Relationship Stories: Yours and Ours!

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Here is the latest blog from Famous Features journalist, Alex McGowan.  If you would like to contact Alex, sell a story to the national press, or find out more about Famous Features, visit: www.FamousFeatures.co.uk

Or, if you would like to see which stories magazines and newspapers are looking for right now, see the ‘Latest Media Request’ blogs below.

WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED?

The office of Famous Features is always full of joy and laughter, as we write and sell your amazing stories to the national press – That’s Life, Take a Break, Bella, Best, Chat and many more.

But sometimes there’s sadness, too. At the moment, there’s a few broken hearts knocking around. There must be something in the air, because it seems everyone is going through a tough time at the moment, relationship-wise.

In my case, I recently became involved in a classic ‘Autumn Taboo’ relationship.

You know the kind. Nights are drawing in, the smell of frost is in the air, and you’re home alone, freezing, with nothing but a Pot Noodle and grated cheese to keep you warm.

So, because you’re a bit lonely, you start hankering after things you  shouldn’t. Like chocolate, red wine, oh – and your next-door neighbour.

A lovely guy, good-looking and funny. But with a major flaw: I soon found out that he was taking drugs and didn’t have enough money to pay his rent, let alone take me out for dinner.

In my head, I could see my friends standing there by the side of the road waving a big red sign that read ‘NO! THIS GUY IS A DISASTER!’

But there was something I really liked, even loved about him all the same.  And despite begging him to mend his ways, he wasn’t able to see his own problem for what it was; a serious addiction. He’s the only person that can help himself, but it doesn’t make it any easier having to see him every day.

By Christmas, you’re drunkenly toasting under the mistletoe that you can and will do better for yourself.

By summer, you’ve lost a stone, fake tanned, toned and glammed up. He wants you back, you wouldn’t look twice at him.

But as the nights grow colder, we don’t blame you for searching for a bit of comfort.

Whether it’s that guy you meet in the chatroom who promises to take care of you, or the man you thought you were going to marry who you then see kissing that skinny-girl-from-accounts-you-HATE at the Christmas party – somehow, things that are bad for you seem so good at this time of year!

Same with food. Do you really need to start your day with a box of buttered brazil nuts? No. But it’s cold, and this time of year can give you the blues. So you do what you have to do.

In this office, we are always professional, and try our very best to leave whatever heartbreak we’re going through at the door.

But still, when we hear about and sell your stories of personal heartbreak at the hands of cheating-love rats, liars and Facebook fraudsters, we can’t help but sympathise when you tell us ‘He seemed like the perfect guy,’ or ‘I really did think this guy was the man for me.’  We know exactly how you feel!

Ladies, we offer you this advice. It’s worked wonders for us.

Allow yourself to be sad. Stay in bed, cry, eat icecream straight out of the box. Skimping on personal hygiene optional.

Get angry. How dare he treat you that way? This anger will motivate you to the next step…

Get even. Your sole aim in life is now to make him eternally regret dumping you. So you join the gym, tone up and buy a fabulous new wardrobe, (or a hot-pink Mulberry Macbook sleeve to ‘cheer you up’ if  you’re our editor, Sally Windsor).

You go out with friends who wipe your tears and spoon Cosmopolitans into your mouth. And eventually, you will meet your Prince.

We hear so many brilliant internet dating stories of people that fall in love online, and the dream continues into real-life. We always love it when they live happily every after. Look at Suzzee Langton and her husband Robert whose story we wrote for Real People magazine.  Robert proposed to Suzzee from across the pond – yet they’d never even met!

Then there’s the lovely Hannah Isaacson who after meeting her hubby Chris online, (having sworn she would NEVER try internet dating!) put together her whole wedding via things off email – and got them all for a bargain! 

This story appeared in the People newspaper and has since been picked up by TV channels across the world. You can read that story here: http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=i-bought-all-my-wedding-on-internet-even-my-hubby-chris&method=full&objectid=21384602&siteid=93463-name_page.html

What better way to kickstart the rejuvenating process of getting over someone than by emailing our website so we can sell your stories of betrayal, heartbreak, and revenge (our favourite ones!), to share them with other readers?

Dig out those stories, ladies. A problem shared is a problem halved.  And when we sell your story, you’re guaranteed to warn other ladies away from the bad’uns!

We look forward to hearing from you…

Alex – Famous Features

Industry News

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Hello everyone!

In addition to our daily story updates where we will let you know what kind of stories Magazines and Newspapers are looking for right now, we also want to give you a little insight into the world of Famous Features and real-life journalism.  We’ll be posting regular blogs to keep you up to date with what is going on in the office, the media, and the world of real-life stories (visit our home page to find out more about selling your story – click here)

The Famous Features Office

So, you could say it’s a rather female-orientated environment here at Famous Features, where we work hard to sell your stories to top magazine and newspapers, including That’s Life!, Take A Break, Closer, and many more cornerstones of the national press.

We’ve turned the old adage of the world of journalism being one big ‘boy’s club’ completely on its head.

Not here it ain’t. Girls only (well nearly!).

You’d be hard pressed to find a more pink, fluffy and feminine office than ours. We’d like to give you an insight into where we write up your inspirational stories.

It’s a tightly run ship, but the office is filled with pink wherever we can. Pink notebooks, pink highlighters, a large pink ‘Famous Features’ sign on the window (which the boring old fuddy duddies in the office next door deemed as tacky – jealousy is a terrible thing) and even a pink lamp. Oh, and did I mention the goldfish? Sadly not pink ones, but we’re working on it.

We work very hard, because selling your stories to the magazines is important to us. So consequently, we spend a lot of time in the office. For this reason, we’ve made it as pink, comforting and female friendly as possible. There’s always handcream in the drawer. There’s always chocolate in the fridge.

We think it’s only fair that we big up the fairer sex quite a bit. After all, it’s your stories of strength, courage and inspiration that make Famous Features the number one press agency for selling your story that it is.

We often look back on stories we’ve sold to magazines and newspapers (such as the Daily Mirror, the People and The Sun) and wonder how the people in that story are getting on. It’s hard not to get personally involved when you’re talking to such incredible people all day.

Take Diane Vinall, for example. We sold her story to That’s Life a couple of months ago. She was absolutely devastated, as any loving mother would be, when her son Stephen was found in East Brighton park last year. He was just 32 years old. Stephen had been a heroin addict for years, and the inquest ruled an overdose as the cause of his death. But Diane isn’t happy with this verdict – she believes he was murdered.

Her story is a touching message of undying love and devotion to her son – she will never give up fighting to find out what really happened the day he died.

Or Jeanette Salmons (nee Sambucci), who remarried her first hubby Malcolm last month 39 years to the day after they married the first time. They were 16 and 18 the first time round, and not quite ready for marriage.  They went their separate ways and married new partners – but realised they belonged together after bumping into each other at a family gathering years later.  We were so inspired by this story of true love – theirs really is ‘in sickness and in health.’ It appeared in the ‘Your Life’ section of the Daily Mirror on Friday November 20, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with them.

We sold Sylvia Davies’s story to Chat, after she was attacked on Boxing Day 2007 by her abusive ex-partner. She’s since rebuilt her marriage and kicked her alcoholism.  She gave birth to her gorgeous baby girl, Emily Rose, a year ago, and we couldn’t be happier for her.

All these incredible women (and there are many more, believe us), just prove that us girls really are the best. Long live the sisterhood, and keep sending us your inspiring stories, ladies!

Alex – Famous Features Journalist

(Don’t worry, we do sell male orientated stories as well, and we have boys in the office  – but they have to put up with the pink).

Sell Your Story to the National Press

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009