Birthday Stories – Happy Birthday Brenda!

August 13th, 2010

Birthdays!

By Sally Windsor, FF Editor.

Today is my mum Brenda’s 70th birthday. 70! She had me when she was 40, and I was always the one at school with the older mum. ‘Is that your granny?’ some of the other children used to say to me.   But I didn’t mind, in fact – I sort of liked it. It made me feel that my mum was special, which to me, she was of course.

Earlier this year, I celebrated my 30th birthday with more of a whisper than a bang. Not really in the party mood in the snow of January, I settled for a family dinner and a DVD, rock and roll!   Mum however, will be having an outdoors party this afternoon in the garden with cupcakes galore. Here’s hoping it will be a birthday to remember, for all the right reasons.

Of course, everyone has had the kind of birthday that has not gone so well. When I was 11, I tripped over and cracked my front tooth. Then there was the neighbour who set their own house on fire – on their 40th birthday. Can you imagine?!?  For good or bad, if you’ve had a birthday to remember, why not tell us about it?  If it was a day you’ll never forget for all good or bad reasons – we’d love to hear about it.

And if you’ve got a birthday around the corner, have a fabulous day – and don’t forget to send us a cupcake… buttercream icing please!

PRESS ALERT: Stories Wanted – 11.08.2010

August 10th, 2010

URGENT STORY REQUESTS – EARN CASH NOW

The Stories Listed Below are Urgently Needed.  We will pay you to appear in a magazine or newspaper story.

Just visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to tell us if you would like to get paid to be in any of these real life stories or features.  Send us your details by filling in our online form (located at www.FamousFeatures.co.uk ).

Also – please get in touch if you have any other stories that you would like us to consider.  We are looking for new story ideas every day. Your real life experiences and true stories could earn you cash; sell a story today.

————–

Person or Story Wanted: Women who discovered their men were love-rats.
Where the story will appear: Sunday Newspaper Feature.
Info: We’re looking for a variety of women to talk about how they discovered their partners were cheating on them. Maybe they were suspicious, hired a honeytrap, found underwear in his pocket or saucy texts on his phone? Maybe she spotted a pic of them on the internet or he called out the wrong woman’s name in a passionate moment?

Criteria: 18-45, happy to be named and pictured and exclusive.
Person or Story Wanted: Stories for Christmas issue.
Where the story will appear: Glossy Magazine Story.
Info: Stories for Christmas Magazines wanted. Needs to Christmassy (clearly), happy, uplifting and emotional. Can’t be anonymous.

Person or Story Wanted: Women who have discovered their partner cheated with a pr0stitute.
Where the story will appear: Weekly Magazine Story.
Info: We are looking for women who discovered their man paid for $ex. They could have forgiven or dumped them.


Person or Story Wanted: Looking for somebody who turned to work in $ex industry after losing their job.

Where the story will appear: Newspaper Feature – Real Life Story.
Info: I am looking for case studies who lost their job in the recession and are now working in the $ex industry. They could be phone operatives, p0rn workers… anything like that.
Person or Story Wanted: Women in their dirty thirties!
Where the story will appear: Glossy Magazine Feature.
Info: We’re working on a feature about women getting more $exually adventurous in their 30s. Ideally We’d like a divorcee who’s found a much better $ex life with a new partner, a woman who was really body conscious and is now much more comfortable and knows what she wants in the bedroom. Then I need a woman who’s come out as g@y/bi$exual in her thirties!
Person or Story Wanted: Mum with a daughter aged 11 or 12 who is on the contraceptive pill.
Where the story will appear: Glossy Magazine Story.
Info: Case study needs to be British. Must be willing to talk about why she is happy that her young daughter is on the pill and how she feels about her being $exually active at such a young age.

