How did Ayn Rand, at nine, make the “great decision” to be a writer? First, she discovered an inspiring fictional hero: Captain Cyrus Paltons, mentally and physically unstoppable. Then, in the summer of 1914, she entertained her sisters by creating stories about chorus girls—and discovered her ability to invent exciting adventures. A writer’s career, she realized, would allow her to apply a talent she relished to a mission she valued. One century ago, a writer was born.