When an urban area becomes old and run down, nobody wants to go there. Residents and businesses leave, and shadier characters begin to move in. Buildings fall into disrepair from neglect. Kind of like my writing career.

But if some enterprising souls come along and begin to work on the area again -- slowly, one project at a time -- it breathes new life into the community. As more improvements are made, more people return to the area and soon it's a vibrant destination rather than something to...