Young Mom, dreams crushed need help on person opinion?

I'm sure your family will support you with whatever you do. If you decide to start writing a book there is nothing to lose. Even if you don't finish your book or if it is not successful you can still say you did it that is something to be proud of. And don't think there is no purpose in writing there will always be someone benefiting from your writing even if it is only yourself

As a wise old black woman would say, "Your dreams ain't over, sweetie. They just beginnin." Sorry I just made that up. If you're itching to go back to school, attend Night school at the local high school (if you dropped out) or community college (work towards a degree). There are even fee waivers if you need financial aid. It can just be one class at first until you learn to balance your commitments. But I think applying your mind academically and intellectually will help your cure your unhappiness and boredom. And then at the college, talk to your professors or a career counseling service. Tell them about your situation and what your goals/dreams are, and they will do their best to help you reach them. Eventually maybe you'll be able to get a more fulfilling job, become a stronger role model for your daughter, and live a more satisfying life. Your ship has not sailed just yet.

Aww, I feel your pain. Okay, I don't have any children, but still... There's nothing wrong with perusing your dream. Though, I know some "careers" like modeling might be harder to break into the longer you wait. But you don't have to be a certain age to break into writing. Just realize that most people's life isn't book-worthy. Everyone has had that crazy boyfriend/girlfriend. Everyone has had a crazy relative. Millions of people go through depression and have had a hard-knock life growing up. And, yes, we all think our lives are so unique that we should write about it and get it published, when in reality our lives are so not unique. I'm honest about my life. I'm boring as hell. :D My life is a dog. I spend most of my time writing novels that might never get published in my life time and I spend the other half of my time reading novels. As you can already guess the reason why I'm responding to your post. ;) When writing your life story to be published, ask yourself what books are similar to yours in subject matter and how yours stand out from the rest. Anyway. Write. Maybe writing your life story might be therapeutic for you, even if it's never published. Maybe writing is the hobby you're looking for. Write stories for your daughter, or stories for older teens or adults, doesn't matter. They don't have to published. It's a hobby for millions of people. There are many websites where you can write a novel or a short story and put it online for others to read for free. Or you can self-publish it. Or if you decide that you want to take writing seriously, you can try to get a traditional publisher. Hard as hell, but who knows. And there are many authors who have children. Stephen Myers (Just in case you dont know, lol: Twilight fame) had three small boys at home when she wrote the first Twilight book. She wrote the whole first book, got a literary agent, and found a publisher all within 6 months. This is unusual for most writers though and she does consider herself lucky. BUT, even with three small children, she put in the effort to make time to write. She woke up an hour earlier every morning to write. She wrote while she waited for her children at practice. She wrote when she waited to pick them up from school. You have to make time, even if it means writing on your break at work. If you want to be a writer, you have to read a lot, even if it's just reading to your daughter every night before bed. &, btw, Meyer had never written a manuscript (book) before she sat down and wrote Twilight. There's lot of information online about how to write a novel (if that's what you want to write; don't know about memoirs). There are many communities of writers on the internet and even offline writers groups you can join to keep your inspiration going. & there are also books you can pick up about fiction writing and many published authors write articles giving advice to newbie writers. Find your fav. author websites and see how they got started and if they have any advice to give. Nicholas Sparks has some on his website. James Dasher has a web blog series about how he got his book deals. And, please, don't put too much pressure on your daughter to do something great at an early age. My nephew is 9 and he's always trying new things. My sister hasn't pinned him down with a career path just yet. :D -- this is in response to the "just so she knows what she's doing." Comment. Some college students still don't' know what they want to do career wise when they get in college. Some might take a year or two off to figure it all out. Anyway good luck with whatever you choose to do. It's only in your mind if you feel it's too late. You're going to regret not trying, even if it's for fun, when you become a senior citizen.

A model seriously? Why does every young woman want to be a model? You shouldn't have had a child so young if you didn't want to end up this way. If you want to write a book then write one. That could be your hobby. Plenty of published authors have been in situations like yours or worse. JK Rowling (Harry Potter) had several kids raising them on her own. The odds of getting published are actually not that low compared to other "out there" dreams like model or actress. After you have written it you just need to find a book agent. Don't go with any agent that tries to charge you money - legit agents are paid with a percentage of your sales not up front. English professors at your nearest college are likely to help you even if you aren't a student. You could also research if there are any authors that live near you and write them an email or letter for advice on finding an agent.