I'm Back

So, it's been a year or two with no word.

Anyone would think I'd given up this writing milarky completely, but actually it's sort of the opposite. I was trying to fit in writing around my (rubbish) job but in April last year I managed to get myself a real life journalist job, yay!

I work for Aceville Publications who produce lots of magazines on a variety of topics, including several craft titles. I work as an Editorial Assistant on Sew and Make & Sell Jewellery magazines.

Make & Sell Jewellery - August Issue

Sew Magazine - July Issue

No, I am not doing any of the sewing projects myself, my stitching skills aren't quite up to scratch yet, but I do proof read, write, copy write, source pictures, style photo shoots and help in the design stage. In fact it's a really great job as I get to discover and work in all aspects of the publishing business, not just the writing.

They even occasionally let me out of the office to represent the magazines at events, I must be doing something right. A colleague and I recently attended Treasure at Somerset House, which is part of London Jewellery week. I saw so many amazing designers and spent my day looking at pretty sparkly things. Quite chuffed I get to do that as a job.

Anyway, I will attempt to post a bit more frequently now (once a year maybe). I'd like to give a good excuse for not writing, but it was mainly lazyness. Plus, you know, I'm busy.

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/7942993/?claim=a8nru569bc9">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Heeley City Farm

Sorry I have been a bit lax with updating, real life keeps getting in the way!

This post is about Heeley City Farm which is, as the name suggests, a city farm just off the centre of Sheffield.

It came into life 30 years ago when a row of terraced houses in the Heeley area of Sheffield was knocked down to make way for a new ringroad. But, thanks to the protests of local people, the ringroad was never built. This was an excellent win for local residents but left the problem of what to do with the wasteland. This was how Heeley City Farm was born, they built the farm on the site and since then it has grown in strength.

I volunteered as a publicity assistant for the farm in my last year of university, which involved, among other duties, writing articles for local publications. There are so many different aspects to Heeley City Farm that it was hard to narrow down what they do into just a few articles. As well as being a working farm with several animals, including rare breeds, they are also home to the South Yorkshire Energy Centre which provides free information on saving energy in your home. The farm also implements work experience programmes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and adults with learning difficulties, helping approximately 2,000 people a year. They have a full events calendar, including their Summer and Winter Festivals which showcase local talent.

They do all this and more and a trip to the farm is really worth it, especially as entrance is FREE.
So here's a bit of shameless promotion: if you are in Sheffield go to Heeley City Farm NOW!

If you're not in Sheffield take a look at their website www.heeleyfarm.org.uk

Here are a few of my articles on the farm:
http://issuu.com/shulife/docs/shulife_dec_2010_issue_online_pdf - This was for my university magazine SHU:Life, page 26.
http://nowthenmagazine.com/issue-38/heeley-city-farm/ - This was in the May 2011 edition of Now Then Magazine, a free magazine in Sheffield.
http://victoria-richman.suite101.com/heeley-city-farm-bringing-green-to-the-steel-city-a390101 - My most recent article for Suite101 focused on the farm.

Thanks for looking.

Suite 101

Suite101.com is an online magazine site which publishes articles on pretty much anything you can think of (seriously, there was one on there the other day about the television series Xena Warrior Princess, that brought a wave of nostalgia).

I have recently become a 'Contributing Writer' for the site and have a grand total of two articles published; one on the attractions of the Romanian city of Brasov and the other on the best vintage shops in Sheffield. Random topics yes but that's the beauty of Suite101.

Please take a look at my profile: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/791781

Also, check out www.suite101.com in general, it's a great source of information, written by people who are passionate and knowledgable about their topics (it was a very well researched Xena article).

Plus, if you're a freelance writer it's a good place to publish your work and they're always looking for new writers.

That's enough publicising from me.

X

Journalism Internship in Brasov, Romania.

Last summer I managed to combine two passions of mine, travel and writing, by undertaking a journalism internship in the Romanian city of Brasov.
The internship was a voluntary placement organised with the company Projects Abroad (www.projects-abroad.co.uk). I worked on The Village magazine, which promotes the real Romania to tourists and locals alike.

It was an amazing experience; I got to travel all over Transylvania, visit remote villages and meet inspiring people. I also had several articles published in the magazine. Unfortunately the English version is only available in print and not online, but I have written an account of my experience for the Projects Abroad website which can be found here: http://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/why-projects-abroad/volunteer-stories/?content=journalism/romania/victoria-richman/
For any Romanian speakers, or any one who would like to look at some pretty pictures of Romanian scenery, then please visit the website: http://www.revista-satul.ro/

Just a quick hello...

and a message to say that I have finally caught up with modern technology and decided to start a blog (obviously). However, as it's taken me pretty much all day, playing with fonts and backgrounds, to set up this thing I will keep this first post brief and just outline what I do.

Here goes...

I'm a freelance writer of both fact and fiction. I have been writing for about five years now and have had several articles and short stories published in print and online. I have also recently completed a degree in Creative Writing at Sheffield Hallam University and graduated with a 2:1.

I will be using this blog as a platform to showcase my previous and upcoming work.

Sorry it's brief, I promise my next post will be better and actually have some substance to it.

Cheerio.