Toria Sheffield

Freelance Writer

Location icon New York, NY

Currently east-coast News Editor for HelloGiggles, my work has been featured in places like The HuffPost Blog, Bustle, Reductress, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and HistoryBuff.com.

Some of my writing awards include the Gold Prize for Feature Length Comedy in the International Page Awards, Top 10 Finalist in the Big Break Screenwriting Competition, 2nd Rounder in the Austin Film Fest, and Grand Prize Winner in the Creative World Awards for Screenwriting.

E-mail me at [email protected]

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Portfolio

Comedy

Reductress
04/21/2015
Woman Accused of Murder Acquitted on the 'You Do You' Defense

Cheryl Panowski, who was accused of murdering her boyfriend last May, has officially been acquitted under the state of Maryland's controversial "You Do You" law. The law stipulates that if a defendant committed a crime out of "just needing to be real for a second," the case should be thrown out immediately.

Reductress
06/12/2015
Study Measures Self-Esteem Based On Whether You'd Date Beetlejuice

A recent study featured in Psychology Today shows a direct correlation between self-esteem and whether or not you'd date Beetlejuice. Head researcher Dr. Karen Wazowski says that in general, when posited with the question, "Would you date Beetlejuice?" test subjects' willingness to date the ghost was inversely proportional to their level of self-esteem.

McSweeney's Internet Tendency
6/22/2015
List: Five Works of Feminist Literature That Make Great Diet Food.

Lists Five Works of Feminist Literature That Make Great Diet Food. The Feminine Mystique This essay, largely credited with igniting second-wave feminism, is an absolute staple for any serious dieter. It's not only high in fiber, but its smoky flavor makes you feel like you're indulging in a decadent treat - guilt free!

Reductress
06/08/2015
Tips for Cutting Carbs to Read About While You Eat Cake

Cutting carbs doesn't have to be painful-it can practically be a piece of cake! Especially if it's hypothetical and done in your head while you devour the other half of that cheesecake leftover from yesterday's potluck.

Personal Essay

The Huffington Post
07/13/2015
3 Major Perks Of My Parents' Divorce (And I Don't Mean Double Christmas)

I was recently at a dinner party among people I didn't know very well (note to self: stop doing that), when the topic somehow turned to grown children of divorce. One of the guests made a comment along the lines of how she thought it made total sense that children of divorce would grow up to be negatively affected by the experience.

The Huffington Post
07/14/2015
Dear Chivalry, Please Die (and Stay Dead!)

I'm going to say something that will not likely be very popular among a lot of people. I anticipate a lot of backlash. But here it goes: I think chivalry between men and women should die.

Issues

The Huffington Post
09/30/2015
Why 'We're All Just Animals' Is a Terrible Justification for Casual Sex

I was recently out at a birthday party in Philadelphia with a bunch of fellow 20-somethings, when the conversation (as it will) turned to sex and relationships -- specifically about whether or not it would be "dramatic" if two mutual friends of ours ended up hooking up that night, considering that each had only very recently gotten out of serious relationships and were by no means over their exes.

The Huffington Post
07/14/2015
This Is What's Wrong With Women On TV

I recently started watching the NBC summer crime drama Aquarius. It's admittedly not the best show in the world, but I'm a big David Duchovny fan and it's definitely entertaining enough to binge watch on Hulu on a lazy summer Sunday.

The Huffington Post
07/13/2015
Stop Using "People Are Over-Sensitive" to Excuse Racial Bias

I was recently in a conversation about the ever-growing string of instances in which white police officers used lethal force against black citizens, usually when it appeared to make little sense in the context of the situation. It seems as if almost every week another story pops up with the same tragic outcome, just different names of the people involved.

Miscellany

Bustle
05/31/2016
A Celebrity Stylist Went Through My Closet & Here's What Happened

I'm one of those people who often complains I have nothing to wear. I'll try on countless outfits, stare into my closet in frustration, and ultimately end up throwing on jeans and a T-shirt. I figure you can't feel bad about your outfit if you didn't even try.

Bustle
10/31/2015
8 Ways To Ease Feelings Of Loneliness

We've all felt lonely at one time or another in our lives, and unfortunately a lot of people don't realize that there are actually a lot of effective ways to beat loneliness out there - it often just comes down to being conscious of our patterns and behavior.

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