Hey

I’d love to be a writer like you when I am older. I am hooked on inventing stories… my life is pretty dull and sometimes stressy, but when I’m writing a story I get to be in control for a change!

Pam, age 12

Cathy

I love writing poetry and song lyrics. It’s like all my secret, inside feelings pour out on to paper and turn into something new and amazing. My dad died last year and seriously, without the poetry, I don’t know how I’d have coped.

Lainey, age 14

Like Pam, I was hooked on writing stories from early on. And like Pam, my life was far from perfect back then! I loved the way I could pull the strings in a story and control what happened, and also how I could write about exciting, romantic, adventurous things, even when my real life just wasn’t like that!

Like Lainey, I turned to poetry when I wanted to deal with big emotions like grief, love and loss. I wrote acres of dreadful poetry as a teenager, but it helped me through some difficult times! Pam and Lainey are expressing themselves on paper, dealing with difficult feelings and polishing their writing skills too. Pretty cool.

Hiya, Cathy!

I have your Dreams & Doodles Daybook. I have to hide it under the mattress in case my little brother finds it, but it’s worth it. I love recording the ups and downs of every day… it helps me to make sense of my life!

Flick, age 12

Dear Cathy

When I am feeling really upset or angry, I write it down, as a letter to the person who upset me. I don’t ever send the letter, but it helps me get my anger out without making the row any worse… then I feel better and usually I am able to patch things up and move on! My mum gave me this tip, and it really works for me.

Jamila, age 11

Flick and Jamila are also using writing to help them cope with tricky times. Writing in a diary or journal can help you to reflect on what’s going on in your life, and work out how to handle things. Writing letters to soak up negative feelings is also a great idea… getting the feelings out is often enough to remove the hurt from a situation and help us to decide how to deal with it. Just don’t send the letter… unless you are ready for a big showdown or heart-to-heart!

Get Moving!

Hey Cathy

I love swimming, I’m in a club and swim most days. When I don’t or can’t for some reason, I miss it like mad. My friends say I’m addicted, but it keeps me fit, focused and chilled out, so I don’t really care!

Tara, age 13

Sport and exercise don’t just keep you fit and slim, as Tara has discovered – they soak up stress and boost your mood by releasing feel-good chemicals called endorphins. That’s got to be good! Some of us love the challenge of doing something physical, pushing ourselves to be the best we can be, and that kind of focus and challenge is a buzz for Tara too.