FIVE young men. Five vastly different career paths. One capital city. All Wannabe Hacks.
That’s the blurb on a creative blog I discovered the other day via one of my other favourites, Fleet Street Blues.
“The Wannabe Hacks, as the name suggests, haven’t made it yet, but they’re well on their way,” said FSB.
“… It’s a neat setup – kind of like Reservoir Dogs, only with less shooting and more shorthand.”
With an intro like that, I had to find out more.
The wannabes, I discovered, are the intern, the detective, the student, the freelancer … and, unless I’m missing something, a shadowy figure called the worker. Oh, that’s right – he’s coming soon ….
Intrigued, I signed up to follow them on Twitter, too.
As much as I love what they’re doing and how they’re going about it, unfortunately the sub-editor in me never takes a day off, so when I saw a slip-up in one of their tweets, it put me in a spin.
How could I tell them without denting their enthusiasm (or, worse, coming across as one of those self-congratulatory grammar nasties)? After all, they’re trying to make their mark with words, not car engines.
I dithered a bit but, in the end, I had to do something. I sent off a tweet, couched in the gentlest way possible.
I hoped they wouldn’t take it the wrong way – and they didn’t let me down.
“Thanks,” they responded, “much appreciated.”
How about mentioning us on your blog, one of their subsequent tweets invited their followers.
That’s good – a bit of well-placed cheek is a vital ingredient for anyone in hackdom, I reckon.
But that’s not really why they’re getting a mention here.
They’re well worth a visit. Why don’t you follow them as they chart their adventures on their way into my world.
(And, by the way, fellas – where’s my @wannabehacks-branded chocolate?)

Tags: chocolate, Fleet Street, Fleet Street Blues, hacks, tweet, Twitter, words