Anne Shirley from "Anne of Green Gables"

Anne may be one of the most notoriously talkative characters ever written. She had a way of getting herself in trouble, whether it was with her mouth or her vibrant spirit. Anne loved big words. As a talkative person myself, I see myself in her. I grew up watching the classic Canadian mini-series, and I came to love education as much as Anne did. It was through her that I saw my potential. Anne at the top of her class, and she never let anything get in her way. Anne of Green Gables showed me that smart is beautiful.

Sarah Crewe from "A Little Princess"

"A Little Princess" was my all-time favorite movie growing up. Though my life does not resemble Sarah’s in every way, it does in some. Like Sarah, I grew up overseas. I felt a likeness with her. Most of all, Sarah showed me that kindness can prevail. Though she was treated with the utmost cruelty, her heart never turned to stone. She never lost hope.

Jo March from "Little Women"

From the age of six, I knew I wanted to be an author. With my head on my pillow with my mind still awake, I’d stay up late at night creating stories of all kinds. During the day, my sisters and I would act them out as if they were a play. If you’ve watched Little Women, you might see how my childhood resembles that of the March sisters. The March sisters often used their attic as a theater to put on Jo’s plays. Jo was desperate to get her stories told, and as I watched the movie and read the book over and over again, the more I became inspired. Jo March helped me realize that if I love something enough, I will work hard to make it happen. She also taught me the importance of sisters and family.

Anne Frank from "The Diary of Anne Frank"

Anne Frank is not a fictional character like most of the girls on this list. I read a simplified form of "The Diary of Anne Frank" when I was eight years old. Anne Frank was my favorite author when I was young. She inspired me as I read her kind and loving words as she tried to make sense of unbearable circumstances. This quote has stuck with me for many years, "I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." As she looked at the world during the war, she noticed the world wanted her dead, but she still saw good in it. That's breathtaking.

Laura Ingles Wilder from "Little House on the Prairie"

I grew up watching and reading "Little House on the Prairie." Laura Ingles Wilder had always been my favorite character. Like Anne Frank, Laura was a real person and her books accounted her childhood. I admired how ambitious Laura was. Her stories always reminded me of my sisters and myself. As she grew up and pursued writing, I admired her even more and what she had been through.

I soon found a pattern. I tended to admire characters and people who were creative, kind and outspoken, and eventually began to pursue writing as a career. Jo March, Anne Shirley, Laura Ingles, Anne Frank and even Sarah Crewe (and her storytelling) followed this pattern. These are the figures I grew up watching and reading over and over again.