Person or Story Wanted: Looking for some great real life stories for the next couple of ‘hopefully sunny’ weeks!
Where the story will appear: Newspaper Story.
Info: Juicy real life reads that will keep our readers entertained while sun bathing in the garden or still taking about the story when the get on the plane for their summer hols.
Person or Story Wanted: A woman aged 20-35 who has suffered with OCD.
Where the story will appear: Woman’s Weekly Magazine Story.
Info: The article is a report on OCD, intended to show how it is a very debilitating illness, often unfairly passed off as trivial and a bit of a joke. The piece will give a real insight into what it’s like to live with the disease on a day to day basis.
Criteria: The case study must be female, aged 20-35. It doesn’t matter if she is still battling OCD or has found a cure for her condition. She must be willing to talk frankly about the affliction during a short telephone interview and must be able to provide a picture of herself.
Person or Story Wanted: Urgently looking for superfans- fans who have followed a famous person for years and have pictures that depict this.
Where the story will appear: Sunday Newspaper Weekend magazine story.
Info: Pegged onto the beatles fan who is auctioning her collection of photos of her with the Beatles, we are looking for other superfans. Ideally, they’d have lots of photos of themselves with their idols – whether that is an individual or a group – from over the years.
Person or Story Wanted: I am looking for women who suffered from depression after getting married…
Where the story will appear: Woman’s magazine story.
Info: Many women experience the blues or get depressed after they get married because after the high, excitement and stress of planning their big day, they feel down at the realisation it is all over and have to get on with ‘normal life’.
Therefore, I am looking to interview three women for a feature on this ‘post bridal depression’ to talk about their experiences, emotions and how they are feeling now.
Criteria: No specific age required but I would like one of the case studies to regret how much they lavished on their weddings and maybe would have preferred just to have had fish and chips as now, they may be struggling to get a house or maybe have been hit by redundancy and are struggling financially. The couple will need to be prepared to be pictured.

– – – – – – – – – -

That’s it.  So get in touch if you think you could help with one of these magazine or newspaper stories.  We will pay you for your participation, so visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk today and fill out our online form.

If you would like to sell a story that isn’t on the above list, just let us know, we are looking for all kinds of stories.

Festival Stories Wanted

July 29th, 2010

Festival Fever, by Lorna Gray

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘festival’?

Portaloos? Mudslides? Headline acts? The Great Unwashed? Good times? Or misery?

Love them or hate them, festival season is upon us.

I got my very own festival fix last month when I found myself surrounded by beautiful scenery, knee-deep in mud and watching one of my favourite bands ever.  I was at Rockness in the Highlands of Scotland, a little worse for wear and watching Debbie Harry strut her stuff on stage after what had been a fantastic weekend.   The traditional Scottish weather could’ve put a damper on the festivities as it poured down the majority of the time but in traditional festival goer fashion, we just got on with it.  At one point, I wore every item of clothing I had with me because I was so cold. I looked more Heather from Eastenders than the festival-chic  Fearne Cotton I was going for, but at least I was warm.

As veteran festival goers, we knew the tricks of the trade to make the weekend go hitch-free. We were stocked up with babywipes, raincoats and cereal bars.  So my friends and I had avoided any sort of festival faux pas but some people aren’t as lucky.  Who can forget the infamous ‘poo girl’ as she was cruelly dubbed after being stuck in one of the stanching Portaloos at Leeds festival last year?  And you don’t have to walk far to see some unfortunate person having a miserable time due to too much booze.

Or are festivals really the place dreams are made of?  Here at Famous Features, we want to hear all about your festival experiences.  Have you ever had a life-changing experience on one of those fields?  Maybe you met the love of your life… or even a rockstar. Or did your festival plans end up as dried up as last night’s leftover takeaway?  Good or bad story, we want to hear about it. Famous Features went down a storm at Glastonbury this year and now, we’d love you to share your festival story in one of the national magazines or newspapers for a great fee.

So get in touch with one of the Famous Features team today by emailing your story to sell-my-story@famousfeatures.co.uk, or call our story hotline: 0845 83 88 55.   If you’re lucky enough to have tickets for any of the upcoming festivals, have fun and don’t forget to look out for Famous Features banners!

Stories Wanted for Cash – 21st July 2010

July 21st, 2010

URGENT STORY REQUESTS – EARN CASH NOW

The Stories Listed Below are Urgently Needed.  We will pay you to appear in a magazine or newspaper story.

Just visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to tell us if you would like to get paid to be in any of these real life stories or features.  Send us your details by filling in our online form (located at www.FamousFeatures.co.uk ).

Also – please get in touch if you have any other stories that you would like us to consider.  We are looking for new story ideas every day. Your real life experiences and true stories could earn you cash; sell a story today.

