My All-New Zero Draft Approach

[Incanus]

Has anyone around here been using this, or something like it?

I’ve adapted the idea for my use, and so far, I think it is working for me.

First, the dilemma—when working on novels, I’ve noticed I have this problem: I can’t write the story until I know the story; and I can’t know the story very well, until I write it.

Previously, I would try to create the best draft I could from scratch. For short stories, that works OK, but for novels it hasn’t been working for me.

The idea here is to create a first draft by writing out the story twice, with the zero draft as guide to the first draft. Another way of looking at the zero draft is as a glorified, detailed, dramatic outline. It is telling the story to myself, so that I can later tell it to others properly.

In my case, when creating the zero draft, I am leaving out virtually all exposition, explanations, detailed descriptions, and the deeper character thoughts and reactions. Thus, this draft is largely the external plot elements, the physical action and a first attempt at dialogue. Another way to look at that is that I’m doing a ‘half draft’ now, and then getting to the other half later.

Since I’ve been using this method, I’ve noticed two unforeseen benefits. The first is that leaving this woefully incomplete draft in my wake really drives me to want to finish it so I can get to work on the real first draft. I get a fair amount of inspiration from this. Another benefit is that, because the zero draft isn’t written all that well, I would have absolutely no problem chucking out paragraphs, pages, or whole chapters if necessary with relative ease. Not being so attached to this zero draft means I can do that with only a moment’s regret.

I’d love to hear other folk’s thoughts about this. What do you think?

 

[pmmg]

My siggy used to say, 'the rough is the outline', but I took it out for space reasons.

Other than that, I dont think our experience is the same.

I've never had a problem with knowing where the story is going. Generally, I can see complete or near complete stories in my head. I typically know the beginning and the end, and a lot of the scenes that should be in the middle. Some I just make up on the spot, and some spring to life as I go. But I pretty much stay on target, even if it takes a while to get there.

I write the whole thing as detailed as I can. But...the first draft is not marketable. So....I go through it in a number of rewrites after, making it all pretty.


My thoughts on it though is, if it works for you....keep it up.

 

[Finchbearer]

I agree with pmmg in terms of if it’s working for you, then carry on.

It’s not something I have employed as any kind of method. It seems a little convoluted, in the sense that what you seem to be doing is creating an outline, and calling that ‘draft zero’, which of course you can do, but why not call that the outline, then you have your first draft.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Whatever works for you. Malik kinda sorta might do something similar. Me?

I write the thing, edit as I go, finish, send it through more edits, and publish. I don't outline crap; for me outlining is the destroyer of stories. I start with key plot points and the ending and just start writing between them. I don't worry about three-act or any other structure for the main storyline or subplots because I know they'll be there in the end.

I don't actually recommend this in total until you have an unbreakable and/or natural grasp of story structure/3-act. For people starting out, these are invaluable to learn even if, in the end, you deep down knew it all along. Conscious knowledge is worth the time and effort.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

There are three of us, so this is going to look a little odd but it's our process.

One of us does the lion's share of the development work. Worldbuilding, mostly, but our worldbuilding is pretty detailed and I add to it every day. This project has been in the works for about 15 years. The worldbuilding is off the charts. You're a great passenger. You're clean, neat, and curious about the world around you. Love it. So, of course, first thing I do when I get the initial story notes is totally dinker with everything. Because that's how I roll.

Next, everything that's left after my little QA inspection gets shunted over to my wife's side of the desk. Note: No one's writing, yet. So far, it's talking. We RP scenes when we aren't sure how they'll work. I'll get up in the office - thank heavens for big rooms - and I'll act out the scene I'm writing. Sometimes we just RP for the fun of it. The majority of our plot points come from us playing around, to be honest. The three of us playing like kids, suddenly an idea descends from the clouds (uh... okay) and we're off to the races.

Not entirely sure what an angel considers done when they clean, but I'm guessing it's close to this. It's like sweet little angels come and fly you to the Land of the Best Mead, but when everyone comes to see, they immediately start arguing about if the cup held coffee or caffeine.

I let them argue. They always sound like they'd like to tear each other's heads off at this time of year. Bit early, really. I tuck my notes back in my bag, check the truck over one more time for weapons or contraband, anything that is going to get me killed by ignoring. I'm the drafter. Everything, every note, every scrap, every crossed-out idea, everyone's pictures of their pets and their kids, it all ends up with me. And I will sit and screw around with my toys, and relax while I my fingers play over a fidget toy and I finally slip deep into my writing trance.

