Collins displayed literary talent at a young age, writing poems (and contracting debts) while at university. He got his start in GM, and by early 1744 was considered by the London public an author, circulating a subscription. Though ambitious, he was not completely committed to writing and most of his works achieved only mild success. He depended largely on inheritance for his uncertain income, but, with a propensity for living lavishly, he managed his finances badly and was often in debt to his landlady. Some accounts claim that he squandered his inheritance and lived in poverty. Later in life, Collins suffered from debilitating depression. Some works survive only in fragments; for others, no MS survives.