Weekly Writing Prompt with C. Lee McKenzie!

Hey, everyone! From now on I'll be posting a writing prompt by one of your favorite YA authors every Thursday. I'll also be doing some contests and giveaways later on for those of you brave enough to join it! Here are the rules:

Write just write.
Share pretty please! Post what you wrote each week in the comments section! Let the author see your awesome work.


C. Lee McKenzie


C. Lee McKenzie has written YA and MG novels as well as short stories and nonfiction articles. Judging by all the buzz surrounded her latest book Princess of Las Pulgas (read my review if you haven't!), you might say she's a veritable master behind a keyboard.

This week, Ms. McKenzie has given us a writing prompt to really get the juices flowing!

"Every writer knows that the opening lines of a book can make or break a sale, so my writing prompt is about creating a dynamite opening. The catch is you have to include the following words and it can't be longer than a paragraph.

alive OR dead

hug (any verb form)

importance, important

Here's my stab at a "grabber" opening for a YA novel. Enjoy and write up something irresistible for that agent, that editor, or your readers.

If I’d known I wouldn’t be alive today, here’s what I would have done . . . in order of importance.

Hugged Mom
Apologized to Ben
Tossed all my diaries
Punched Kelly Pollard in the mouth" --C. Lee McKenzie

Her website!
My review of Princess of Las Pulgas!

Many thanks to Ms. McKenzie for participating this week! I hope you will all join in and keep this going!