Avoiding Pomposity

I recently became conscious that as I get more confident in writing, I may have the tendency to become verbose and pompous. I hate both of these traits. However, I like the sound of my own voice and I may tend to show off a little in my writing. A good Writer will resist the temptation to show off and put down on paper more than is necessary in getting across his/her thoughts. This is something I need to be conscious of.

On that subject, I came across the following example that illustrates that verbosity and pomposity are not welcome and get in the way of good communication.

The Hydrochloric Acid Letters
The following letters were exchanged between a New York City plumber and the Bureau of Standards in Washington:

The plumber wrote the Bureau stating that he has found hydrochloric acid good for cleaning out clogged drains.

The Bureau wrote him: "The efficacy of hydochloric acid is indisputable, but the corrosive residue is incompatible with metallic permanence."

The plumber replied he was glad the Bureau agreed.

The Bureau tried again, writing: "We cannot assume responsibility for the production of toxic and noxious residue with hydrochloric acid and suggest that you use an alternative procedure."

The plumber again said he was pleased the Bureau agreed with him.

Finally the Bureau, realizing that they had not written in a language that was understandable, wrote to the plumber. "Don't use hydrochloric acid. It eats hell out of the pipes."