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In our last episode, Gina began freelancing and quit her full-time job to take
a trip around the world, trusting to luck and grit that she would land on her feet. In this episode, Gina rearranges
her priorities and discovers the National Writers Union.
The Leap
Part 2: Transition
Beyond the inspiration of filing a paid weekly column while traveling around the world, I didn't have
a clue how I would earn money once returning to Connecticut. Having resigned from a well-paying job without a solid
next step, my favorite adage, "leap and the net will appear," was about to become my way of life. From the outside
looking in, my actions probably appeared foolhardy. But there's always lag time between the nudge of one's instinct and
the tangible evidence to support it.
It's called faith.
I had hoped to continue writing a travel column for The Hartford Courant upon my return to the United
States, but organizational changes at the paper made while I was traveling excluded that option. Instead, my "Journey
with Gina" column caught the attention of The Courant's editorial page editor, who asked me write an opinion column. It
was regular but not high paying. I needed to supplement my income.
The vestiges of my former life were quickly diminishing my pre-world tour financial cushion. Expenses
that I had once considered stress management necessities were now unaffordable luxuries. I began ditching memberships,
subscriptions, collectible and "so-called" investment real estate. Since I had lived comfortably on the road for five
months in modest hotel rooms, bungalows and pensions, my huge loft apartment now overwhelmed me and no longer fit the
person I was becoming. A friend suggested I move to a smaller apartment or find a roommate to further cut my living
expenses. This would allow me to find low-stress per-diem work to supplement my freelance income without fretting over
bills.
While I put into motion the financial aspects of my life change, a new writer friend sent me a notice
from the National Writers Union. It was an announcement of an annual writers conference occuring just an hour north of
me in Amherst, Mass. Not only did some of the conference topics "speak" to me - finding an agent, finessing contract
negotiations, the freelancing life - but the Universe seemed to be speaking to me as well: Surround yourself with
others who are already doing what you want to do.
"I'm not a joiner," as I would later write in a union newsletter article, but at the conclusion of the
conference I joined the NWU. It was the three little words, "free," "contract" and "advice" that motivated me to sign
on the dotted line, but the conference was also the beginning of a relationship that would help guide me through
unfamiliar territory.
I lost no time in taking advantage of this new resource. In the four months between joining the union
and reporting on its annual meeting in the newsletter, I received contract negotiation advice, freelancing and book
publishing mentoring from seasoned journalists and authors.
At the same time, a contact at The Hartford Courant introduced me to a heavy-hitting literary agent
who reviewed my "mini proposals" for six non-fiction book ideas. The agent liked my writing but thought my ideas were
"too niche" for the mass market. If I ever came up with what she called "general trade non-fiction" ideas, she would be
"most happy to review such a proposal." I filed her letter for future reference and continued my agent search by
borrowing the NWU's agent database.
I moved to a smaller apartment, continued to decrease my expenses, and settled in on a bare bones temp
job with a small auditing firm. For the first time in 15 years, I felt like my time and my life were my own. I was
lighter. I was happier. I was writing.
Next time, Gina devises a strategy for getting attention and getting published
in the big time.
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