ISB has recently hosted the sensational visiting author of 2015, Marie Lu. She is the author of the famous Legend Series and the new and promising Young Elites sequel. Through many of her amazing talks, she gave inspiration to the students of ISB by speaking about her struggles, perseverance and ultimately success as an author. PantherNation was honored to conduct a private interview with her regarding her interests in reading and writing, as well as advice for prospective writers.
How long have you been a writer and have you always wanted to be a writer?
I have been writing since I was really little. I started writing when I was five when I learned english and realized that I really enjoyed the process of writing and started writing. I have always wanted to do it because it was really fun for me. I did not know it was a job until middle school though; I did not realize you could actually do that for a living.
What kind of books did you read when you were younger and can you name a few books that really influenced your writing?
Oh, absolutely. I loved to read when I was young and I still do. I was a huge Harry Potter fan. I was growing up at the time when Harry Potter was becoming huge, so I kind of grew up with Harry Potter. I was also a huge fan of the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. It is an odd series, about this group of woodley creatures like mice, and rabbits that live in a big abbey and are defending it constantly. Also, Watership Down by Richard Adams is one of my absolute favorites. I also read a ton of fantasy, Terry Brooks, all the Shaneda books. David Eddy, wrote a classic series of fantasy novels. Pretty much everything that was fantasy I read. Oh, and Tolkien, I remember Artemis Fowl as was pitched as a dark Harry Potter.
What books are you currently reading?
I just finished a book which is not out yet, but you should look forward to it in October of this year. It is called Illuminae by Amy Koffman and Jay Kristoff ,which, by the way is absolutely amazing. It is one of the best books I have ever read and it’s very, very, weird and interesting and it’s Science Fiction.
Are you working on a new book right now?
I am working on the sequel for the Young Elites right now, which is called The Rose Society and it will be out this October. Other than that, I have two other products that I can’t talk about right now because one of them has just been sold so I do not know if we will be able to talk about it for another couple of weeks. I’m very excited about it.
What is the hardest part about being a writer? What challenges have you faced and/or overcome?
I do not like doing first drafts. I am not good at first drafts. I do not like looking at a blank page and trying to figure out what comes next. I really like to do revisions. I think revisions are really fun. Writing in general is a difficult profession. It is not stable even if you keep writing because you never know if your book will do well. Every time I write a book it feels like a miracle just happened and will not ever happen again so being a writer can be stressful but I love writing so I do not think it is too tough.
What are common misconceptions people have about being a writer, and how are they untrue?
Misconceptions about being a writer…. that’s a great question because there are so many. People have weird assumptions about what we writers do and some people think we are just crazy which is a little bit true. People tend to assume that we are always drinking and yelling at the top of our lungs but in reality we are all pretty calm. It is a job like any other. That is the other thing, many people do not consider being a writer as a job and I always get weird questions like “how much money do you make?” and things that you would not ask someone that is not a writer.
Do you have any hobbies or interests other than writing?
I LOVE to draw. I used to work in art so it is something that I do all the time. I love photography; it is something that I picked up a couple years ago or so. Whenever I get the chance I go around with a giant camera and that is just really fun for me.
Do you have any advice for young writers, or people who are considering becoming a writer?
I would say the biggest lesson is to not be afraid to write something that is bad. When I first started writing I was so fixated on making something perfect right away that I would write 50 pages and stop when I realized that it was not exactly what I had in my head. I would stop and revise it over and over again and I would be stuck in this cycle and never get past the first 50 pages. I would end up just giving up and moving on to another idea and repeating this process all over again various times. So now I have a dozen 50-page stories that I never finished. Beginning writers really need to just finish their story and not worry about revising until the end. That is a huge thing and you absolutely have to let go of the idea that you are going to make it perfect the first time. Only once you finish the complete book can you work on making it perfect.
What inspired you to write the Legend series?
I was watching TV one day, I was watching the old version of Les Miserables, which is about a criminal being hunted down by an officer. I thought it would be interesting to write a teenage version of that. I also wanted it to be set in the backdrop of a revolution. That was very much the inspiration for it.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Well I am really excited to be here. It is my first time in Thailand so it has been really fun to talk. I am hoping to come back.
Marie Lu is an inspiration for all aspiring young writers and we hope that she will one day return to ISB. For all of you that have not yet read her the thrilling Legend series, it is available in the library as is the first book of The Young Elites. Remember to check out her upcoming sequel to The Young Elites called The Rose Society sometime in October of 2015. Thank you Marie Lu for coming to ISB and giving such intriguing talks!
Antonina (Tosia) Lekawska and Sofi Sintes