————–

Story or Person Wanted: Looking for an inspirational read about women.

Where the story or article will appear: Woman’s Magazine Article.

Info: We are looking for inspirational stories about women who’ve done something amazing. It could be anything as long as it’s about the woman herself – not kids, diet or looks. It needs to have a strong story behind it though to fill a spread.

Story or Person Wanted: MY HOLIDAY CHANGED MY LIFE
Where the story or article will appear: Women’s Magazine Story.
Info: We’re looking for women who’ve gone on holiday and it has in some extraordinary way changed their lives…not just that they moved to the country where they were on hols.
Criteria: The women need to be in their mid-30s to early 50s
Story or Person Wanted: Hen nights that have got out of control…
Where the story or article will appear: Glossy Magazine Feature.
Info: We’re looking for women prepared to talk about a particularly nightmarish hen party – expensive/extravagant trips that have gone horribly wrong, demanding brides-to-be, arguments about what to do, control-freak friends who’ve been put in charge of organising.
Criteria: Aged between 18 to 35.

Story or Person Wanted: Upbeat, quirky real-life story ideas with great pictures.
Where the story or article will appear: Weekend newspaper magazine story.
Info: Gentle and heartwarming ideas needed for spread in the weekend newspaper magazines.
Story or Person Wanted: A girl with a dad dating younger girls
Where the story or article will appear: monthly women’s magazine.
Info: We are looking for a girl aged 18-32 who has a dad who loves dating or is in a relationship with a younger girl.

Story or Person Wanted: Extraordinary body transformations: Rebuilt after massive injuries/huge weight loss/sex swop, ETC.

Where the story or article will appear: Woman’s Magazine Article.
Info: Any extraordinary body transformation stories wanted.
Story or Person Wanted: ‘I’m in love – but not with my husband’
Where the story or article will appear: Glossy Celebrity Magazine.
Info: Looking for a female case study (aged 25-50) who admits to being in love with someone other then their husband.
Story or Person Wanted: The family of a murdered loved one whose murderer has been released early from prison.
Where the story or article will appear: Magazine Story.
Info: We are looking to find the family or relative of a person who was murdered and their murderer has been released early from prison or is set to have an early release. We would want to speak with the family/relative about how this has affected them. We are tagging this on to the Peter Sutcliffe/Philip Lawrence news stories.

Criteria: The woman needs to be aged mid 30s to mid 50s.

Story or Person Wanted: A wacky, fun or uplifting real life story.

Where the story or article will appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

Info: We’ve got lots of gloomy news stories at the moment. To balance this out we are looking for a light real life stories to run in one of Saturday’s papers. Please pitch anything that might be suitable.

Criteria: None, but women aged 18 – 35 work well for us.

Story or Person Wanted: Female aged 18-35 who has had malaria.

Where the story or article will appear: Newspapers Article.

Info: We are looking for a fairly extreme case of malaria, someone who was struck down quite badly, hospitalised and maybe even close to death.

Criteria: Must be female, age approx 18-35 and available for quick turn around, phone chat and pics.

- – – – – – – – – – -

That’s it.  So get in touch if you think you could help with one of these magazine or newspaper stories.  We will pay you for your participation, so visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk today and fill out our online form.

If you would like to sell a story that isn’t on the above list, just let us know, we are looking for all kinds of stories.

Magazine Stories Wanted Today: 13/07/2010. Sell My Story.

July 13th, 2010

LATEST STORY REQUESTS

The Following Stories are Urgently Needed…. (see story requests below).  We will pay you to appear in a magazine or newspaper story.

Just visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to tell us if you would like to get paid to be in any of these real life stories or features.  Send us your details by filling in our online form (located at www.FamousFeatures.co.uk ).

Also – please get in touch if you have any other stories that you would like us to consider.  We are looking for new story ideas every day. Your real life experiences and true stories could earn you cash; sell a story today.

————–

Story or Person Wanted: Breast cancer sufferer/ survivor whose cancer could be linked to lifestyle factors

Where the story or article will appear: National Newspaper Story.

Info: Feature on breast cancer rates.

