Writing for Different Purposes

1. Writing for Different Purposes

2. Dear Deirdre • What is an Agony Aunt?

3. Dear Deirdre I feel like family rows are my fault My older brother and my mum had a big row about his girlfriend a few months ago. He hasn't spoken to mum since and I hate the atmosphere in the house. I'm 16 and my brother, who's 18, has just started speaking to me again. But that caused another argument between him and my older sister. She's 19. She said we were ganging up and she didn't want anything more to do with us. It wasn't like that but now I feel like it's my fault because the last argument just topped it off. My mum says it's between her, my older brother and sister, and I shouldn't worry about it. But she is heartbroken about it and I don't want to lose my brother. I just want us to all be normal again but I don't think we will be. What should I do? John, Rhyl

4. Group • If we were an ‘Agony Aunt’ – what would we suggest to John from Rhyl? • What advice could we give him?

5. Dear Deidre How sad for you to have your family rowing like this. It sounds like you're more grown-up than any of them. All you can do is talk to your brother and sister one-to-one and ask them if they can make their peace with the rest of the family. Tell them how important they are to you and how upset you feel. If this doesn't have the desired effect then all you can do is get on and live your life. You can't change how others choose to behave, just how you choose to react. Set a good example by showing that it's possible to get on with everyone in the family by not taking offence and not holding grudges. I hope they get the idea. Hang on in there. You're all growing up and you could well find that things just improve given time. Keep busy with your own life and your own friends and try not to brood when things aren't going right. Let me know how you get on.

6. Diary Another rubbish day coming to an end then…. Dave and mum are still not speaking much. Dave and Emma have had a fight today though – their fallouts go on for weeks. She can be such a cow!!! She’s said to me that I am taking Dave’s side but I’m not on anyone’s flippin’ side. I’m just sick of ‘em all. Emma’s just fed up cos her fella dumped her a couple of week’s ago. Fiona’s OK really. She’s got a bit of a big gob on her but she’s allowed to drive her dad’s car so I can see why Dave likes her. She likes cool music too and gave me her old mobile. What’s wrong with her make up? I’ll never understand girls – never!!! Nothing else much to say today. Roll on the weekend.

7. Your Turn • You are going to be given a problem that was sent to ‘Dear Deidre’ recently. • Read and note the main issues/problem. • Imagine you are the person who wrote the letter…. • Write a diary entry about a particularly bad day in respect of the problems you are having.

8. Volunteers Please… • Will anyone read their Diary entry to the group?

9. Could you be Deidre? Swap problems with someone else. Write a response to the Agony Aunt letter. Pick out the main issues first so that are sure to address them in your response.