Avery Wall

I grew in a small town where there the nearest movie theater is either an hour or two away and the only entertainment is to drive around on back roads. I guess I should consider myself lucky, however, that at least we're not a bypass town since they're a lot smaller and just about everyone knows each other. It's bad enough that the people I've grown up with since I was in kindergarten, give or take, know me better than anyone will ever possibly get the chance to know me. Can't imagine what it'd be like if I grew up in an even smaller town. Anyway, I've lived in Mississippi my entire life, and yes, I grew up in the Delta where cotton is king and all that great jazz. Also, I do have a southern accent even though I don't believe I have much of one compared to others.

My mom and her sister have kindled my love for books since I was five-years-old and created my own stories and characters while playing with Barbies and stuffed animals. Though, I didn't really enjoy reading until my sixth grade teacher had us read Bridge to Terabithia at the same time my aunt introduced me to Twilight. Needless to say, once I finished those books I was hooked for life. (Now that I'm much older, I go back and wrinkle my nose at how bland Twilight is compared to the many other books I've read since I was thirteen-years-old.) The story I created that I wrote down was when I was thirteen. I wrote the whole book down even though it was horribly written, the characters weren't relatable, and the plot was all over the place; it created and opened a new world for me. Even though I go back and cringe at how bad it was, I will never forget what that first story did for me as a writer.

I've written plenty of fanfictions for other novels written by other authors and I've also continued to write my own stories and post them online. Writing gives me peace whenever I feel down or stressed out about school, the future, or just life in general. It feels amazing to fashion a world of my own creation and characters that make it really feel as if it actually exists. Take the Harry Potter series, for instance. J.K. Rowling's world of wizards and magic coexist so well that it's hard to say if there isn't true magic or not. (Don't ruin the dreams of those who wished that the realms of fantasy truly exists or not, okay? It helps us cope with how much the real world sucks.) In any case, my imagination is my biggest and well-known trait. If someone were to ask me what I think is the best of my skill sets, I would say my ability to create anything with my mind--my imagination.