Draft Zero Development

You wrote it once and it fell apart. Let's build the foundation so it stands this time.

Some books fail at the draft stage, not because the author can't write, but because the foundation wasn't there. The world didn't hold together. The plot had gaps that no revision could fix. The structure couldn't support the story's weight.

Draft Zero Development is for authors who've already written a draft that didn't work and need to rebuild from the ground up before writing again. This isn't editing—there's no draft to edit yet. This isn't pure coaching—you need more than questions. This is stress-testing your ideas against your story's logic until you have a foundation that holds.

You bring the ideas and the raw material. I stress-test them—what holds together, what breaks, what's missing. You make every decision. I make sure those decisions don't collapse under pressure.

I specialize in speculative fiction—fantasy, paranormal romance, romantasy, supernatural thriller, and gothic fiction. If your book has worldbuilding, magic systems, or complex fictional infrastructure, we're likely a good fit.

Who This Is For

Authors who finished a draft that didn't work and don't fully understand why

Authors with a trunk novel they can't let go of but can't fix through revision alone

Authors who pantsed a book and lost the thread somewhere in the middle

Authors with rich ideas but no system to hold them together

Authors who need worldbuilding, plot architecture, or story logic stress-tested before rewriting
Authors who want a thinking partner who will push back, not just nod along

What This Isn't

Developmental editing (there's no working draft to edit—we're building what comes before)
Pure book coaching (I stress-test and build frameworks alongside you, not just facilitate your thinking)
Ghostwriting (you still write the book; I help you build what you're writing from)
A quick fix (foundation work takes time)
Line editing or copyediting (that comes later, after you have a draft that works)

Foundation Partnership (Monthly)

For authors who need ongoing collaboration to rebuild their story's architecture.

The transformation: By the end of our work together, you'll have a story foundation solid enough to write from with confidence—worldbuilding that holds together under pressure, plot architecture that supports the weight of your narrative, and a clear understanding of what broke the first time and why it won't break again.

What's Included:

60-minute sessions (frequency based on tier)
Between-session development work: I review whatever materials you submit—outlines, worldbuilding documents, character notes, plot sketches, draft chapters—and stress-test them against story logic. You receive written feedback before each session—the depth of work scales to what your project needs at each stage. You maintain your documents; I respond to each iteration.
Session summary and next steps after each meeting
Email support for questions between sessions

  
      Tier
      Sessions/Month
      Investment
    
      Foundation
      2
      $600/month
    
      Foundation Extended
      3
      $850/month
    
      Foundation Intensive
      4
      $1,100/month

Minimum 2-month commitment, then month-to-month. Payment is due on the 1st of each month.

60-Minute Single Session: $325

For authors who need focused help on a specific element—a worldbuilding problem, a plot hole, a structural question—or want to explore whether Foundation Partnership is the right fit.

You send materials in advance. I review, prepare feedback, and come ready to work. Includes a written summary of our discussion and next steps.

How We Work Together

You bring the ideas. I stress-test them.

Before sessions, I dig into what you've shared—your worldbuilding, your plot threads, your character dynamics. I look for what holds together and what breaks under pressure. I identify gaps you might not see because you're too close to the material. I build frameworks and ask hard questions.

In sessions, we work through it together. You react to what I've found. You make decisions. You shape the direction. My job is to make sure those decisions don't create problems three chapters (or three hundred pages) down the line.

Some authors need to know the ending before they can build toward it. Others need to discover the story as they go. We figure out how your brain works best, then work that way.

Process Overview

Discovery

You share a brief overview: what your book is about, what you think went wrong, and what you're hoping to achieve
Free 30-minute consultation to determine if we're right for each other
If we're a good match, you send full materials and we begin

The Work

I review and identify what's working, what's not holding, and what's missing
We identify which systems need building first (world? plot? characters? all three?)
Sessions: We review together, you react and refine, and we solve problems
Your foundation documents grow as we work

Deliverables

By the end of our work together, you'll have:

Your worldbuilding bible, stress-tested for internal consistency and gaps
Your plot/structure documentation, pressure-checked and holding weight
Your character system with verified arcs, relationships, and motivations
Any specialized systems your story requires, tested against your story's logic (magic, factions, politics, timeline)
Clear understanding of what broke the first draft and why it won't break this one
Documents ready to write from—you're ready to draft again, this time with architecture beneath you

Administrative Policies

- Monthly partnerships: due on the 1st of each month
- Single sessions: invoiced after session
- Mid-month starts prorated accordingly
- Submit materials at least 3 business days before your session. The earlier, the deeper I can go.
- Materials can include: outlines, worldbuilding notes, character sketches, plot summaries, drafts of specific sections—whatever is relevant to where we are in the process
- If you submit more than I can work through deeply before our session, we'll prioritize together—what needs attention first?
- One 30-day pause with 2 weeks' notice
- Termination: 30-day notice required; no refunds for the current month
- Non-response: After 14 days without communication, services pause until contact resumes
- Email response within 3 business days
- Session recordings available upon request
- A 24-hour notice is required to reschedule without losing the session
- Missed sessions without notice are forfeited

FAQ

It depends on how much needs building. Simpler projects might need 2-3 months. Complex fantasy with worldbuilding, magic systems, and multiple POVs might need 4-6 months or longer. We'll assess during discovery.
Send whatever is relevant to where we are in the process. Some sessions need 25 pages of worldbuilding; some need a 5-page outline. The depth of my work scales to what the material needs, not how many pages it is. If you're ever unsure, ask—I'd rather help you prioritize than have you hold back.
That happens. Sometimes the foundation work reveals that the story you need to tell is different from the one you tried to tell. That's not failure—that's the process working. We adjust.
Sometimes, yes. Once certain elements are solid, you might start drafting sections while we continue building other parts. We'll discuss when that makes sense for your project.

You write. If you want support during drafting, developmental editing is available separately. Or you write independently and return when you have a draft ready for editing.
I also offer developmental editing for drafts in progress—same process, same rates. Reach out and we'll figure out what you need.
It's adjacent. Traditional book coaching focuses on facilitating the author's thinking through questions. Draft Zero Development is more hands-on: I stress-test ideas, identify structural problems, and build frameworks alongside you. You still make every decision—but I'm doing more than asking questions.

Ready to Rebuild?

If you've got a draft that didn't work and you're ready to figure out why—and build something that will—reach out. We'll start with a free 30-minute consultation to see if this is the right fit.