Finding Characters

I invite you to read Sunday's "Modern Love" column -- If this isn't a character waiting to star in a film, I don't know what is

The piece is a terrific reminder that all stories come from life at some point, for example, the film, An Education, was based on an essay about a real experience and ideas for characters are everywhere.

As an exercise:
Ask your yourself if there's a story with a great character (maybe you) that would make a good film. Where did you first read/hear about the person? In the newspaper or on the news? In a documentary? Your own family history? Or maybe you just saw them on the street! What made them stand out to you? Why do you want to write about them?