You can get a GED much quicker than a Diploma. Back in the old days a GED was considered real bad as opposed to a diploma but not so really anymore. As long as you show on an application that you are continueing your education, that won't be a problem.
You can go to the local Dept. Of Social Services and they can tell you where you can take a class to get your GED - or - if credible, online. It is hard to get a job that pays anything worth anything, without that.
BUT, they are out there, mostly blue collar jobs like painters/plumbers apprentice etc. But still, they will want you to eventually get your GED so you can continue training. If you do something like babysitting, that is an option but any babysitting job that pays OVER minimum wage will want you to have alot of experience and maybe training in college of early childhood development etc. The highest paying thing you can do ONCE you have your GED is sales. Even without the GED you can start in sales like selling subscriptions to the local newspaper but you'd really have to work your but off to earn some good $.
Once you do have the GED go for a sales position somewhere that will give you a small base wage PLUS commissions. You can earn a half way decent living that way.
If you don't have an education I does not mean you are a nobody in fact you are the nobody, im a dropout with no ncea yet ill be fixing your cars so you up there can wake the fu*k up I bet you will have no clue what your looking at if you open your hood yet me the dropout can out smart you under the hood lol thats just pathetic lol.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.