Some people already know this, some don’t: a couple of weeks ago I was laid off. This sucks not only because being out of work right now is definitely not a position I want to be in, but also because I loved my job and co-workers. It was all down to economics, sadly, and nothing to do with me personally. My boss was really upset to have to let me go.

Since then I’ve been doing all the normal stuff: haunting job boards, networking, letting folks know I’m available for full-time or freelance gigs. There’s even a very attractive resume to show off. Feel free to pass that along to others.

Though I am unhappy to be laid off, I am not panicking. I’m mostly calm about it, possibly because I’m deep-down confident in my ability to find another job or otherwise survive in this city, which I’ve been doing pretty successfully for three years (and five before that). Perhaps I’m just deluding myself. Still, this whole thing where I decide what my life is going to be and then it is that has worked for me since 2003, I see no reason for it to stop.

Good thing is that I have more time for writing! Also, jump-starting some projects lagging behind. And catching up with my poor, neglected interns at Fantasy.

You may be thinking: Oh no! What can I do?

Other than passing around my rez, as previously stated, not much except think happy thoughts for me. I greatly appreciate all happy thoughts. I am, luckily, not in dire financial straits. For once in my professional life, I’m eligible for unemployment, which should help keep me afloat as I look. I don’t intend to sit on my laurels, but this time around I don’t need to freak out.

I will still be at WisCon.

I know I am not alone in this. Beyond the statistics, my friends list and blog feeds are full of people reporting layoffs, firings, or other such news. The economy blows. Hopefully we’ll all have good fortune in the coming months.