'Why might a writer be considered to have a 'style' or 'formula'? Is this a good or bad thing? Do you, as a writer, have a recognisable 'style'?'

It is certainly true that some writers have a style or formula.  For example, somebody picking up a Jackie Collins novel is expecting a certain type of book.  

However, other writers, such as Dylan Thomas, have been criticised for not sticking to a consistent style with their prose.  Paul Auster is another example of an author whose style can shift dramatically between books.  (compare Mr Vertigo with the New York trilogy)

Whether this is a good or bad thing, comes down to your expectation of the author.  I love reading the Marlowe stories by Raymond Chandler.  There are slight variations in style, but the tone is consistent throughout.  

Nevertheless, I enjoy the prose of Dylan Thomas, despite the variety of styles that are encompassed in his short stories.   I do not 'mark him down' for having the talent to write in a number of different styles.

The publishing industry is competitive, publishers are keen for their established authors to write 'more of the same' when the author's previous work has sold well.  I suspect this is one of the main reasons why writers develop a formula and stick to it.  I think a writer who is happy to write in a certain style and never deviate from it should do so, but a writer who wants to push the boundaries of their writing style should experiment and grow.

Personally, I enjoy writing in different styles, but I'm aware of the need for a consistent identity if I hope to establish myself.  I'm not particularly happy about this, but I also understand why a publisher might be reluctant to take on a new writer if they have not yet built a trust relationship with that author.

'Is there a contrast between the truth of our lives and the story that we tell of our existence?'

Yes.  Most of us, depending on how we've lived and our individual personalities, will omit or downplay parts of our life in which we feel we acted in a way that was out of character, or casts us in a negative light, when talking about our lives.

Of course there are exceptions to this, on occasion people may prefer to glorify their actions and positively boast about them.  However, they are distorting the 'truth' of their lives, just as much as those who prefer to downplay instances of behaviour that may be frowned upon by society in general.

Often the story that is told will be tailored to its audience.  For example, a conversation with your family on what you did on New Year's Eve might be very different to the conversation you would have with your best friend on the same subject.

It is reasonably common for an individual to feel that they are the focal point of their own story.  Existentialism only formally existed since the 19th Century with Kierkegaard, Heidigger and Sartre, but I suspect that the existentialist view of the world was there long before somebody thought to write about it.

It is important to note that the 'truth' of the story somebody tells about their life will be subjective to a listener who will apply their own values to what they are told.  Even if somebody tells of their life consciously trying not to emphasise or downplay the actions they have taken, a human listener will hear what is said through a filter of their own experiences, knowledge and personal values.

'How Is It That I Became A Writer?'

I'd like to start by saying I'm not sure that I am a writer.  I'm writing a lot at the moment, but my efforts over the longer term have been sporadic.

I do have an inbuilt creative urge, and it's been very difficult for me to find a way of expressing that without feeling massively pretentious.  Whenever I've acted on my desire to be creative, it's always been by writing.  Mainly because English was the only subject I did well in at school.

However, I'm really good at procrastinating, and I'm terrified of failure.  I've only ever sent one story to a publisher, and that was for a competition.  The story did get published (which was the prize) but I'd feel like a fraud if I called myself a published author.

I had a few years where I was fully engrossed in work and stopped writing.  Eventually though, work began to feel unfulfilling and I felt the need to write again.  The feeling got strong enough that I acted on it. I applied for university, quit my job (to the horror of my family) and moved to Winchester. Classic signs of a midlife crisis, but at least I didn't buy a Porsche.

I'm trying to write, not just complete the coursework, so I've joined a group of students called The Flashnificent 7 who create Flash Fiction, one new story each day.  I've also just created a site called Hierarchy Of One for non-collaborative work.  I’m hoping that if I can get to the end of the course and I’m still writing regularly, I might even consider myself a writer.