Quick answer…

A zero draft is the roughest version of a story. A messy, exploratory draft written before what many writers would consider a proper first draft. It exists to help you discover the story rather than perfect it. If you’ve ever written a novel by wandering through the dark with a torch and a vague sense of direction, you’ve probably written a zero draft already.

It’s definitely something I’ve done. Mothtown was definitely written this way. Whereas Composite Creatures had a plan, Mothtown was based on a very simple idea. And then I just went for it, exploring the world as I went.

The version on the shelves now bears very little resemblance to the zero draft. Rather than this be disheartening though, it’s not a bad thing. That first draft was ROUGH, but it helped me work out what I was actually meant to do with the raw narrative nugget I had. What David’s story really was.

If it hadn’t been for that zero draft, there would be no Mothtown.

There’s a particular kind of freedom that comes with admitting that something isn’t meant to be good. That, for many writers, is the gift of the zero draft.

If you’ve spent any time in writing communities or book groups, you might’ve come across the term. Like many pieces of writing advice, it can sound suspiciously like someone has simply invented another step in an already often too complicated process. We have planning, outlining, drafting, editing, revising, line editing, proofreading… And now we’re expected to write something called a zero draft too? Eh?

But the idea itself is surprisingly simple.

What is a zero draft?

A zero draft is a draft that comes before the first draft. It’s the version where you’re figuring things out.

Characters appear and disappear. Plot threads wander off into the woods. Entire chapters might consist of notes to yourself. You might switch tense halfway through, forget someone’s eye colour, or write things like:

[Insert emotional confrontation here]

I sometimes write things like that in a first draft too, but definitely less so!

The purpose isn’t to create a readable novel. It’s to discover what the novel actually is, with no pressure. Some writers think of a zero draft as sketching. Others describe it as excavation. Personally, I’ve always felt it’s closer to wandering. You start with a handful of ideas and follow them. Sometimes they lead somewhere interesting. Sometimes they don’t.

Zero draft vs first draft

The distinction between a zero draft and a first draft isn’t universal. Plenty of writers use the terms interchangeably.

Generally speaking, though:

A zero draft…

• exists for the writer, not the reader
• can be incomplete or chaotic
• might contain notes, summaries, and placeholders
• prioritises discovery over craft, and worldbuilding over continuity

A first draft…

• attempts to tell the whole story
• has scenes written out in full
• follows a more deliberate structure
• begins the process of becoming an actual novel

Think of the zero draft as the map you sketch while exploring a new country. The first draft is the journey written up afterwards.

Why writers use zero drafts

Many writers struggle not because they lack ideas, but because they expect those ideas to arrive on the page fully formed. Perfection stops so many writers from even starting.

The blank page can feel like a stage. Every sentence suddenly matters. Every scene must justify its existence.

A zero draft sidesteps that pressure.

When you give yourself permission to write badly, strange things happen. Characters become more interesting. Plot twists emerge unexpectedly. Themes surface from places you weren’t consciously looking. Stories often reveal themselves gradually, and a zero draft allows that process to happen.

How to write a zero draft

Because of the freewheelin’ nature of a zero draft, there isn’t really a single correct method.

One approach I’d recommend is starting with what you know. Maybe it’s a character. Or an image. Or a scene. Or even a question.

Start with that, not even thinking about whether that bit should be at the beginning. You’re exploring in a spiral, in a cloud, rather than a straight line. Trust it! When the flow struggles a bit, and there’s a gap in your head between points A and B, write something like…

[Need a reason they’re angry here]

… and then continue. Summarise chapters, if if helps. Or make scenes even briefer, something like…

They travel to the coast. They argue. The secret comes out. Nobody handles it well.

… and then expand later.

Generally, at this point style and language isn’t important. A zero draft exists to uncover the shape of the story beneath all those things. However, I would say that writing a zero draft can help you find the right tone and pace for your story. And if you come up with some beautiful lines or metaphors along the way, you can always save them for the next draft.

Do all writers need a zero draft?

Absolutely not.

Some writers produce remarkably clean first drafts, though these are as rare as four-leaf clovers. Other writers will outline extensively beforehand and discover most structural problems before they begin writing.

If your current process works, there is no prize for making it more complicated.

A zero draft is a tool, not a requirement. It’s an option for if an idea isn’t quite ready enough to outline. If you’ve ever found yourself endlessly rewriting chapter one while chapter twenty remains unwritten, a zero draft may be worth experimenting with.

My own experience with zero drafts

One word. Mothtown.

With this novel, I had a pretty core idea, but literally zero story. I’m not a great plot person, unless I know the character and world inside out, and I didn’t. So my zero draft helped David form, helped the world form, and even changed the way I was going to tell the story itself.

Instead of worrying about all the ins and outs of a perfectly formed plot, I thought about where his hurt might sit. What did he want? How did he relate to his family? I had a mood, a vibe, but little else.

The early stages were in fragments. Notes. Half-scenes. Conversations written before I knew where they’d fit. Only later did those pieces settle into something recognisably novel-shaped.

Common misconceptions about zero drafts

“It’s Just an Outline”

Not necessarily. A zero draft is usually more narrative and exploratory than an outline.

“It’s a Waste of Time”

For some writers, perhaps. For others, it prevents months of struggling through a first draft that was never quite working.

“Professional Writers Don’t Do This”

Many professional writers have some version of a zero draft process, even if they call it something else. The terminology is less important than the underlying principle: giving yourself space to discover the story.

Should You Try Writing a Zero Draft?

If you’re paralysed by perfectionism, probably. If you abandon novels halfway through because you don’t know where they’re going, probably. If every sentence feels like a performance review, definitely.

The worst outcome is that you discover it isn’t your preferred method. The best outcome is that writing becomes enjoyable again.

And that’s not a small thing at all. 😊