Observations of a 12-year-old boy provide an in-depth look at the writing of a successful adolescent writer, as it developed over a 2-year period. The subject was interviewed once a week in his home. In addition to the information obtained in interviews, his texts were analyzed for formal features. Three factors emerged as particularly facilitating for Simon's developing literacy: critical consciousness, exposure to media, and access to social support for writing. While these factors have the potential to affect strongly the development of literacy, these factors also interact with all other factors present in the writing situation. Consequently, they are not inherently facilitating or inhibiting since they are context-dependent. Although the active influence of these factors cannot guarantee success, their absence can signal writing problems. Therefore, educators should try to promote their interaction in the writing situation. However, trying to implement such a policy in the classroom is a difficult task that raises many pedagogical issues. Further research is needed into the role of these factors in literacy acquisition. (DF)