I wrote to say that time should be made, and the notes were forwarded to me at Robin Hood's Bay.

I began by reading carefully and twice over, so as to get a grip of the story and the novelist's intention, the part that had already appeared, and the proofs so far as the author had gone.

I then turned to the notes.

I found that these were not merely notes such as I expected--simple indications of the plot and the development of events, but an actual detailed scenario, in which every incident, however trivial, was carefully laid down: there were also fragments of dialogue inserted at those places where dialogue was wanted to emphasise the situation and make it real.

I was much struck with the writer's perception of the vast importance of dialogue in making the reader seize the scene.