First Draft
First Draft is a feature that helps you get the ball rolling when you don’t know where to begin. Whether you’re working on a novel, blog post, article, or essay, First Draft will generate up to 3000 words based on a prompt you provide—giving you a solid jumping-off point to work from.
It’s intended for that early, idea-spark moment, before you’ve written anything in the document. It’s actually a great way to develop a thin concept into a substantial Brandump so you can get started with Story Bible. First Draft offers a foundation that you can then edit, refine, or build on.
How to use First Draft
First Draft is only useable when your document is completely empty. Here’s how to find it:
- Open a blank document inside any Sudowrite project.
- Click on the More Tools dropdown in the toolbar.
- Select First Draft from the list.
You’ll see a field appear with some example prompts to inspire you below. Just complete that field and click Go!
ICYMI: First Draft is only useable in totally blank documents. It will appear greyed-out in the More Tools dropdown menu if you’re working in a document that you’ve already written in.
For best results from First Draft
The more detail you provide, the better the draft will be. Here are a few tips:
- Fiction? Include character names, settings, and key events.
- Non-fiction? Share the structure or argument you want to make.
- Something else? Mention tone, style, or any specific quirks you’d like to see.
We recommend giving as much detail as you can here. A sentence or two is fine, but a full paragraph is better. As you type, First Draft gives you feedback on how to improve your prompt—think of it as a writing coach guiding you toward a stronger start.
What you can expect from First Draft
Once you submit your prompt, Sudowrite will stream a first draft directly into the editor. The draft is:
- Tailored to the type of content you asked for (fiction or non-fiction)
- Inserted as regular text, ready for immediate editing
- Generated with beautiful sparkles—so you can follow along as it appears!
Whether it’s a moody short story opening or a structured blog article, First Draft gives you something real to react to.
When you should use it
First Draft is perfect if you:
- Don’t know how to start your story or essay
- Want a quick spark of inspiration
- Prefer editing and shaping over generating from scratch
- Need to experiment with tone, structure, or POV without starting from zero
Some common use cases include:
- Fiction scenes and character intros
- Personal essays or blog entries
- Opinion pieces or structured arguments
- Genre-specific prompts like thrillers, romance, or historical fiction