When I introduce myself to people at school, I often hear the same question thrown back at me, similar words in a different order every time.

"Oh, you're an English major? So you want to be a teacher?"

I can't tell you how hard it is not to just roll my eyes and abandon the conversation then and there. From the moment I started college, people outside my family and friends have assumed that I have two distinct paths to choose from after graduation: teaching, or being a hobo under a bridge. Anyone who isn't an English major-- or involved in the liberal arts, at least-- seems to think that English is one of those fields where you study it just for the sake of studying it, and then you're left with a degree and nowhere to go. I've heard all sorts of arguments to try and convince me to chase after something else, something more practical to take with me into the "real world."

I hear their arguments, and I'm more determined to graduate with my English degree than ever.

It seems many folks don't realize how versatile an English major really is. Every field needs good readers, good writers, and good people who are rather apt with understanding the world-- it's just a matter of finding where you want to apply your skills.

So, no. I don't want to be a teacher. I want to write for video games.

Now, when I tell people that, I get mixed reactions. Most are pleasantly surprised or excited, and then they start asking more questions. "What parts of the game would you write?" "Do you know where you'd want to work?" "Is there a high demand for game writers?"

Some friendly faces I've spoken to have never known that games even need writers as part of their development team. I suppose they've always assumed that the art department runs the entire show (which, to be honest, they kind of do), and the dialogue just magically appears in games. I usually have fun talking with these folks, as I get to introduce them to one of my favorite pastimes and my dream career at the same time.

Recently, though, after I'd spoken to someone like this, I was reminded once again of why I should perhaps rethink the path I've carved out for myself.

"I heard that everyone in that industry are real assholes, especially the writers."

Now, I appreciate the input. Really, I do. It's good to have some different perspectives on the field I'm planning to break into very soon. However, I can't help but drum up some questions of my own in response to this bit of advice.

Who, may I ask, did you hear this from? Are they someone involved with video games? Where did they learn this juicy bit of information? Have they, perhaps, only ever met game writers who were assholes, and then assumed that all of them must be just as nasty?

There are perhaps a thousand arguments like this that people could throw at me to see if I'll rethink my plans. It's hard to get into the game industry, especially as a writer. Women are even less likely to be hired than men-- only 22 percent of game developers overall, as of 2015, were women. As for writers, 30 percent of those were women, which is a little better, but still not very encouraging. Why would I want to shoot for a career that'll be so difficult to achieve?

Well, I'm not afraid of the obstacles in my path. Perhaps I'm just secretly a creature fueled by spite, and I have to prove everyone who has ever tried to make me doubt myself wrong. The game industry needs more good writers, after all. It needs more representation and diversity. I want to shake up the foundation of a traditionally male-dominated field. The thirst for change runs deep in my veins, and I've got just enough salt mixed in there to keep me going.

I've known since I started college, since I first decided to be a game writer, that it would be an uphill battle. I think it's safe to say that most aspiring writers know this-- we have enough people telling us how rough it's going to be all the time that we couldn't forget even if we wanted to. If all of us simply gave up the moment we realized we had a long road ahead of us, we wouldn't have bookstores full of bestsellers, blockbuster movies, or games like "The Last of Us" that shake players to their souls.

Honestly, I don't believe in the idea that you should shoot for whatever career will make you the most "successful" simply because you might have an easier time financially. If you're going to commit to a career for a long stretch of time, why wouldn't you make it something you actually enjoy? Something you've poured your heart into chasing for your entire life, and something that feels like what you were meant to do?

People will try to tell you that dreams are unrealistic, that you should just give up on them and realize that the real world isn't meant for dreamers. I feel sorry for these kinds of people. More than anything, I wonder what happened to them to make them abandon whatever dream they had before, to make them think they had to settle for the pigeon hole that the world tried to shove them into. Dreams are what keep us alive, keep us going. If we toss those aside, then what do we have left?

So yes, I'm an English major, and I'm going to be a game writer-- and no one will ever convince me to change my mind.