One of the biggest influences in my life has been my mother. She is an amazing woman who has come through some incredible hardships, and yet has never given in to self-pity, and always retains a positive attitude and a sense of humor.
Almost all of my teachers and professors have had huge influences on me. My 10th grade English teacher encouraged me to write. Today (drumroll), I finished roughing out the final chapter of what I hope will eventually become my first published novel.
Fingers crossed!
Many of my friends have had very positive impacts on me too, usually for their kindness, humor, and energy.
Also, one of my email pals has been a constant source of encouragement with my writing and is always pushing me, encouraging me to do the very best I can and not settle for anything less.
Tara's greatest influence? Possibly her mother. There may have been others, but it seems as though her mom is the only person (pre-Willow) she ever mentioned in a positive way.
Willow's greatest influence? Probably Buffy. Buffy befriended Willow and showed her that her "smart" skills (which everyone else considered her a dork for) were not only cool but necessary in the big fight against evil. Through Buffy's influence, Willow grew into a stronger and more confident person.
Xander I think has also been a big influence on her life--mostly because he will always love her, no matter what.
I also think that Giles has been a very strong influence on Willow (and also Jenny Calendar, while she was alive). They showed Willow that (again), you can be smart and cool (and even sexy!). They were probably the strongest adult role models in her life. Oz was also an influence, as he was the first person to find Willow attractive and fall in love with her.
Firefoot
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