Writing a novel, essay, or even a blog post can feel overwhelming, especially when faced with the blank page. As writers, we often struggle with the pressure of getting everything “perfect” from the start, the idea that we have to know every detail before diving into a new writing project. That’s where the concept of a zero draft comes in.
A zero draft is an early, exploratory writing strategy that can help you break through writer’s block and lay the groundwork for a more refined draft later on. I personally use zero drafts in my writing process, and find them very helpful for getting my initial ideas down on the page and laying a framework around which to build my narrative.
Here’s everything you need to know about writing a zero draft and how it can impact your writing process.
What Is a Zero Draft?
I think of a zero draft as sort of a step in between an outline and first draft.
A zero draft is essentially a rough, unpolished first attempt at your writing project. It’s not meant to be shared or published, and it’s certainly not meant to be perfect. In fact, its primary purpose is to get your ideas down on paper without worrying about grammar, structure, or style.
You can write a zero draft with or without an outline. Some writers might find it helpful to start with some outlining before diving into a zero draft. This combination of planning and organic writing often helps with making sure you covey the key ideas you want to share in your work while also leaving room for unexpected discoveries during the writing process.
My zero drafts often include a lot of placeholders for details or even entire scenes I plan to come back to later. I try to focus on figuring out the plot and starting to develop my characters.
How Does a Zero Draft Fit Into the Larger Writing Process?
The zero draft is just the first step in a series of stages that lead to a fully developed, polished piece. Everyone’s writing process is different, but here’s how a zero draft might fit into your workflow:
- Prewriting (Zero Draft): The zero draft is part of the brainstorming and prewriting phase. During this stage, the goal is to get everything down on paper without worrying about the finer details. The zero draft allows you to capture the essence of your ideas, allowing you to see the bigger picture of your project.
- Rewriting (Draft 1): Once you have your zero draft, you can move on to the first proper draft. This is where you begin to refine your ideas, organize them, and focus on structure. The zero draft serves as the foundation for this stage, helping you determine which elements need to be strengthened or cut.
- Revising and Editing (Draft 2 and Beyond): After the first draft, you enter the revision and editing phases. In these stages, you’ll focus on refining your sentences, tightening your arguments, improving clarity, and fixing any grammatical errors.
- Final Draft: The final draft is the completed, polished version of your work that is ready for publication or submission. It’s where everything comes together—the ideas, the structure, the language, and the clarity you’ve worked on through each draft.
Why Should You Write a Zero Draft?
There are several reasons why I find it helpful to include a zero draft in my writing process. First, it’s valuable for overcoming writer’s block. If you like to do some planning before you write, but find yourself stuck trying to figure out what comes next in your outline, a zero draft might help. Sometimes writing out my ideas in a draft helps my ideas flow more than when I’m working in an outline format.
A zero draft also allows me to experiment with different ideas, approaches, and directions. While an outline tends to put a lot of pressure on plotting and planning, a zero draft gives you the freedom to explore your ideas. It can even end up clarifying the key themes and central ideas of your story.
Even though your zero draft may be unpolished, it can still help you begin thinking about the structure of your piece. When you start organizing your ideas in a manuscript format, it can reveal the right flow for your narrative and help you identify what needs to be expanded or changed.
Finally, a zero draft is that it allows you to silence your inner critic, reminding you that the first draft is just a stepping stone toward something more polished. It’s important to remember that writing is a process, and a zero draft can help you avoid getting stuck in the cycle of trying to make things perfect right away.
How to Write a Zero Draft: Tips for Success
If you’re ready to dive into the zero draft stage, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Write Without Judgment: The key is to allow yourself to write freely. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or even whether the sentences make perfect sense. The zero draft is a space for your raw thoughts to flow.
- Focus on Quantity, Not Quality: Aim to get as many ideas down as possible. You can always cut or refine them later. The more you write, the more material you’ll have to work with when you move to the next stage.
- Allow for Flexibility: Your zero draft doesn’t have to follow any specific structure. If you’re writing a novel, for example, you might jump between scenes or explore characters in a nonlinear way. Allow the draft to take on a life of its own.
- Don’t Edit While Writing: The zero draft is not the time for editing. Don’t stop to check spelling or grammar. Just keep going and get the ideas down. Editing can come later.
- Use Prompts or Outlines: If you’re unsure where to start, try using prompts, outlines, or bullet points to guide your writing. These can help focus your thoughts, but don’t get bogged down in making them perfect—just use them as a jumping-off point.
Conclusion
Including a zero draft in my writing process has been hugely helpful for beating writer’s block and creating a solid foundation to build up on in later drafts. It gives me the space to explore my ideas in a way that I haven’t found when working from an outline, and overall is an important step in getting me from black page to finished manuscript.
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Molly Tyler
Molly received her B.A. in English in 2016, and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing in 2019. She now works full time as a digital content marketer.