“She was a genius of sadness, immersing herself in it, separating its numerous strands, appreciating its subtle nuances. She was a prism through which sadness could be divided into its infinite spectrum.” ― Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything Is Illuminated

I was inspired to write by reading. The first book I fell in love with was The Enchanted Wood. I was in awe of the seemingly effortless magical world Enid Blyton had created using simple words that a child could easily understand. Then came along The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and when I became a teenager- The Nightworld series (which was the original Twilight)
The odd thing is that now I can actually no longer stand fantasy fiction, and  tend to read novels that are cripplingly sad. I reluctantly admit to having googled “saddest books ever” in the past before making a purchase on my kindle…

This is probably why I've enjoyed reading the works of Cheever and Dickenson so much. They were influenced by the society they lived in, by their hobbies and the people in their lives, and this is true of all authors. They are influenced and inspired by what they perceive. 
Happy endings and stories about flowers just don’t cut it for me and it’s no surprise that I can't help but add tragic elements into my work.  Just like the run of the mill, vanilla sex didn't cut it for E.L James, and she wrote 50 Shades of Grey. 

As for poetry, my biggest inspiration was Philip Larkin who isn't exactly known for his sunny moods. I guess it’s the same for people. I tend to enjoy the company of those with a cynical disposition more than those who are happy go lucky. But hey, maybe this is where I've been going wrong all my life. I think I’ll google and download “The most uplifting book ever” before I turn into something I can’t reverse.