Saturday, February 23, 2008

Fairies and Typographical Errors

I just became so glad that I'd thought to write up my current WIP, a mature aged fairy story, down in long hand when I just tried to open the Word version and it told me it didn't exist.

......

I held my breath, tried again, very calmly, and on second try, it turned out it was there after all.

Meddlesome fairies! I knew there would be technology blunders when I began the commitment to writing this. *shakes head*


(Of course, it was more likely to be my virtual memory running low at that exact moment in time that caused the trouble...)

Anyway, I saw this today, and I thought I just had to pass it on, for the sake of all of those authors, and all of those editors out there, who have suffered the shame and the angst of the sake of the insignificant, almighty typographical error. Could this also be blamed on the fairies? I'm, as yet, undecided. :)


Ode to the Typographical Error

The typographical error is a slippery thing and sly;
You can hunt till you are dizzy, but it somehow will get by.
Till the forms are on the press, it is strange how still it keeps.
It shrinks down in a corner, and it never stirs or peeps -
That typographical error, too small for human eyes -
Till the ink is on the paper, when it grows to mountain size.
The boss, he stares with horror, then he grabs his hair and groans;
The copyreader drops his head upon his hands and moans.
The remainder of the issue may be clean as clean can be,
But the typographical error is the only thing you see.

-Anonymous



Nikki Watson.
http://nikkiwatson.blogspot.com/

2 Comments:

Blogger Sabrina Luna said...

Excellent ode, Nikki! Yep, I feel ya! ;)

Hugs,
S )O(

8:33 AM  
Blogger Katrina Strauss said...

But the typographical error is the only thing you see.

Isn't that the truth! :P

6:09 PM  

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