So, I’m trying to speed-write a YA novel, which will be my debut book. I pitched the idea to my publisher and he said “Go for it”. The thing is that I have to turn in the first draft on the 25th of April so they can apply for a grant that will help me greatly with turning the first draft into a real book.
So now I’m really trying to get the core in, and will add the bells and whistles later, the stuff that makes the book a book. And so I turn to my betters for writing advice.
The following advice is from Harlan Ellison, in his excellent collection Harlan 101, Encountering Ellison
As a final note, let me hit once again at the core fact that no matter what it is you think you’re writing about, the best and most significant thing to write about, what you’re always writing about, is people.
Emphasis on my characters then, got it.
On Books and Writing 