My New Year's resolution is to finish my novel. I have been toying with it for the past five years, working in fits and bursts, without truly focusing on finally pulling it all together, with a beginning, middle and end. Hopefully by recording this goal right here on my blog, I will be spurred on towards completion.
In honor of my goal, I have spent the past few days editing previously written chapters, hoping and praying my unwilling eyes will find my tongue tripping typos.
Daisy Question Mark?
My frequent errors caused me to worry about my blog posts. I hope any typos are not overly annoying. Can you forgive a few misspelled words, stray commas, and dangling sentences?
The problem I find when rereading something I have personally written, is that I know it backwards, forwards and inside out. It is impossible for me to spot my typos. When I reread my own work, my brain extrapolates exactly what I expect to see. My blind spot for typos in my own writing is massive. I have to print out my work and force myself to read it line-by-line, word-for-word, all the while quelling my eyes' eagerness to sprint to a scanning pace.
Because of my own errant ways, I really don't get in a flap, when I spot minor typos online or in books. I figure, it happens! Everyone slips up! No big deal!
Oh, how wrong I be!!!!!
I spent sometime reading Amazon book reviews and quickly came to realize that most people absolutely abhor finding typos in books. The punctuation police take no prisoners!
The Sun As Exclamation Point!
I think the golden rule is that typos must never mess up the flow of a sentence, forcing the reader to re-read it over and over, to clearly understand what's going on. Breaking the spell of the writing is a definite no-no.
Editing errors or sound inequalities in a movie are unforgivable to most movie watchers. A booming microphone at a concert is annoying, but the audience is completely unforgiving if a singer messes up the words. Think of the ensuing media uproar, when a singer flubs the national anthem before a big sporting event. As part of my Americanization, I have learned there is a zero tolerance public policy for errors in all things artistic. It appears the majority believe art can, and should be, produced without errors.
Copyright - Poppy Thomas-Hill
Image Credit
Are online typos and blog errors more forgivable, than those found in newspapers and books? I hope blog readers understand that posts are more immediate than other forms of shared written words. They are not pored over by teams of editors and multiple sets of scrutinizing eyes, with red pencils at the ready. At least, that's how I reassure myself.
And so, I would like readers to regard finding my typos similar to a child discovering an unexpected toy inside a cereal box. I think every one of my posts probably has at least one typo. If you discover it, take a bow, and feel a little proud of your editing skills.
Pixie Dust
I ask that all my wonderful blog readers, forgive a few misspelled words, and accept my extra speckling of commas, as a light sprinkling of pixie dust!
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
Here are some more recipes and ramblings you might enjoy...
What I Miss About Ireland - Swans
A Tribute To An Irish American Mom
Kay G.
I totally understand. I also do not notice when I misspell words, my brain sees them as I intended.
Besides that, I usually type them the American way, but if someone replies with an English spelling, I will sometimes reply in kind, not realizing it until later!
I might notice a word is not spelled correctly but surely the content is what is important!
When I lived in England, it would amuse me to get a book from the library, and often, spelling mistakes would be corrected!
Irish American Mom
Kay - I get totally confused when it comes to spelling. I learned to spell in Ireland, but now I have to convert to American spelling. As a result I sometimes get neither version right. I always find it hard to drop the 'u' in favourite and I spell jewellery instead of jewelry. I thank God for spellcheck and the online dictionary every day.
Grammy
I cannot tell you how many times I have proofread, proofread and PROOFREAD my posts, publish them feeling confident they are error free only to have my daughter point out a typo in the first paragraph! Arrrgh! I think that's why book publishers have proofreaders on staff, to catch our boo-boos so don't you even worry about it! Follow your dream and let someone else (who gets paid for it) worry about the little details...:)
Irish American Mom
Grammy - those poor editors and proof readers will earn their keep if they ever lay eyes on my pages. But you are right, I must just keep at it and follow my dream.
Bubbe
This is why there are secretaries! I'm a legal secretary and my bosses often bring me something they've been drafting and revising for hours so it will get a "fresh eye". You need a secretary! 🙂