In the end it doesn't matter what you do.
I think there are influences that you open the door to, and influences that come under the door.
I always write the pieces I want to write.
I wrote music as soon as I knew notation.
This sounds horribly pretentious, but I like to think that if music hadn't existed, I could have invented it.
My attitude to writing is like when you do wallpapering, you remember where all the little bits are that don't meet. And then your friends say: It's terrific!