The Algonquin Round Table. Dashiell Hammett, Lillian Hellman and William Faulkner discussing current events. John Steinbeck sailing in the Sea of Cortez. Jack London taking off for the Klondike Gold Rush.

When I was finally able to quit my day-job at a downtown law firm to become a full-time novelist, my brain was filled with these images. Which frontier would I conquer first on my journey to the top of...