Criteria: Needs to potentially fit into one of these categories:

- single without children (and 40s or older)

- a drinker (either had a period of binge-drinking or just a glass a night over a prolonged period)

- worked nights

Story or Person Wanted: A wacky, fun or uplifting real life story.

Where the story or article will appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

Info: We’ve got lots of gloomy news stories at the moment. To balance this out we are looking for a light real life stories to run in one of Saturday’s papers. Please pitch anything that might be suitable.

Criteria: None, but women aged 18 – 35 work well for us.

Story or Person Wanted: Female aged 18-35 who has had malaria.

Where the story or article will appear: Newspapers Article.

Info: We are looking for a fairly extreme case of malaria, someone who was struck down quite badly, hospitalised and maybe even close to death.

Criteria: Must be female, age approx 18-35 and available for quick turn around, phone chat and pics.

Story or Person Wanted: Looking for an inspirational read about women.

Where the story or article will appear: Woman’s Magazine Article.

Info: We are looking for inspirational stories about women who’ve done something amazing. It could be anything as long as it’s about the woman herself – not kids, diet or looks. It needs to have a strong story behind it though to fill a spread.

Criteria: The woman needs to be aged mid 30s to mid 50s.

Story or Person Wanted: A woman who will admit the last taboo, and talk about feeling envious of her friends.

Where the story or article will appear: Magazine Story.

Info: Especially since the recession has hit and we’re all looking at others around us wondering if they’ve got it better and feeling envious of their new job/car/pair of Louboutin shoes. We want a woman to talk about how she feels this even if she doesn’t admit it to her friends and how she gets over it.

Criteria: A woman aged between 25-45, who is willing to be identified.

Story or Person Wanted: The mum (or perhaps wife) of a spree killer along the lines of Raoul Moat, who is on the run.

Where the story or article will appear: Magazine Feature.

Info: We’re looking for a chat with the mother of a killer who has gone on a killing spree or attempted to get revenge after being dumped/getting out of prison.

Basically we want to do something that we can tie in with the recent manhunt for Raoul Moat, who was on the run from police after gunning down his ex-girlfriend, killing her lover and then shooting a police officer after being released from prison. If you know anyone who has been through something similar, please get in touch urgently as we need to turn this around quickly today.

Story or Person Wanted: Men who had a child through a surrogate or want children despite being single

Where the story or article will appear: Sunday Magazine Supplement.

Info: We are looking for single men who have had a child through a surrogate mother or egg donor, or would do so – in light of the story on Ronaldo.

Also looking for single men who are desperate to have children, or men in relationships where they want children more urgently than their wife or girlfriend.

Story or Person Wanted: Steroid abuser….or victim thereof.

Where the story or article will appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

Info: Looking for someone who has first-hand experience of the effects of steroids and so-called ‘roid-rage’. For example, someone (a man) who has been taking them to build muscle and whose character/behaviour has changed as a result. They have become aggressive, violent as a result. Now no longer taking them (we need them to reflect on this and tell their story). Alternatively, a woman who has suffered as a result of their partner taking steroids – physically abused etc. Need them to tell their story.
Story or Person Wanted: We are looking for a family who has been through something extraordinary.
Where the story or article will appear: Woman’s Magazine Story.
Info: We have  a family focus in our one of our Aug/Sept issues and are running an ‘Extraordinary Families’ feature. We have two case studies already and are looking for a third family who would be willing to have a quick phone/email interview and supply us with some pictures.

Story or Person Wanted:  Women who have experienced identity fraud

Where the story or article will appear:  Fabulous

Info: We\’re putting together a report on id fraud and we\’re looking for women who have experience extreme cases t talk about their experiences.

Criteria: 18-35, happy to be identified and exclusive.

Story or Person Wanted: A fat family.

Where the story or article will appear:  Newspaper Story.

Info: Apparently British kids spend more than double the amount of cash on junk food than their American counterparts. Over one in three children here aged five to 13 are already overweight or obese. We are looking for an overweight family – preferably mum, dad and two or three kids – who are willing to be interviewed and photographed for an article on the increasing British obesity problem. The feature would cover the amount of food they eat, hostility they may have faced and whether they reckon weight is no-one else’s business. We can pay for their participation.

Special criteria? : Ideally a family consisting of mum, dad and two or three kids. However, if you have a willing single parent family that could work so pitch away and I\’ll let you know.

