Raymond's life is fraught with struggles. His first marriage, to Marianne, is intense, passionate, and unhealthy. He then finds new love with Joanne, a poet. All the while Raymond is in an escalating conflict with his editor, Douglas, who both assists and distorts Raymond's work. As his success and confidence grow, Raymond strives to ensure that his stories, the most important part of his life, are published as written. Douglas, who considers the stories as much his as Raymond's, is determined to present them in his own heavily edited form. In the end, Joanne finally confronts Douglas in a way that Raymond never could.
