I used to frequent a website for entertainment when I had a few minutes to spare at work, and needed a mental break. Odd News always gave me something to laugh or puzzle about, and I was truly shocked at the number of odd news stories that originated in or around my home town, like this story about a man urinating on a police officer. Wouldn’t you know, this guy was in my high school graduating class!

I saw this headline (Arrest in mass tire slashings) on the SF Chronicle home page yesterday, and it reminded me that these ridiculous news stories can be great inspiration for developing quirky characters, or exposing some hidden neurotic desires that a character might never share openly, but secretly wishes he or she could act upon.

What might possess someone to become a serial tire-slasher? Did you have any idea that a person could be charged with “felony discharging bodily fluids at a public safety worker?” Digging into these and other odd news stories could yield some really fascinating and hilarious character content.