- – - – - – - – - – -

That’s it.  So get in touch if you think you could help with one of these magazine or newspaper stories.  We will pay you for your participation, so visit www.FamousFeatures.co.uk today and fill out our online form.

If you would like to sell a story that isn’t on the above list, just let us know, we are looking for all kinds of stories.

Sell a Story – Requests 14/06/2010

June 14th, 2010

LATEST STORY REQUESTS

The Folowing Stories are Urgently Wanted…. (see story requests below).

Just go to www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to tell us if you would like to get paid to be in any of these real life stories or features.  Send us your details by filling in our online form (located at www.FamousFeatures.co.uk).

Also – please get in touch if you have any other stories that you would like us to consider.  We are looking for new story ideas every day. Your real life experiences and true stories could earn you cash; sell a story now.

——————————————–

Person or Story Wanted: Looking for an upbeat/quirky/usual real-life stories.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

More info: We are looking for a real life story for next week’s paper but looking for early ideas.

Person or Story Wanted: A woman who can talk about her experience of domestic violence.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Women’s Magazine Article.

More info: We’re looking for a woman who was a victim of domestic violence. We want the story to have a positive ending though – maybe, after finally leaving their ex, she went to get a good job and meet a new man.

Criteria: She needs to be aged between 35 and 55.

Person or Story Wanted: Woman whose success has prevented her from having a relationship.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Daily Newspaper Article.

More info: Woman who is very successful, attractive and single. Because of her success she hasn’t been able to hold down a relationship.

Criteria: Women aged late 30s, early 40s.

Person or Story Wanted: Single dad real life stories.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

More info: Looking for a strong story about a single father for a spread.

Criteria: British.

Person or Story Wanted: A woman who fell in love with a fella on holiday -but he was using her for a visa into the UK.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Women’s magazine article.

More info: We are putting together a feature on different holiday horrors a woman might encounter while abroad and as part of that we are looking for a woman who fell head over heels for one of the local guys on holiday, thought he was ‘the One’, were planning on setting at home together in the UK and then it turned out that he was only using her for a passport into the UK.

Criteria: I am looking for a woman aged between 25-55.

Person or Story Wanted: Ever been stalked by a friend?

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

More info: Looking for women – and men – 25 to 50, who have tried to break it off with a friend but the friend hasn’t got the message. They may bombard you with emails, texts, or calls or demand to know why you don’t want to see them anymore when you’ve tried to be polite and/or ignored their attempts to get in touch. Did this get out of hand and, if so, how did you stop it?

Criteria: 25-50, living in UK.

Person or Story Wanted: Human-interest stories (preferably involving a woman or family).

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

More info: Interested in hearing any human interest stories which have NOT been in the national press yet or any first person pieces from female writers who have been through an experience or are planning on trying something new – ie dating after divorce, therapy etc etc.

Person or Story Wanted: Woman who had a no-strings attached holiday fling and is now regretting it deeply.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Glossy magazine story.

More info: We are putting together a feature on holiday horrors women may encounter on their hols and as part of that I am looking to interview a woman who picked up a foreign lover for cheap holiday thrills but now has real emotional regret over the affair.  For example – just got a divorce and wanted to boost her confidence by having no-strings holiday sex with a gorgeous local – but back home now feels cheap, degraded and really stupid for putting herself at risk from STD’s, pregnancy etc.

Or maybe, you did become pregnant as a result.

Criteria: The woman should be aged between 25-55.

Person or Story Wanted: Victims of lonely-hearts scams.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Daily Newspaper Story.

More info: I am looking for victims who have been duped out of money by fraudsters from abroad via online dating sites and in lonely hearts columns.

Criteria: No age limit. Must be British victims.

Person or Story Wanted: Woman who caught an STI/ STD on holiday after a holiday fling…

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Magazine Story.

More info: We are writing a piece about different holiday horrors a woman might encounter on holiday and as part of that we are looking to interview a woman who is willing to speak openly about having a holiday fling and catching an STI/ STD as a result.

Criteria: Woman aged between 25-55 – but ideally if she is an older divorcee that would make the story a lot stronger and relevant to our readership but whatever the story is please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Person or Story Wanted: A man who did something drastic for his wedding – eg. lost weight/had plastic surgery.

