Good News!

Amid all the general progress of the last few weeks, a couple of bits of definitive positive news are worth noting.

First (though it happened second), my entry to Milo McLaughlin’s Seth Godin contest was selected as a winner. With Milo’s recent focus on Godin’s work, I’m excited to receive a copy of his new book, The Icarus Deception. Something different – potentially very different – to include on the 2013 reading list!

Secondly (though it happened … oh, you know what I mean), I’m delighted to have had a piece accepted for publication in #5, the impending new issue of Prototype magazine. Demonstrating the benefits of keeping a circle of creative friends and acquaintances – on this occasion, my good friend Katie – I only became aware of this publication thanks to good ol’ Twitter and the power of a retweet.

Sending off a submission involved some blind optimism, having no idea of the magazine’s style or whether I might be successful. Happily, Laura Allen – Prototype’s founder and editor – replied less than 24 hours later with a wonderfully positive e-mail, and I have the pleasure of looking forward to seeing my work in print.

Not just in print, but illustrated for good measure. I can’t wait to see how someone interprets my words.

Perhaps most exciting is the fact that Prototype is based in Newcastle. No, not that Newcastle. Newcastle-under-Lyme. The one just down the road from where I live. It’s the first proper hint I’ve had that a creative ‘scene’ exists somewhere in Stoke-on-Trent. A scene that might embrace the digital revolution that is happening around us. A scene that isn’t struggling to keep up with the ‘new’ way of doing things, but understands what it means to make things happen for itself, using local resources.

One of the beauties of the World Wide Web is that first W. It’s possible to get to know people anywhere, and that brings benefits of inspiration from cultures alternative to your own. But it can also be somewhat disconnecting. I’ve known for a while that I’d like to be involved in something more local, but I haven’t known where to start finding it.

This is only a first step, and it’s a step that may or may not lead to another one. But making just one step is very good news indeed.