Using the ‘Wright’ Word.

After I complained of a sore shoulder two nights ago, my six-year-old proclaimed that he would give me a massage. He raced out of the room and returned within minutes carrying a few objects, one of which was a box of Kleenex. This confused me and I told him we didn’t need tissues. He replied; ‘Yes we do – that’s for the deep tissue part of the massage.’

I giggled softly to myself while I thought of a way to explain his mistake. I wanted to let him down gently and not make him feel foolish, because he enjoyed helping and was always the first to come to my aid. A gentle approach formulated in my mind as he stuffed tissues in between my toes.

Later it occurred to me that the situation with my six-year-old was not dissimilar to the one I regularly find myself in. I have a knack for using the wrong word to describe something. Just ask my neighbour who listens as I read my manuscripts aloud. She often stops me and gently says; ‘I think you meant to use....’, and we have a good giggle about the incorrectness of the word I did use.

I suspect it is a case of my brain running faster than my hand (or mouth for that matter). I know what I mean, and it doesn’t always occur to me that others don’t. Of course, when the fault is pointed out to me, I wonder at how I could have made the mistake in the first place, or how I missed that obvious proofing error.

There is also the excuse that this happens to everyone, (not just six-year-olds with a limited knowledge of physiology, and thirty-something sleep deprived mothers on a writing roll). I recently found a very obvious mistake in a reputable publication. The incorrect use of the word: ‘their’, instead of ‘there’. It struck me as being unprofessional until I remembered that I was as human as they come in these matters. Then, it was a relief to know I wasn’t the only one who, despite professional editing and proofing, had faults that slipped through the cracks.

I have also known some people who are pedantic about precise word usage. That is, until they find themselves in a proper punctuation pickle, or like a review I once read that criticised a book for having distracting typo’s, but finally proclaimed that the book was; ‘... one that you will not be disappointed dispite the erros’......but then, who knows, maybe this had been deliberately done for a laugh? It certainly made me giggle. 

Rose Dee was born in Ingham, North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel.
Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, decided to try her hand at writing two years ago. The result of that attempt is her first novel, Back to Resolution.
Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.
Beyond Resolution, and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the 'Resolution' series.
Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution recently won Bookseller’s Choice at the Caleb Awards 2012.
She has also recently released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors.
Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.
Visit Rose at: http://rosedee.com/