This book is a collection of nonfiction essays by Richard Maibaum commenting and reflecting on his thoughts about Broadway and Hollywood, particularly ideas about writing, story development, and the significance of characters. It reflects forty years of thinking on the subject, from the late 1940s through late 1980s, shortly before his passing. It is the closest thing to a textbook that a writer of his stature and, as busy as he always was, could produce, and he always liked interactions with schools and eager people with aspiring writing talent. Never a gossip or tell all about others, he was interested in conveying what he knew about how to write and how to tell a story; that's what he felt truly important when talking about Broadway or Hollywood.