When I was young, I loved comic books. Because we had little money, I seldom was able to buy new ones from the store. Instead I yearned for the days when my dad would drive into the city to the used book store.

It was an amazing place! Stacks of books and magazines covered table after table. It would have taken hours to sort through everything, but it didn’t matter to me because I headed straight for the comic books.

For very little money I could exit with an armful of new magazines to read. It was heavenly. The best thing was that I saved the books and so was able to read them over and over again.

When we moved to California I had to leave my collection behind. I was very sad.

What about your character? What does he collect?

Close your eyes and picture his house. What things hang on the walls? What sit on flat surfaces? What is on shelves or hidden away in closets?

These things reveal a lot about the character. For example, when I think of stamp collectors, I think of rather bookish individuals with magnifying glasses in hand. When I think of baseball card collectors I picture athletes in exercise gear.

Your task is to match a collection to your character’s personality. Then write a scene in which he is engaged in his collection. He could be admiring it, talking about it, sorting through it or selling some of it.

When you are finished, reread. What does your writing reveal that you might not have known before?

Have fun with this one.