diff --git a/file_system.go b/file_system.go
index 506aec2..0588966 100644
--- a/file_system.go
+++ b/file_system.go
@@ -151,11 +151,40 @@ type FileSystem interface {
 		req *OpenFileRequest) (*OpenFileResponse, error)
 
 	// Read data from a file previously opened with CreateFile or OpenFile.
+	//
+	// Note that this method is not called for every call to read(2) by the end
+	// user; some reads may be served by the page cache. See notes on Write for
+	// more.
 	ReadFile(
 		ctx context.Context,
 		req *ReadFileRequest) (*ReadFileResponse, error)
 
 	// Write data to a file previously opened with CreateFile or OpenFile.
+	//
+	// When the user writes data using write(2), the write goes into the page
+	// cache and the page is marked dirty. Later the kernel may write back the
+	// page via the FUSE VFS layer, causing this method to be called:
+	//
+	//  *  The kernel calls address_space_operations::writepage when a dirty page
+	//     needs to be written to backing store (see vfs.txt). Fuse sets this to
+	//     fuse_writepage (see file.c).
+	//
+	//  *  fuse_writepage calls fuse_writepage_locked.
+	//
+	//  *  fuse_writepage_locked makes a write request to the userspace server.
+	//
+	// Note that writes *will* be received before a call to Flush when closing
+	// the file descriptor to which they were written:
+	//
+	//  *  fuse_flush calls write_inode_now, which appears to start a writeback
+	//     in the background (it talks about a "flusher thread").
+	//
+	//  *  fuse_flush then calls fuse_sync_writes, which "[waits] for all pending
+	//     writepages on the inode to finish".
+	//
+	//  *  Only then does fuse_flush finally send the flush request.
+	//
+	// TODO(jacobsa): Add links for all of the references above.
 	WriteFile(
 		ctx context.Context,
 		req *WriteFileRequest) (*WriteFileResponse, error)