In fiction-writing courses, they say character leaks. By that, they mean that it’s not the declarations or decisive actions that give us away, but our unconscious behaviour. Which is how I learned, to my mortification, that a key part of my character was “Boots Advantage card person”.
I had recently started hanging out with an old friend, and one day, with mock (but actually totally sincere) pride, I told him how many points I had racked up that morning using a stealthy combination of vouchers. In a warm but lightly concerned voice he said: “You do know this is the third time you’ve told me about your Boots card in two weeks?” This morning, he texted me the news that the company is reducing its points offer – from 4p per pound spent to 3p – with his sincere condolences. I said I wasn’t sure I had time to write about it, and he replied: “You must always find time to battle for justice.”
