BLOG TOUR: Guest Post and Contest LEGEND by Marie Lu

Today I have the pleasure of being a part of the LEGEND Blog Tour and I am more than excited about my participation in today's post. Author Marie Lu has shared her technique of dealing with writer's block and at the same time demonstrated another amazing talent. I adore all that she has shared with The Tales of the Ravenous Reader blog and I hope that you take the time to check out this informative post about a rising new talent in the YA reading genre and participate in the contest that is included at the end of this post.

Marie Lu Bio:
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 ww.marielu.org

LEGEND FACEBOOK EXPERIENCE

Click here to read the first chapter of LEGEND

And without further delay Marie Lu shares with us how she deals with writer's block. I am sure that you will agree with me that not only is she a talented author but she is an amazing artist as well.

MARIE LU

My Legend Artwork (or, my cure for writer's block)

I suffer writer's block much more often than I care to admit. On these unpleasant occasions, after I'm done sulking in a corner with my emo hoodie on, I'll retreat into my (almost) foolproof writer's block breaker: drawing. Whenever you see me posting Legend-related artwork online, you can bet that I'm having a writer's block day. Indulging in a different form of creative media almost always helps me loosen the tangles that are preventing me from writing. So, today, I thought I'd share some of the art that I did in the past year that got me through the writing of both Legend and Legend 2 (which comes out in Fall 2012!):

This is what I see in my head for the opening scene of Legend, when Day and Tess are watching the plague patrol make their way down the street. Minus the rain. That was
just for dramatic effect. :) (Day and Tess drawn in Flash. Background commissioned from a small art studio.)

Based on an early Legend scene, where June tries in vain to convince her brother Metias that taking her along onmissions is a good idea. As you can see, my Disney-ish side is sticking out here.

A compilation of various sketches I drew of Day. Top left, Day being apologetic. Top middle, Day being mean. Top right, Day being...bewildered. Bottom sequence, Day flirting with some curly-haired girl.

For some reason, this is everyone's favorite picture. I have no idea why.

Probably the closest I've gotten to capturing how June looks in my head.

I tried a more realistic sketch of how Day and June look in my head. Still not quite right...but I tried!

I don't know about you guys, but I adored every single one of those images and the book trailer is pretty darn great and it makes me want to read this novel all over again. Thank you Marie for sharing your drawings on my blog and I cannot wait to read LEGEND 2.

CONTEST Prize: I have one (1) prize pack to give away to a winner in the US. The prize pack includes:
1 finished copy of LEGEND
1 LEGEND button

CONTEST Rules: Tell me which of Marie's Drawings do you like the best and why?

1. Must reside in the US to receive this prize pack that is donated by the Publisher
2. Contest ends December 26th 2011 at midnight PST

GOOD LUCK!!