When Walter's diagnosed with lung cancer, despite his squeaky clean lifestyle, he has to tell his screenwriter partner, because that partner is a chain-smoker. As Walter fights cancer he also tries to put his affairs in order by teaching writing to prison inmates, talking to his son and ex-wife, and getting his partner to quit smoking.

Largely inspired by the lives of writer William Link and his partner, Richard Levinson, and Levinson's death. However, the key plot point of the story didn't really happen. In real-life, Richard Levinson was the smoker.