Ten-Hut! Commence Reading!

Once in a while I come across a typo that is more than a typo. If you’re creative, one misspelled word can spark an idea that takes on a life of its own.

Such was the case a couple of days ago when I came across a reference to “Marine book camp” in my editing. Now, I have read quite a few books about boot camp—and by the way, it’s always Marine boot camp, which leads me to think that basic training for the Army, Navy and Air Force just doesn’t make a lasting impression on the recruits (I could be wrong about this). The point is, I’ve never been to boot camp myself, but I almost feel as though I have, and unless the Marine Corps is trying something new, “Marine book camp” is totally off the wall—but sort of a neat idea.

Picture this: You arrive at book camp with a busload of fellow recruits. As you step off the bus, you are greeted by a mean, ugly drill instructor wearing a Smokey the Bear hat. Oh, and he has bad breath. Sergeant Mean-and-Ugly immediately gets in your face and begins screaming at you…and some of the things he says, oh my: “Hey, scumbag! Plant your nose in that book and read! Faster, faster! Move, move, move!” “Hey, scumbag! Recite Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy—backwards!”

Okay, maybe “neat idea” was not the best way to describe our fictitious Marine book camp. “Different” might be better. Or how about “bizarre”? “Scary”? If Sergeant Mean-and-Ugly called me a scumbag and demanded I recite “To be or not to be” backwards, I would probably cry—either that or spit on his shoe, which would undoubtedly be a bad move.

Then there is the possiblity that book camp isn’t about reading at all. Imagine a writing camp run with military precision. “Hey, scumbag! Is that a participle you’re dangling? Do you find that amusing? Drop and give me fifty!” Imagine a platoon of disciplined writers leaping from their bunks at 4:30 every morning to write a thousand words before breakfast… Nah, that’s too crazy; we at least need a cup of coffee before we can create anything.

I could go on and on with the book camp idea, and maybe someday I will. For now, just know that I’ve learned to appreciate good typos, even if they do sometimes pull my attention away from my actual job.