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I had a period of unemployment for about nine months after my first big break, and it's the greatest lesson I ever could have learned, never to believe you're home and dry.

In my right-wing politics of the time, I held that unemployment was usually the fault of the unemployed.

I still have my unemployment books and I remember when I worked for the sanitation department and the post office.

I remember the first pangs of stress arriving at the end of school. Once I graduated I had to get a full-time job, worry about health insurance, saving money, paying rent - things I'd never thought about before.

When I look back over my career, there was so much stress. And it was because of the business. It was always because of the business.

I did go through a period where I was on unemployment. That was my low point: Martha Quinn on line at unemployment, hoping nobody will recognize her.

I always figured that I was one new editor away from unemployment.

I've several times had jobs that I thought were going to be my big break, and it didn't pan out.

Going on unemployment was a total low point for me, but it was also the point when I promised myself I'd write every day from 9 to 5. I tried to make the most out of every situation that came along.