Most people who become famous work VERY hard to earn their fame, but usually they are not seeking fame itself. They just want to do well in their chosen career!

If you want to be famous, ask yourself why. If you are dreaming of a day when you’ll be adored by millions and have everything you could wish for, it could be that you need to work on your self-esteem because fame really isn’t a magic cure that will make you happier. If you are looking for love or attention or happiness, you really need to find those things closer to home. Check out the Confidence Tricks chapter again, and make friends with that girl in the mirror… if you have strong self-esteem, you don’t need millions of others to make you feel good about yourself.

Fame is not a career or even a lifestyle. An artist called Andy Warhol once said, ‘everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes’ and he had a point, with shows like Big Brother where people can become famous (and rich!) just for being mean, or rude, or ditzy, or even just wearing very short skirts! Fame like that doesn’t last and leaves you wanting more, a little like a spoilt toddler who wants more toys, more attention, more fuss.

Wanting to be rich and famous without putting the work in first is a bit like wanting to eat your pudding without having any main course… or wanting presents every day of the year, whether it’s your birthday/Christmas or not. For what it’s worth, it is very hard to handle fame – harder still when you are very young.

Many young stars go badly off the rails because they cannot cope with the media attention, the intrusion, the stress, the pressure. They starve themselves to avoid being called chubby, use drink or drugs to block out reality, hook up with unsuitable friends and lovers, are often very lonely… they are like a car crash just waiting to happen.

Does this sound like a happy life?

Cordie would be better off finding a dream that might be a little more rewarding – not in terms of money or fame, but satisfaction, achievement, happiness. As for Linda, well, she is not the only one to assume that all writers are rich and famous… but I don’t know one fellow writer who drives a Rolls-Royce, lives in a castle, or gets mobbed for autographs every time they leave the house. There may be one or two out there, but even if that’s so, I guarantee they didn’t start writing for the cash or the kudos!

Most of the time, fame and riches are a reward for hard work. If these things matter to you, then sure, build them into your dream, but don’t make them an end in themselves… that way disaster lies.

Making It Happen

Dear Cathy

I want to be a writer when I grow up. Can you tell me what exams I need and what I should study at university?