The Ugly First Draft
Stop starting. Version zero exists so version one can.
Preserved from the original Prompt Vault. The active series restarted with the Semantic Tree Learning Navigator and the YouTube Action Plan.
Copy it
The prompt, ready to paste.
Give me the ugly first draft of [the thing] in sixty seconds. No polish, no hedging. Wrong is fine — blank is not. We'll fix it together.
Replace anything in [brackets] with your real thing. The prompt is deliberately short — resist the urge to pad it.
When and why
When to use it.
Anything you're avoiding starting — the email, the post, the plan.
Why it works
Editing is easier than creating. The blank page is the tax you pay for wanting the first version to be good — asking for an UGLY draft removes the standard entirely, and sixty seconds later you're an editor instead of a starter.
How to run it
The method, step by step.
- Name the thing you’re avoidingThe email, the post, the plan — whatever has been sitting blank.
- Demand ugly, in sixty secondsAsk for the ugly first draft — no polish, no hedging. Wrong is fine; blank is not.
- Fix it togetherNow you’re editing instead of starting. Editing is easier than creating.
From the video
How I actually use it.
Editing is easier than creating. Version zero exists so version one can. The video about this prompt started as an ugly draft.
The video for this one drops on @espoai — the page is live so the prompt is yours already.
Make it yours
The same method, pointed at real situations.
Give me the ugly first draft of an email to [who] about [what] in sixty seconds. No polish, no hedging. Wrong is fine — blank is not. We'll fix it together.
Give me the ugly first draft of a post about [the idea] in sixty seconds. No polish, no hedging. Wrong is fine — blank is not. We'll fix it together.
Give me the ugly first draft of what I'd say to [who] about [the topic] in sixty seconds. No polish, no hedging. Wrong is fine — blank is not. We'll fix it together.
The vault stays open
New prompts, numbered so you can binge them.
Every method gets a video on @espoai and a page here. Subscribe for the next one, or get the weekly email with what I’m actually using.