Lucas Aykroyd's Resume and Writing Samples

I am a professional writer seeking work in public relations, marketing, online journalism, technical writing, or other writing employment in new media.

This site features samples of my recent work. Click here to view a selection of reviews.

Here is my resume:

Work Experience

• As a longtime staff member of the University of Victoria's student newspaper, The Martlet, I've written over 110 music articles, book reviews, and sports features, with other pieces appearing in Wall of Sound, The Pro Hockey EuroReport, the Victoria Times Colonist, Westcoast Entertainment, and other print and online media sources.

• I published and promoted my 40,000-word trivia book, 1984: The Ultimate Van Halen Trivia Book, on the Internet in 1997, selling copies to Van Halen fans worldwide and receiving compliments from the members of Van Halen.

• From October 1997 to August 1998, my work in the Writing Department at UWI.Com--The Internet Forms Company ranged from developing content for the company web site and writing job advertisements to producing press releases and executive biographies.

• While employed as Vice-President of Communications for the University of Victoria Student Alumni Association in 1996 and 1997, I researched, wrote, edited, and set the budget for The Parent's Guide to UVic, of which 5,000 copies are printed each year for parents of new UVic students.

• I composed the music and lyrics of the official University of Victoria Student Alumni Association song, "We Are UVic Now", and produced an album with 4 versions.

• I wrote all Student Alumni newsletters and press releases, compiled the resource manual, represented the Association in TV, radio, and newspaper interviews, and organized the membership database.

• I wrote a promotional letter advertising diploma frames to graduating UVic students in May 1996, which led Student Alumni to exceed its sales objective for the year by over $2,000, or 40%.

  Education

• In 1997, I was the only student at the University of Victoria who completed the English M.A. program in the minimum 12 months.

• I wrote my 31,000-word M.A. thesis in 3 months.

• I also earned a First-Class English Honours B.A. with Distinction in 1996, a final total of 11 A+'s, 17 A's, and 8 A-'s, a Teaching Assistantship at the UVic Writing Clinic, and over $7,000 in other academic awards.

  Skills

• My writing and editing skills are complemented by a typing speed of 60 wpm.

• I have experience in most Internet and World Wide Web applications, such as developing Web page content, submitting URLs and using search engines effectively, and running Eudora and other popular e-mail programs, as well as knowledge of basic HTML and some training in C programming.

• I possess a thorough, up-to-date knowledge of major Windows and Macintosh programs (i.e. Word 7.0, MS Office 97, QuarkXpress), with particular expertise in word-processing software.

• I have considerable public speaking training and experience.

• I speak fluent French, Finnish, and some German.

  Personal Achievements

• 27 of my stories, poems, and scholarly articles have appeared in such journals as The Hemingway Review, Canadian Writer's Journal, Modern Haiku, and Canadian Holmes (Sherlock Holmes).

• I walked a treadmill for 24 hours nonstop (June 28-29, 1996), ran 62 miles in one day (March 8, 1997), and challenged the world crawling record of 31 miles (June 12, 1998) to raise more than $2,500 for disabled students and to solicit donations for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

• With Adler & Robin Books Literary Agency of Washington, D.C., I am currently seeking a publisher for my suspense novel The Mahdi of Zimbabwe.

References: Available on request

You can contact Lucas Aykroyd at laykroyd@hotmail.com.

All contents of this site are copyright 1993-1999 Lucas Aykroyd.