I think I tend to careen between Chandler's short sharp sentance genius, while dipping into his manic run on sentances when Marlowe starts to go a bit nuts, and a sort of Tom Robbins or Richard Brautifgan weird adjective party.

Short sharp, with as few words as possible, or flowing and languid with as many words as possible. I mean, that's more or less what I feel I've taken from other writers. Very early on I had a few teachers say that there was something in my stuff that is similar to Chandler's style and considering I FUCKING LOVE RAYMOND CHANDLER that has always been something I've clung too.

The other one who has influence my style most is Spike Milligan.

Those fabulous dead men aside (well, robbins is still kicking!) my particular 'writing style' is a sort of maniac barrage, firing it out as fast as I can, trying to keep things as energetic and unexpected as possible.

Choctaw, Choctaw, Choctaw...

Don't tell me you're afraid of writing?

Where's your literary sense of adventure?


(Now I just need to remember who said those quotes before I post them...)

*looks stern*

Am I going to have to smack you up the back of the head, Mister? You don't have to let people read it, y'know? If you like to write then write for yourself and screw everyone else! Unless you're planning on getting published their opinion doesn't matter.

 

I second Imp, with one minor addition: I'm quite content if you screw no-one but her, TYVM.

But seriously, if *you* like to write, then write. Encrypt the result with GPG and a throw-away key if you must, but don't let your fear of someone else's reaction to reading your works keep you from doing something you enjoy.

I disagree.

Writing style is about putting yourself down in the literary format.  It is not unlike a set of clothing you wear from time to time, and just like clothing, it is important to be comfortable while in it you are.

And no, please do not make analogies to running around naked.  The first thing that comes to my mind is "troll", and my commentary goes downhill from there.

One of my profs once commented that my papers are "Delightfully athletic"
I have no idea what that meant exactly but I am hoping it was a complement.

It seems to me that writing style is something that's worth noticing only in particular writer's and then After you've already enjoyed them to a certain extent

Style is something that one develops almost unconsciously.  We all have our influences, notably, as have been mentioned, favourite writers and our educational and workplace experiences.  My poetry, when I was writing it, tended toward terse, compact free verse, with a smattering of formal pieces.  My prose tends toward the didactic and the critical, as folks here may have noticed.  Efforts at prose fiction have been deservedly relegated to the bottom drawer and the blue box, except for a couple of serial pieces for Yahoo groups.

These boards are currently my outlet for writing.  For fiction creation, I do roleplaying games, and it has been years since my poetic muse stirred. 
One bit of advice I will offer to those who write:  keep writing.  If you allow silence to become a habit, you will have a real battle relocating your voice.