Should my user persona be someone real?

Make up a fictional person and have fun with it!

My first user persona was a two-page word document for a travel-rental company. I created a fictional couple and wrote about their lives, their workout routines and even WHAT THEY ATE (tofu quinoa burgers and wine from a family friend’s vineyard). I even found a stock photo online by Googling keywords from my persona—it was fun, hilarious, creative and really allowed me to get inside the head of my user and make key decisions based on their needs.