I am so wishing I had recorded it, because I so want to model a character after him. I might just have to do that.