2. Choose 3 people you know and construct a character from them. Combine one person's eyes and nose with another's hair and mouth, and take the rest of the body from the third person. Exaggerate them to make them striking.
From among the same (or other) acquaintances, find an interesting personality trait. Think of a person who has an intriguing voice or speech pattern, and make this your new character's way of talking. Now you have enough to go by--place the character in a scene, give him projects, and see what happens.