And with that start and an ending many months in the future (for me, at least), I'm sitting here listening to over 500 characters rattling around in my head and I often can't tell if I'm in a working frame of mind or if there's a pick-up rave thumping between my ears.

The Zero Draft method is a good one, and like all goods now, we pay a premium for the services and for the storage on the Cloud. If you don't have something like this, get it. I've had 5 HDD crashes in my career, 3 of which pre-dated having a good, inexpensive, program that accesses the Cloud. Nearly lost 30 years of writings in the 3rd crash. Only saved by dumb Irish luck and not knowing when to quit. It's probably the best advice I can give you. I'll use nothing but SSD's, now. They also have their downsides, but they're getting better every year.

Good luck and godspeed!

 

[Incanus]

Interesting. Thanks for the replies.

It seems this method may be comparatively uncommon.

One thing is for certain—the days of abandoning my WIPs due to lack of planning and outlining are behind me. I’m never going back to my old methods again. I sort of wish I could make the ‘pantsing’ style work for me—it seems a tad easier—but my large pile of failed novels tells me that is not to be.

I’d like to clarify a point Finchbearer made—there is a pretty huge difference between my zero draft, and my outline. My outline materials exist mostly on about 6-7 pages, with some other random notes that bear on it. My zero draft is running at about 23K words right now, and that’s just getting to the beginning of Act II. My outlines contain no scenes, no drama, practically no detail. Conversely, my zero draft is every scene of the story written out with action, dialogue, drama, etc. What makes it not a first draft is that I’m not bothering with exposition, pacing, quality prose, detailed description, in-depth character thoughts, or explanations. It is emaciated and incomplete, deliberately so. I estimate the zero draft will come in around 80-90K words, while the final draft would probably be something like 150K.

At present, I’m actually pretty excited about this approach. So far it is working even better than I anticipated.

 

[skip.knox]

I work in a similar way. I have a general idea about the story and who is in it, but until I actually write the stuff, I don't have a good feel for the characters, the setting is extremely vague and moves around anyway, I don't see the plot roadblocks and potholes, and I've no idea of theme though I have suspicions.

By the time I'm through that draft zero, I know most all that, and it's a matter of filling in, filling out, and resolving. I also have a feel for who the characters are, what the stakes are, and so on. Sure, from the outline I know what they're all *supposed* to be, but those are just battle plans. Draft zero is recon and skirmishing.

 

[Penpilot]

I've heard of lots of authors doing this. They write out the "zero draft" then throw it out and write the first draft. Some don't refer back to the zero draft because if it's really important to the story they'll remember it.

To me, it seems like a form of outlining. I like to know where I'm going, even if I change my mind halfway through. So I outline. Over the years, my outlines have become more and more detailed. For my WIP. I did a standard outline, and then before I started in on each scene, I'd outline it in greater detail.

At the end of the day whatever works for you is what works for you.

 

[Incanus]

I work in a similar way. I have a general idea about the story and who is in it, but until I actually write the stuff, I don't have a good feel for the characters, the setting is extremely vague and moves around anyway, I don't see the plot roadblocks and potholes, and I've no idea of theme though I have suspicions.

By the time I'm through that draft zero, I know most all that, and it's a matter of filling in, filling out, and resolving. I also have a feel for who the characters are, what the stakes are, and so on. Sure, from the outline I know what they're all *supposed* to be, but those are just battle plans. Draft zero is recon and skirmishing.

Yes, this is very much what I am doing now. Perhaps another way to look at it is that it's a halfway point between the 'first' draft and the outline (though it may be more accurate to say I'm generating about 60% of the material in zero draft, and the remaining 40% will get me to my first draft).

 

[Incanus]

I've heard of lots of authors doing this. They write out the "zero draft" then throw it out and write the first draft. Some don't refer back to the zero draft because if it's really important to the story they'll remember it.

To me, it seems like a form of outlining. I like to know where I'm going, even if I change my mind halfway through. So I outline. Over the years, my outlines have become more and more detailed. For my WIP. I did a standard outline, and then before I started in on each scene, I'd outline it in greater detail.

At the end of the day whatever works for you is what works for you.

I plan on having the zero draft in front of me when creating the first draft--possibly my own adaptation of the method.

I am actually writing out the zero draft with a pen into notebooks. This is partially to keep me from wanting to tinker with earlier material. I'm really looking forward to getting it into the computer, but I'm painfully slow. It's going to be a while, probably a year, just to create this zero draft.

