When you write a novel, do you know where you are going, Dr. James ? Yes, you must really if you are writing a classical detective story. Because it must be so carefully plotted and so carefully clued. I have schemes, I have charts I have diagrams. It doesn't mean to say I always get it right, but I do plan before I begin writing, but what is so fascinating is how a book changes during the process of writing. It seems to me that creative writing is a process of revelation really rather than of creativity in the ordinary sense. When you are planning the basic structure, do you like to go away to be sure that you are by yourself ? I need to be by myself certainly, absolutely, I can't even bear anybody else in the house. I don't mind much where I am as long as I have got enough space to write, but I need to be completely alone. Is that very important to you? Oh, yes, I've never been lonely in all my life. How extraordinary! Never ? No, never. You are very lucky. Someone once said that there is a bit of ice at the heart of a writer. Yes, I think this is true, the writer can stand aside from the experience and look at it, watch it happening. This is the detachment; and I realize that there are obviously experiences which would overwhelm everyone, but very often a writer can appear to stand aside and this detachment makes people feel there is a bit of ice in the heart.