Blame Science: Muscle Memory Causes Typos

Now, I am not a scientist. I'm a writer, so I tend to look at every situation from a writer's point of view. Maybe I'm obsessed with typos lately because I've been hunting them (I'm working on editing Death, Book 3 in the Deck of Lies series, right now), but in moments of obsessive-compulsive behavior sometimes true insight is born. And lately, I've been thinking about typos and muscle memory -- and I've decided that typos just aren't my fault or yours, either. We can blame them on our fingers. More specifically, our finger muscles.

Muscle Memory

Scientists have studied the way muscles work, and if you're into science it's actually pretty remarkable. When you build your muscles through exercise, they create new nuclei, DNA-rich little particles, that don't diminish even after muscles atrophy.The nuclei forms a muscle memory that makes it easier for once-muscular people to re-build their bodies after muscles have atrophied.

Muscle memory isn't a myth, and you probably prove it every day without knowing. Did you ever learn how to swim? Once you knew it, did you ever have to learn it again? You know that phrase it's just like riding a bike? That's really a shout-out to the power of muscle memory. Some skills need only to be mastered once, and your body will not forget how to do them. Typing's like that, too.

Blame it on the Muscles

The QWERTY keyboard is used as an industry standard for computer manufacturers using the most popular operating systems, among which are Apple and Microsoft. If you live in the United States or another English-speaking country, the QWERTY layout is probably what you use. It's been in use since the 1870s, when a Milwaukee-area newspaper editor invented it. If you've taken typing lessons or taken a typing test, you probably did it using the QWERTY layout.

And if you're also a writer, you probably use the thing every single day of your life -- even when you're between books. Whether you're answering emails, conducting research or working on promotion, you're probably typing. And if you're a serious writer, you're probably typing the right way. Meaning, of course, that you rest your fingers along the home row (asdf jkl;) and stretch your digits as needed to type out the words you choose. Resting one's eight digits along the middle of the keyboard, and two thumbs near the space bar, is the standard method of using a QWERTY layout.

So it stands to reason that if you do something the exact same way for hours and hours every day, you're probably pretty darned good at it. And you're probably pretty used to it. And, even if you don't know it, you've likely been a victim of muscle memory, too.

I know I am. Some words in the English language are very common; we use them all the time. Barring the obvious, some of these most common words include that, have, with, this, from, say, would, their, number and know. They're common, and that means you're used to typing them. So when you're typing along, you may be thinking there, but end up typing their as a result of muscle memory.

At least, that's the excuse I've been using lately when I come across my own bizarre typos. It seems that I don't exactly misspell words, I just use the wrong ones. It's why I have to be so careful about reading every word, because spellcheck just isn't going to help. But is that really my fault...or is it just science?

Why I'm Behind on My Reviews

So, I haven't posted a book review in a while, I know. Lately I've only been adding new books to the list instead of subtracting them, which is not good (because I happen to be massively behind as of the writing of this post). I've been sitting on The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer for weeks and weeks now, which in no way is a reflection of the talents of author Lisa Orchard. What I've read of her book is quite good, in fact, and really I wish I was reading it...because at this point, it's preferable to how I've been spending the little reading time I do get.

I don't know why, exactly, but I decided that I was going to create print editions of the Deck of Lies books. Because I have tunnel vision when I'm set on a goal, and because I'm such an exacting perfectionist, this naturally meant that I had to re-read all of Justice (Book 1) and The Tower (Book 2)...twice. This was quite necessary before I could approve the proofs, which I have done -- and I'll talk more about the print editions of these books in a future post.

It's not quite as obsessive-compulsive as it sounds, I swear! As I've mentioned, I've also recently finished Death, Book 3 in the Deck of Lies series. Of course, this means I've got to edit it -- which just means I have to read it while playing Punctuation Police and Grammar Guard (do the nicknames make it more fun?...no, not really). Since I was going to have to read Death anyway, it was a perfect time to re-read Justice and The Tower first. By reading all three books in a row before I sit down to write Judgment, I can make sure I have all my loose ends neatly tied up and every single question answered before the series closes. 

So instead of working on the long list of to-be-reviewed books I have waiting for me, I've been re-reading my own stuff...and that's why I'm behind on my reviews. I usually avoid trying to read more than one book at a time, particularly when one of them needs to be reviewed, so I don't muddy my own thoughts. I'm already thinking about books I'm writing all the time, and I don't need any more confusion in my head if I'm going to give someone a thoughtful review of their work. But eventually I will be finished editing Death (honestly I will, I'm working on the final edit now) and I'll carry on with all the books on my review list.

Get Half the Lies

One of the blogs I follow is celebrating a one-year blogoversary, and I'm participating by giving away half the Deck of Lies series during the month of June.

Sign up to win Justice (Book 1) and The Tower (Book 2) for free, and catch up on all the lies before Death comes out this summer!

Writing 101: When Do You Use Whom, Anyway?

Most of the time, you're supposed to use who in writing...but there are those rare sentences when you're better served with a fancier-sounding whom instead. It's difficult for many writers to know when to use which, but get it wrong and suddenly every reader is a language expert. Know when it's necessary to use whom, and you'll always sound like you know just what you're writing about.

The Subject-Verb Love Affair

To know when a whom is called for, first you've got to know how to identify the subject of your sentence. It's difficult, because who and whom are both pronouns -- but confusingly, they aren't both subjects.

You'll know it's a subject if the verb depends upon it to function. For example, if I write Sally searched for the answer online, the word searched is the verb. But without Sally, nothing makes any sense. Just try it: Searched for the answer online. Who did? Sally did; and that's the subject of the sentence. Police solve crimes by eliminating suspects. Writers solve word problems by eliminating subjects.

Who or Whom?

Look for the suspected subject in a sentence, and eliminate it to determine whether you should be using who or whom.

Who is looking for you? 

In the above sentence, is who the subject, or is it you? Let's find out. Eliminate you first, and re-read the sentence: Who is looking? Still makes some sense, right? Try it with who next: Looking for you? But this time, it doesn't really make sense. This means that who is the subject. Whenever who is the subject, it's always right.

But you're supposed to use whom when you're talking about an object.

Tell whomever you like. 

Tell is clearly the verb in the above sentence, because it's the action word -- it's the word that's making something happen. But whomever isn't telling anyone anything -- you is the one doing the telling. Whomever is who it's being told to -- and that makes it the object, not the subject, of the sentence.

Whom did you say is calling?

How do I know that I'm supposed to use whom and not who, in the above query? Simple -- because of you. Without it, the sentence has no subject: Whom is calling can't be used. The word whom is never a subject. You can always change the sentence to Who is calling, but not if you  comes along for the sentence. Who did you say is calling is incorrect, because the sentence can only have one subject -- and you is that subject. 

Figured it out yet? Make sure your whom-who decision-making is perfect with this fun Who vs. Whom quiz.