I know that you did go to college, and a big one at that, but I still wanted to maybe ask for some advice. I'm from a family that can't really afford to send me to college, and I've just finished highschool. Even though I can't afford school now, I could w

Lawd, sometimes I wish I could just hug people through my tumblr dash.

First things first: IMO, whether or not you go to college has ZERO impact on your chances of becoming a writer, so let’s put that worry to bed right now. Read. Write. Find good critique partners and/or reputable workshops. You don’t need a degree to become a writer, you just need to keep writing.

Onward… college isn’t the right path for everyone, but you also don’t need to decide right now. A lot of people take a few years off between high school and college. It actually makes you a more interesting—and for some schools more appealing—applicant. So don’t feel like this is THE CROSSROADS WHERE ALL THINGS WILL BE DECIDED. You have time to figure out what you want. Take it.

I feel like there are a lot of questions I could ask you about career paths and day jobs and all that, but for now I’m going to leave it there. If you want to email me privately to talk more, I’m at LastLeigh at gmail.