 

[pmmg]

Throw it out? ummmm...not for me

 

[Jackarandajam]

So this zero draft is written sort of like how you'd explain the whole story to a very patient listener?

 

[skip.knox]

It is for me, Jackarandajam, though they would have to have the patience of twenty saints, as what goes into my notebooks (I, too, compose initially on paper) is decidedly non-linear. It also consists of more than just exposition--bits of dialog and other actual writing appears and disappears. While still a teenager I acquired the affectation of printing even as I still knew how to write cursive. I use that now--my notes are printed but when it's something I think I'll actually use in the story, I switch to cursive. It helps when I go to type it all up.

 

[Penpilot]

So this zero draft is written sort of like how you'd explain the whole story to a very patient listener?

I think it's how ever you want to write it. I've heard people say they write it like any other draft, but with almost zero concern for consistency and knowing there will be no revisions on that draft. I've heard it described as the vomit draft, where they well...vomit out everything about the story they can think of.

 

[Incanus]

I would answer in the negative Jackarandajam's question. Though, like Penpilot said, people employ this technique in different ways.

In my case the zero draft rather 'looks' like a regular draft. It is a narration of the story, with dialogue and action. It is not designed for any reader other than myself because it deliberately avoids most exposition, explanations, much of the detail, and most of the characters' thought processes.

Perhaps a better term for what I am doing might be Half Draft. I intend to add the other half during the next round. It is the process of creating a single draft in two goes.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I would answer in the negative Jackarandajam's question. Though, like Penpilot said, people employ this technique in different ways.

In my case the zero draft rather 'looks' like a regular draft. It is a narration of the story, with dialogue and action. It is not designed for any reader other than myself because it deliberately avoids most exposition, explanations, much of the detail, and most of the characters' thought processes.

Perhaps a better term for what I am doing might be Half Draft. I intend to add the other half during the next round. It is the process of creating a single draft in two goes.

Your Zero Drafts look like my team's outlines. Last one was over 100 pages, this one here, and we're probably going to double that with the current project because hijinks will ensue. When my wife plots and outlines, she does it longhand. Weirdo. Then some things will end up in OneNote and others won't get the chance if I'm really moving along on the drafting. It's why I don't have accurate page counts. The outlines are all over the place. lol

 

[Incanus]

Thanks for sharing that, A E Lowan! Though I can't say exactly why, it is kind of neat to see the image you posted. It might be a little like peeking under the hood of a car to take a look at the engine, a part of the vehicle not normally seen.

I can't make out all the words, and not very much of the top half, but it looks more like a description of a story rather than narration. AKA-an outline. In that sense, my zero draft is different.

I think I will post a similar picture of a page of my notebook, but I'll have to do that tomorrow.

 

[Incanus]

Well, I don't know how to post an image here.

I have a pdf of my page, and a screen shot of the page on my desktop, but that's about as close as I can get it. The insert image function seems to only accept something from the web. Copy/paste doesn't work.

In any event, my page is indistinguishable from a first draft. That's what it looks like.

I'm actually thinking the term 'Zero Draft' may not actually apply to the technique I've been using. I suppose it doesn't matter what it is called as long as it is working.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Well, I don't know how to post an image here.

I have a pdf of my page, and a screen shot of the page on my desktop, but that's about as close as I can get it. The insert image function seems to only accept something from the web. Copy/paste doesn't work.

In any event, my page is indistinguishable from a first draft. That's what it looks like.

I'm actually thinking the term 'Zero Draft' may not actually apply to the technique I've been using. I suppose it doesn't matter what it is called as long as it is working.

Writing is the Olympics of You Do You. You can call your technique the Smurf System, and aside from the nice people in suits who work for whatever studio still owns the Smurfs you'll have a perfectly legitimate name. I call mine the Accordion System. I edit as I go, every single day. Yes, I am crazy.

The Attach Files function is being stupid and has been for the past few months. It's not you, it's that there's something weird with the permissions or something and we haven't yet figured out how to fix it. If it's going to work for you, there will be a small button in the lower left corner just below your chat box.

 

[Incanus]

Well that settles it--it's the Smurf System for me from now on-----

But seriously, I have a question for A E Lowan, or anyone else who uses the long and detailed outline approach. (And I realize in Lowan's case, it is a team of three with each member doing different tasks.)

I'm wondering about what some of us call 'discovery writing'. Does something like that occur when creating a 100-page outline? One reason I'm doing this preliminary draft thingy, is that I wanted to have ample opportunities to let discovery writing take place. I feel like that's an important part of the process.