This is more about creativity than purely writing. Tom (Leslie Howard) is a publisher and is the black sheep of his wealthy family. After years of living in sin with a fashion icon and artist, Daisy (Ann Harding), Tom is settling down with socialite Cecelia (Myrna Loy). Cecelia is manipulative, slowly convincing Tom to give up his old life and friends. Her own friends find Tom and his ilk unusual. Publishers must “hobnob” with weirdos (meaning other creatives). She also tries to keep him away from Daisy, despite his desire to keep her in his life as a friend. Cecelia also convinces Tom to print a trash novel that does well, but embarrasses him as it’s not the sort of lofty title he usually publishes. His former friends along with Daisy pity how he’s clearly miserable meeting with Cecelia’s expectations for him as a husband. It’s evident how his wife thinks these artists and authors are immoral. She slowly and quietly takes away so many of Tom’s mental outlets and happy moments, he doesn’t even notice.
It’s Daisy who critiques him as he talks art with her. Their words are meant to be helpful, two people who with similar brains who know how to sandwich the poor reviews with the important little triumphs. Their circle of friends have similar views, that being around other creatives is healthy for their collective well-being. Tom and Daisy’s group are “scandalous” and rough in the eyes of the swells of society, who dismiss their talents as mere amusements. One of Cecelia’s friends comments that Tom’s author friend will “use them all for characters in a book” and he grumbles, “Oh, that’s a very good idea.” It’s a movie about substance and artistry versus what makes money. Granted, that’s not practical or realistic. However, I don’t think this movie was going for reality. There are too many starving artists living in nice apartments and large roomed houses at the start of the Great Depression for reality to be a priority.