This list could go on forever so I'll try to only name five... don't hold me to that.
Markus Zuzack.
Agatha Christie.
John Keats.
Scott Lynch.
J.R.R Tolkein.
(and so so many others but these are authors of books I simply could not put down.)

Yes. It was about a mysterious figure standing outside a young girls window at night (terrifying I know, but not based on my own life, thank god). I vaguely remember it was a story for a primary school extra-curricular writing class, and I wasn't given enough time to fully realise my creepy story dream so the figure ended up as a little grey cat and everybody lived happily ever after. (Much to my disgust.)

The imaginative freedom. If I wanted a miniature flying purple gecko with seventy eyes and a love for gnawing on headphones in my story, who's going to stop me?

I would name him Sir Kumquat

Everything!

I don't remember the first story ever because I'm sure that was something like "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" but I do remember the impact a story had on me, one that my mum used to read to me. It's a children's novel called "Gone Away Lake" by Elizabeth Enright. We got it second-hand from a little town in Tasmania. There was one particular description in it, of furniture grazing on carpet that beautifully created an image in our minds. It showed me the power of descriptive language and how fun it could be. Mum and I still talk about that "parlour" description.

Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, because every page has something completely unique and fun. There's nothing quite like an angry baby turning into a pig and happily trotting off between the trees amid a little girl's imagined world.

The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch, because there's no adventure like it and no characters as unattractive and ordinary and well-read as the Gentlemen Bastards.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - Becky Chambers, because never have I felt such a love for a bunch of aliens on a space-mining-ship, especially aliens with complex and beautiful lore.

A Natural History of Dragons - Marie Brennan, because I want to be Lady Trent when I grow up.

The Mysterious Mr Quin - Agatha Christie, because there is nothing more satisfying than being surprised by Christie, except maybe guessing the murderer, but I never seem to do that. This book in particular though has a mystery almost like the supernatural and a pair of characters interesting, and a poetic beauty to the Mr Harley Quin, speaker for the dead and for lovers.

Five books is too little, I have many, many, many more favourites.

Big Mess.