nyj66: one year without work


Two weeks ago I returned to full unemployment, but with the prospect of a promising interview to teach. It went well, and the school set up a second interview and teaching demo, scheduled for this past Monday. But as the week advanced I grew increasingly unsure about the cost for my writing, my commitment to teaching in general, and so on. Fear of commitment? Fondness for the unsettled life? Well, maybe. But ultimately I chose not to waste the school’s time still “trying out” for a job I knew I no longer wanted.

Then Monday morning — the day I was to have interviewed — something major broke in terms of my writing. No, I don’t have a book deal … but let’s just say the odds on one have suddenly improved an awful lot.

Many of you have been quite kind in what you say about my scribbles. But in this case, it’s surely the kindness of God at work — not the quality of my writing that earns the credit. ;) You see, shortly after I moved to New York, I had coffee with a local aspiring writer. His was a typical story, I suspect. He’d completed the manuscript of at least one novel (possibly two), attended various workshops, been praised by semi-big name authors ... yada, yada, yada. Yet another undiscovered genius (I’m sure he thought). And his writing may have been great. But he didn’t have an agent. Odds are, Eric is still trying to shop around his manuscript, having maybe finished off a third novel by now.

But by the grace of God, it looks like mine will be a different path. I’m fortunate to have a unique perspective on the subject, and to be striking at a time when the market is strong for spiritual memoir and, particularly, books about sex and relationships (which mine is). My gut has long been that this makes me marketable — but then guts can be unreliable. Indeed things looked pretty grim this past February when I first met with an agent I knew. He said I’d need to work my way up for a while, prove myself as a writer, and change the title of my project. After all the struggles and other disappointments I’ve had in the last year, it looked like this would be the latest arena for failure.

Then I decided to stay in New York, after a long and anguished struggle to get out of town. When a good friend and sometime advisor heard of my decision, she predicted I would experience God’s blessing on this decision in ways that might surprise and delight me. Not knowing what that might mean, but hoping it was true, I refocused my energies on writing, and buckled down to hone a book proposal. So far God seems to be honoring that project, and carrying it along with an ease I could never accomplish were I doing this on my own. We shall see where it goes from here, but my friend’s word is beginning to seem a little prophetic.

Not that I expect to pay my bills by writing. That’s still accomplished by things like temping and random freelance gigs I get. Late in April a friend threw an index project my way. In two weeks I escort a children’s choir as they perform in Montreal, Toronto and then New York. Don’t ask me how I land these things (more of God’s handiwork, no doubt), but they’ll help me make it through most of June, still solvent. After that I’ve got another possible freelance editing project lined up (thanks to friends who think I can telecommute), and train to teach SAT- or GRE-prep courses for Kaplan sometime this summer. That will be a part-time job, but well-paid once I complete the training (compensated at a lower rate).

If you’ve got a writing or editing project you need help on, or know someone else who does, feel free to send them my way. Consider it an early birthday present, if nothing else. In less than two months, I turn 27.

posted @ 02:07 PM on Thu - May 26, 2005 remark! Email |  as quoted:
before I said ...  but more recently: 

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