Where the Story/Article will Appear: Sunday Newspaper Magazine Story.

More info: We want to speak to a guy who is aged 20-40 who wanted a big wedding while his bride wasn’t so bothered. In order to make his day perfect he either lost a lot of weight, had surgery to improve his looks or even had a gastric band for quick-fire weight loss.

Criteria: Must have before and after pictures.

WHO WOULD BE A WOMAN? Alex McGowan Blog 2/6/2010

June 2nd, 2010

WHO WOULD BE A WOMAN?

By Alexandra McGowan for Famous Features

Don’t get me wrong, there are a number of incredibly wonderful things about being a woman.  We are able to carry children, multi-task, and spend a month’s salary on shoes without wasting time on silly emotions like guilt.

I think all of the above are pretty special!

However, there are times when being a woman is downright lousy – for a number of reasons.

One of them materialises once a month, every month…for most of our adult lives.  The dreaded…PMT (for any males, or women fortunate enough not to know what this is, it’s pre-menstrual tension).  It’s caused by an imbalance of hormones at the onset of a period, and usually lasts for a few days.

Most women get a bit down, use it as an excuse to pig out on chocolate, then carry on as normal.  But some women have to stay locked away in darkened rooms, such is the madness that comes upon them with the ‘monthly miseries’.

For too long, people have sneered at sufferers of PMT as being over-dramatic, or slightly unstable mentally.  But it’s not true. If your body is affected by hormonal changes, there is nothing you can do about it…except sit tight and ride the storm.

We’re interested in real life cases of severe PMT. Did it break up your marriage? Did you find yourself nearly snapping (verbally and perhaps even physically) at your children one day, because you were so irrational and upset?

If anyone understands what you’re going through, it’s other women, which is who we would love you to share your story with in one of the national magazines or newspapers.  You will be paid a great fee for sharing your story – and maybe it will reach out to someone else who has been affected in the same way you have.

So please get in touch with one of the Famous Features team today by emailing your story to sell-my-story@famousfeatures.co.uk,  or call our hotline: 0845 83 88 55

Sally Windsor-FF Editor Blog – 28/05/2010

May 29th, 2010

Losing Someone You Love

At some point in our lives, it’s something we all have to face. Whether it’s illness, a tragic accident or relationship ends – when someone important to you isn’t there anymore, it can feel almost impossible to bear and even harder to accept that they are gone.

We all go through it at some point – but how did it feel when you lost someone you cared for greatly?

This week, a close friend of mine died suddenly in his sleep. His name was Mark*, a handsome young artist, the original cheeky cockney boy, who was loved by everyone who met him.

For many years of my life, he and I were inseparable. He was the gay best friend every girl dreamed of. Hilarious, good-looking, charming and infectious to be around. He taught me about fake tan and high heels in a way that a big sister should have, how to flirt with men in cars and most importantly, how to appreciate art.

We’d dance in his kitchen to Sophie Ellis-Bextor songs, write love poems to each other then get them read out on radio stations, have endlessly silly nights out together and put the world to rights. Then last night, I got a call – he was gone. A heart attack after an illness he’d caught on holiday in India – just like that.

24 hours later, and I think already I’ve been through every emotion imaginable. Shock and disbelief at first, then the guilt at not being a better friend. Then anger for him leaving me to go to a better place. The truth is, I’m just so sad that he has gone.

No doubt I’ll feel all these emotions ten-times-over again, and eventually it’ll get easier. But how best to remember him? Doing what I know best – putting pen to paper right now, as Mark* would have expected me to. So, I’d like you to do the same.

At Famous Features, we deal with family tragedies, medical miracles and mishaps on a daily basis – and we do it well. Our clients often tell us that telling the story of their loved one, then seeing the story down in print is like a lasting memento of the person they have lost – ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’, and with so many worthy causes to donate to, you can raise money for a good cause too.

Through my work as a journalist, I’ve realised that feeling helpless after someone’s death doesn’t mean you have to sit and do nothing. You can remember your loved one in your own way. I’d love for you to write in, and tell us what that special person in your life meant to you, and I can’t wait to help you share your memories and photographs with everyone else that loved them too.

