After being laid off from a tech job in 2024, Sarah Thompson, 34, turned adversity into opportunity by writing her first novel. Initially devastated, she used her newfound free time to pursue a lifelong passion for storytelling. With severance as a cushion, Thompson dedicated mornings to writing, completing a 90,000-word draft in six months—a sci-fi thriller exploring AI’s societal impact.
The process wasn’t easy. Self-doubt and financial stress loomed, but online writing communities and free resources, like NaNoWriMo’s workshops, kept her motivated. She also leaned on feedback from beta readers to refine her work. Now querying agents, Thompson credits the layoff for forcing her to prioritize creativity over comfort.
Her story reflects a broader trend: laid-off workers using career pauses to pivot. Data from LinkedIn shows a 20% uptick in professionals listing creative projects post-layoff in 2024. While Thompson’s novel awaits publication, she’s already planning a sequel, proving downtime can spark unexpected reinvention.