My Oddest Character

Does A Tran Character Fit It at Burning Man?

What is the oddest character you have ever dreamed up, and how did they fit into a story?
I didn't dream "her" up, but she became a great character with bravery and wit.  

I belong to two professional organizations for mystery writers:  Sisters In Crime and Mystery Writers of America.  We are always education ourselves about topics of interest to crimewriters, and several yeas ago, this involved visits to the Norfolk County Jail by both groups in separate visits.

Needless to say,  this was an intriguing experience which I don't have space to describe but we were taken all over the jail, including the section where prisoners were in protective custody, and throughout the prison, the color of the inmates uniforms identified their status.  It was hard to ignore that one of the inmates who appeared to be a female. "They" had long dark ringlets and swanned about with a seductive smile on their face working their shoulders for dramatic affect.  The other  inmates hooted and whistled which obviously pleased the ringleted one.

Our escorts said, "That's Angel. Protective custody."  A male identifying as a woman would have a rough and dangerous time in prison. This inmate belonged in protective custody.

I  remembered Angel,and sure enough, she was still around (or again around--who knew?) at my next jail visit.  Still running her  hand through dark ringlets and strutting around.
I had begun a new book with a whole section  devoted to the Burning Man Festival in the Black Rock Desert of Northern Nevada.  Of course, I needed colorful characters.  I had an entire "camp" of computer types, but I needed someone else.  My main  character, Emma, was driving an old rented camper to the festival and she stopped at the overlook for Pyramid Lake. There was a person of uncertain sex, a woman she first thought, and then on second or third glance, a man.  With dark ringlets. This was Daze, soon. to be Daisy,  who was transitioning from male to female.  Emma liked Daze and they spent time together at Burning Man, where everything goes.  Everything. Daze convinced a reluctant Emma to participate in the women's topless bicycle ride, "The Critical Tits Parade."  I am not making this up. Well, the story but not the bike ride.  It's real.

After the festival, Daze got a job in a company Emma knew, and lived in the garage apartment at Emma's home outside Boston.  More adventures ensued.

I  studied the book,  She's Not There, about a person transitioning between sexes.  This was probably around 2007-08 when the topic was not so well known.  I really liked Daze, who became quite real to me. "She" was funny and I liked  getting to know "her." And she was my oddest character and I am so happy to have found her staring at  beautiful Pyramid Lake in Northern Nevada.  Where did you find your oddest character?
 These bloggers have their own stories. Take a look.


 Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1LT
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com