If this is something that you would like us to help you with, you can try putting those words down now via our online form at www.FamousFeatures.co.uk – I look forward to hearing from you.

Sally (sally@famousfeatures.co.uk)

*This name has been changed for privacy reasons.

STORY REQUESTS 25 May 2010

May 25th, 2010

LATEST STORY REQUESTS

We urgently need these stories right now…. (see story requests below).

Just go to www.FamousFeatures.co.uk to tell us if you would like to get paid to be in any of these real life stories or features.  Send us your details by filling in our online form (located at www.FamousFeatures.co.uk).

You can also get in touch if you have any other stories that you would like us to consider.  Your real life experiences and true stories could earn you cash; sell a story now.

——————————————–

Story / Person Wanted: Please email us any funny / wacky / bizarre / feel-good / upifting stories.

Where the Story will Appear: Woman’s weekly magazine article.

Story / Person Wanted: We are looking for women who have been ‘functioning addicts’ in the past.

Where the Story will Appear: Woman’s weekly magazine feature.

More info: We are looking to interview women between the age of 18 and 35 who have held down a professional job in the past, whilst being addicted to a drug or alcohol. Perhaps they were addicted to cocaine – and had to go to the toilets to take coke at work – or perhaps they could only get through their working day by drinking a bottle of vodka.

Story / Person Wanted: Wedding stories – wacky wedding / weddings from hell / record- breaking wedlocks.

Where the Story will Appear: Woman’s Glossy Magazine Story.

Story / Person Wanted: Good first person stories.

Where the Story will Appear: Woman’s Glossy Magazine Story.

More info: We are after some good, emotional first person features and stories.

Criteria: Women aged mid 30-mid 60, family minded, very ordinary.

Story / Person Wanted: Victims of IVF Blunders.

Where the Story will Appear: National Newspaper Story.

More info: Responding to the news that IVF blunders have risen by 85 per cent in the last year, we are seeking couples (willing to be identified) who have been victim to a blunder themselves. Incidents could include, lost embryos, mis-matched eggs and sperm, embryos given to the wrong couple…

If you have access to anyone who has found themselves in this position, we’d really like to hear from you.

Alex McGowan’s Blog

May 1st, 2010

FAMOUS FEATURES BLOG

By Alexandra McGowan for Famous Features

‘You say tomay-to, I say tomar-to,’ goes the classic sung by jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

Here in the Famous Features office, we feel like we’re living that song on a daily basis.

This week, there’s been a potent mix of: Crawley (Sally) Germany (Stef), Newcastle (boy Joe), Essex (girl Jo), Glasgow (Lorna) and Manchester (me), all in the one office.

What a melting pot of accents and dialects, and a great excuse to poke fun at each other.

‘Here you gan, pet,’ read one of my emails on Monday. Joe had sent me something to edit, and apparently that was Geordie for ‘Here you go, love.’

‘Nay bother,’ trills our lovely new girl Lorna as she speaks to people about their incredible real life stories, as we sell them to national newspapers and magazines.

‘It’s DAIN-GEROUS!’ exclaims our editor, Sally Windsor, who hails from Crawley but often slips into a sairf-London drawl.

We have concluded that no-one uses the word ‘Wally’ apart from her, either. Is that a suvvern fing as well?

Stef constantly impressed us with her ability to interview in English professionally and completely fluently, before babbling away on her mobile if one of her German friends called her.

And girl Jo? ‘Alright my darlin’’ she drawls in her dulcet Colchester tones. Even though she doesn’t wear white heels, she’s Essex through and through.

The differences between us all lead to no end of hilarity and confusion. For example, when Lorna thinks someone is attractive, we think she’s saying that they’re ‘fat’ – because that’s how it sounds when she says ‘fit’. Jokes!

Do you have a funny story to tell about accents and dialect? Did you meet your now-hubby, who has a completely different accent to you, through a funny misunderstanding down to the different ways you spoke?

Or has an accident left you with a completely different accent, as in the case of Sarah Colwill, who now speaks with a Chinese accent after experiencing chronic migraine pain?

It’s an unusual story, and one that we would be able to sell for a great fee to one of the women’s magazines, or national newspapers.

Get in touch with your funny accent stories – we can’t wait to hear them, whichever part of the country you’re from!