This N That: GRAMMATICAL CRIMES I HAVE COMMITTED: THE GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

GRAMMATICAL CRIMES I HAVE COMMITTED: THE GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL

One click of my computer’s mouse and I was headed toward disaster.

As I put the final touches on my inspirational thriller, "The Face Behind the Veil," and about to e-mail it to my publisher, I decided to change a character’s name from Joseph to Stanley.

In an instant, this global change was made throughout the 600 page, three-part document, which traces the legend of the birth veil through three generations.

That was the only change I made after the book underwent extensive editing. Confident it was error-free, I clicked the mouse and off it went. It wasn’t long before I received the galley proof to review and approve, so the printing process could begin.

Weary of the seven-year project and the tedious historical research that had gone into it, I almost didn’t review the galley. But something in me couldn’t let it go until I did. That must have been Providential. Imagine my surprise when I discovered how that last minute name change affected a scene where the Christmas story is told. In horror, I read the following.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary

was espoused to Stanley, before they came together, she was found with

child of the Holy Ghost. Then Stanley her husband, being a just man, and

not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away

privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the

Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Stanley, thou son of David,

fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost . . .. Then Stanley being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:" (Matthew 1:18-20, 24).

After getting over my initial shock, I made the necessary changes.

However, rather than globally, I did this the old-fashioned way, one at a time.