I completely understand how you feel.

Sometimes the doubt just creeps in and what can you do? But there are a few things to think about.

Never worry about being too formal. Think Anne Rice, whose flowery prose and super formal sentence structure can sometimes seems almost arcane. But who doesn't love The Vampire Lestat? People still read and refer to Anne of Green Gables, Sense and Sensibilities, Pride and Prejudice. They're icons of a time that we can never get back, both in the way they were written and period they represent.

Besides, the Hallmark channel needs writers to write those movies. And now that the History Channel and Travel Channel are starting to do reenactments and series on plausible historic events...? Who is going to write those except people who love historic accuracy. Names, enunciation and accessories included.

Never dumb down your writing. I love reading books where I have to keep a vocabulary list or check Dictionary.com. And I have a colossal vocabulary.

Every writer has a reader waiting for them to create a world they can fall into.

Zombeeluv

EDIT. There will always be someone criticizing your work. Think Christians in the South HATED Harry Potter books...went so far as to BURN them. I remember the news reports and quoting Winston Churchill. Frankly as someone who loves Greek and Roman Mythology and knows the difference, who loves to play with arcane doctrines and mythologies, and whose Nano book is using the religion Voodoo...you're fine.