Billy Fisher is a lazy, wildly inventive and irresponsible clerk in a north country town, who defrauds his employers of the petty cash. Unable to accept the drab reality of life, Billy escapes into a world of fantasy, imagining he is a successful man of the world in various situations. Communication at home is uneasy; his inexplicable lying shocks his parents. But when he becomes engaged to two girls at the same time and invents a demand for his non-existent writing talents, his troubles become more complex. That is, until he meets Liz, a beautiful and understanding girl, who appreciates the creative instincts hidden behind his dreams.