Planning the outline of her novel is like planning an expedition, and at times, Dorothea is John, poring over his charts; Titty preparing a map, with Nancy issuing instructions at her elbow; or Susan and Peggy conferring over lists of supplies. Making sure she has all the resources that she needs is like being an able seaman again, stowing away ropes and tins and tins of pemmican and making sure Dick's equipment is safe. Putting pen to paper is like setting sail, but getting the right words on the page is like making adjustments to the sail because of the wind - hard work, but satisfying.