In his early writing, Zinik was influenced by his older friends and mentors, Alexander Asarkan (1930-2004), a mail-artist and theatre critic; and Pavel Ulitin (1918–1986), who used cut-ups technique in his avant-garde prose.
Early on in his writing career, Zinik was inspired by his older friends and mentors: Alexander Asarkan, a mail artist and theatre critic from 1930-2004; and Pavel Ulitin, who employed the cut-up method in avant-garde literature from 1918 to 1986.