I’m no writer…

I’m no writer but I can put a sentence together. I can also put a sentence together wrong. No big deal. I like writing, and when inspiration is flowing through me I can very easily lose myself in the clicks of the keys on the keyboard and my thoughts as to where I’m going to next. Unfortunately, tonight, the pool of inspiration has been drained, I think it’s being cleaned, or rather invigorated for tomorrow (or the next day). I’m also at the mercy of Fingers, my inner typist, who tries really hard but makes at least one error in every word. I think I must b the only person in the world with a split back key… but please, how difficult can it be to type be? (In my case, regularly very difficult).

Do typos really matter that much? I own a couple of books that are full of misprints, typos and repetitions that the author says is their style of writing, and the mistakes add a more human feel to the book. I can read along and ignore the typos and misplaced apostrophe’s as I use them myself some of  the time. I can’t really read the repeated lines though, as I find it stops the flow, makes me wonder if I have read it before, and wonder why the writer hadn’t noticed that the line had already been written. I can’t really read the repeated lines though, as I find it stops the flow, makes me wonder if I have read it before, and wonder why the writer hadn’t noticed that the line had already been written. I blame this on the editing, the curse of the copy and paste.

I also own a couple of books where the writer has really thought about what they wanted to say and rather than stop their momentum they have got on with writing everything down in one go so as to get everything in before they forgot it. And breathe. But again, this really doesn’t bother me that much either.

If someone has something to say, and I am enjoying reading what they have written, I don’t notice the typos. Or I do, but pass them by.

Many years ago, I bought a book about the predictions of Nostradamus. It was a brand new publication, first edition hard-back print, and page 24 was printed before page 23. I took it back to the bookshop where I had ordered it from, and the lady in the shop said to keep hold of it, as it may be worth something in a few year’s time. I don’t know what I have done with this book, because at the time, my reading had been spoiled and I put it to one side. Today, such a thing wouldn’t bother me. And I need to find that book.

So. Reading typos, repetitions, grammatical errors, and snuck in apostrophes in a body of text are fine by me. I like spotting them as it shows I’m paying attention to the letters; and I like not noticing them as it shows I am paying attention to the words.

Seeing boards in shops declaring banana’s at so much, or a workman’s business card highlighting that no job is to big or small, or receiving an email with the word gr8 in it are a different matter completely. There need be nothing else written on what I am reading, as all I can see is what I usually don’t pay any attention to elsewhere.

I’m no writer, but I like writing. I love writing. And I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to some typos, deliberate or not.

Many apologies if you notice or don’t notice any of the typos in what I write… they are all intentional although not necessarily in their untended places. I blame Fingers myself, he is the one doing the typing.