‘She’s a nightmare! Honestly! No wonder she hasn’t got any friends!’
That is how Ron Weasley feels about Hermione Granger correcting his pronunciation when they are learning the levitation spell ‘Wingardium Leviosa’ early in the first Harry Potter story. It is an iconic moment, because it leads directly to the climax of that story, and because of how Ron and Hermione’s friendship develops over the next six years.
Why is Ron so annoyed? She was only trying to help him!
It is annoying to get something wrong, but it is absolutely infuriating to be told what you’re doing wrong, and shown how to do it properly, by the person next to you. Especially by a girl!
It’s because we all want to look good.
If you’re an 11-year-old boy in a new school, you want to look good by doing things well; by being capable; above all, by not being shown up by the person next to you, who can do it so much better. But if you’re a writer or publisher, you want to look good by being good – by writing well and correctly, and by presenting that writing consistently and attractively, as well as without mistakes.
When I am proofreading for a writer or editor, I will use technical symbols and language to make formal and unambiguous corrections; I will correct everything that is either wrong or inconsistent; and I will query everything that looks wrong, or might not be what they meant. But when I’m helping a friend more informally – checking the programme for my own theatre group, for example – I often worry that I will get a Ron Weasley-esque reaction to my detailed comments. ‘“It’s Technicolor Dreamcoat, not Technicolour Dreamcoat!” – Honestly, he’s a nightmare!’
So I tend to send a long list of explanations, and avoid mentioning some of the dodgy commas.
As Ron’s attitude matures, he eventually realises that she is ‘absolutely brilliant’ and that he and Harry ‘wouldn’t last two days without her’. So I’m hoping that if I work for you for six years, maybe you’ll be saying the same about me!
Accuracy Works 