Body Stories

Few relationships are more complicated or significant than the one you have with your body. That's why the team behind Body Gossip, one of the UK's most powerful body image campaigns, think it's important for everyone to write their 'body story' - the tale of how they feel about their bodies.

Body Gossip are inviting 4Beauty users to submit their stories for the forthcoming Body Gossip book. Read on for tips on writing your story plus three inspirational examples, and submit your story for the Body Gossip book.

How to Write Your Body Story

1. Don't assume this isn't relevant to you

"Everyone has a body, and feels a certain way about it," says Natasha Devon of Body Gossip, pictured far right with founder Ruth Rogers and body confidence fan Gok Wan. "We're looking for stories from people from all walks of life, ages, races and both genders. You could write about adolescence, ageing, pregnancy, sports, injury, illness, disability, ethnicity, tattoos, piercings, eating disorders - absolutely anything body-related. Even if you are totally nonchalant about your body - that's a story worth telling."

2. Think about what you do with your body, not just how it looks

"Our bodies are the vessels that allow us to live our lives. The age we are, the exercise we take, the lifestyle we choose - they all impact our bodies. Body confidence also has a knock-on effect on so many other aspects of our lives - from going for a promotion, to who we're in a relationship with."

3. Imagine your life in a different body

"Imagining how you would feel and what you would do if you had a different body helps us to understand how the body we're given affects our choices and personalities. Are you tall? How would your life be different if you were short? What have you begun to do or stopped doing since getting a little older? If you were the opposite gender, what would your life be like? Imagine a body swap and see what comes out."

4. Think about where your feelings about your body come from

"Many women in the UK are unhappy with their weight. Why do we feel this way? Is it nature or nurture? Can we blame the media? Would we really feel different if beauty paradigms were different? Is there a particular person, TV programme, situation, advert or even smell that heightens your sense of your physical self?"

5. Most importantly... be you

"You don't have to be a writer to submit your story to Body Gossip. You simply have to be real. We want to represent the voice of the nation and provide an ongoing conversation about all things body-related. Don't restrict yourself to writing a monologue, if it's more 'you' to write a script, a poem or even a rap. Write in your voice and your body story will be brilliant."

Submit your story through the Body Gossip website. For inspiration in writing your story, click through to the next page to read body stories by three women writing about very different experiences.