Last week, I was reading what I thought was an honest and insightful blog post. You know, one of those rare birds that makes you cock your head and really think. So I clicked the comments to see what others where saying about it and was somewhat depressed to see that one of the first commenters decided to expound upon the author's incorrect use of 'it's' as opposed to 'its.'
All I could think was, "Really? Do people still do this?" To me it's the equivalent of watching a beautiful woman in evening wear descend a grand staircase. When she finally reaches you and flashes a radiant smile, the first words out of your mouth are, "There's lipstick on your teeth."
I used to be in a writers' group with a person who operated like a Word program. Every misspelling, every misuse--she would catch. She never had any comments about the other aspects of your writing: character development, plot, story arc--she was like our own private line editor. It should be no surprise to hear that when she would share her own work, it was flawless. Perfectly executed grammar, never a comma out of place, spelling that would make 5th grade teachers sing like a chorus of angels.
And characters that were flat and lifeless. Dialogue that rocked you to sleep. Pages and pages of, "Wait, what did I just read?"
So do I think typos are important? If there are so many that it becomes a distraction from the story, then yes. Also, they do make work look less professional and rushed, so we do need to try our level best to ferret out the infestations and eradicate them. But I absolutely do not think that a perfect grasp of the rules and regulations of usage are capable of making you a better writer. A more correct one?--sure.
Furthermore--a single typo in a blog post! Excuse me, but who the ---- cares? I don't know about you but personally, I've made a million mistakes in my life. Believe me when I say that typos are the least of them.
