Item ALL/11/218 - Letter from Graeme Thomson to Herbert Allingham

Headed notepaper, with engravings of printing works: D C Thomson & Co. Ltd., Newspaper Publishers, 'Weekly News', Dundee. Signed.
'Thanks for the first instalment of your Convict story which I have now been trhough. I am afraid I am not very taken with this. After the first chapter the characters and incidents do not ring true somehow, and then in the curtain it is too easily seen what is coming. I think the best way, if you agree, is to start on something fresh.
How would you like to write a story about a young girl who falls in love with a man whom she thinks is a hero, but is really a hard, cruel natured man. Someone who knows a serious thing or two that had happened in this man's past would threaten to ruin his position by broadcasting this information unless he gave up the girl. The young man would murder the man who was threatening him and after marrying he would get mysteruous letters of which his wife would be ignorant. One day the girsl would see into one of these letters and discover that her husband was a murderer. This might be the curtain. If you could think round a story of this nature and let me have a first instalment I would be pleased.
I have read 'Good Companions' and enjoyed it very much. It is a great piece of work from the point of view of characterization. I think I told you in my last letter though that I would like your next story for 'The Weekly News' to be one of the strong type.
I send you back the first instalment of the Convict story herewith.
With best wishes for a Merrry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Handwritten note: Please return this. HJA.