Legend Author Marie Lu Guest Blogs & A Contest

Today we are delighted to be hosting the latest stop in the blog tour for Legend by Marie Lu, a thrilling new dystopian YA with lots of action, suspense and drama.

Below, you’ll find a guest blog by Marie, as well as a contest and even more goodies!

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The Price of Security

Okay, today I’m going to get a wee bit serious in my blog post. Usually I’m pretty willy nilly, a bit hyper, and sometimes incoherent (as evidenced in my previous posts 🙂 ), but today I’m going to tackle something that I always dwell on in relation to writing and doing what one’s passionate about.

A long time ago, I read a post on Tess Gerritsen’s blog about how one of her fans spent his life in a stable, secure career instead of doing what he was really passionate about (fashion industry). Now that he was older and settled, he despaired of ever working in his dream field.

Stories like this sadden me deeply. I get similar emails literally once a week, perhaps partly because I’m active on deviantArt (an art/writing community). The emails are always from young, aspiring creatives (whether for art, writing, or etc) who are hesitant to pursue what they love. This has also reminded me of Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement address (which I’m sure, with his recent passing, many of you have already seen … for those who haven’t, here’s the link).

I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve talked to who are passionate about writing, drawing, or other creative media but are pressured into turning away from it because these careers are not seen as financially stable. And I suppose that’s true–the stereotype has to come from *somewhere*, right? The creative arts are not a field for the faint of heart. You have to love what you do in order to make it–they are not known to be secure in any way. Your parents are right to be afraid and paranoid, and family and friends might steer you away from these fields out of love and concern.

But you know what? Stability and security lose their charms without passion. *Passion and talent, however, can create stability.*

Now, before I say anything else, believe me–I understand that you can’t just jump into a risky endeavor without thinking it through. I know the urgency of a roof over my head and food on the table. Plan accordingly. Have a day job, a fallback plan, something secure so your family doesn’t suffer for your pursuit of happiness. But *pursue that happiness*. As an unpublished and aspiring writer, I guarantee that at some point you WILL be looked down on. People WILL scoff quietly at your attempts. They WILL think you’re a dreamer who won’t make it. I know. Don’t let it get you down. Smile through those times, then carve out an hour each morning or night and hone your craft. This applies not just to writers but to anyone passionate about a certain field of study.

You only have one life. Don’t spend all your precious days working at a job to please your parents, or at a job you hate in exchange for some financial security. Do what you have to do to survive, but never lose sight of your real goals. Never get lost in the maze of Security. You have got, you have GOT, to find what you love.

If you want to be an artist instead of a doctor, then be an artist. If you want to be a doctor instead of an artist, then be a doctor. If you know that you’ll regret not pursuing a writing career, pursue the writing career. If you want to start your own business, find a way to start that business. Be brave. Go for it. If not now, then when?

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Before becoming a full-time writer, Marie Lu was the art director at a video game company. She also owns the children’s brand Fuzz Academy. She was first inspired to write Legend while watching Les Miserables one afternoon, and wondered how the relationship between a famous criminal vs. a prodigious detective might translate into a more modern story. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2006 and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Visit Marie at www.marielu.org