For the writers told their genre doesn't sell

Write without
the inner editor.

Four enforced writing stages — Ideation, First Draft, Flash Fiction, Freeform — that keep you moving forward instead of circling back.

No account needed to try. Sign up free to save and sync.

First Draft mode — your words fade behind you. No rereading, no going back.

Four modes. One rule per stage.

Each mode changes what you're allowed to do — not just what you can see.

Ideation

Follow the prompt.

Each sentence fades as you move to the next. No editing, no going back. Raw thought, one sentence at a time.

  • 15 min timer
  • Sentence-by-sentence
  • Writing prompt included
First Draft

Write forward.

Text turns nearly invisible as you type. You can see the ghost of your last words but you can never go back. Forward momentum, always.

  • 25 min timer
  • Text fades as you go
  • No delete
Flash Fiction

Beat the target.

Set a strict word target (from 100 to 1,500 words). The editor locks automatically when you hit it. Complete daily seeded challenges and share your work.

  • Daily seed challenges
  • Locked-target writing
  • Community showcase
Freeform

Edit when you're ready.

Full editing tools unlock once your draft exists. Version history, readability score, and export all live here.

  • No timer
  • Full editing
  • Version history + readability

Trending Flash Fiction

The highest rated stories from our community daily challenges. Appreciate with Ink and highlight text to critique.

🥇
Flash Fiction

Clocked Out

“The test tomorrow is on the bones of the human body. Know the axial from appendicular, the metatarsals from metacarpals, and know the skull and verte…

by Tony Wittinger

Jun 1496 words

🥈
Flash Fiction

Blackout Dark Sky Territory

Mick drove down the dark highway, dingy yellow light spilled from the truck’s lone headlight. The damp pavement softened the road noise as the truck c…

by Tony Wittinger

Jun 13628 words

🥉
Flash Fiction

Fast Car in The City

The sodium yellow streetlight starbursts through the windshield unexpectedly wake Art. Nicotine stained fingers rub sleep from his eyes as he uncomfor…

by NeonGrittyWit

Jun 15200 words

#4
Flash Fiction

01 Fast Car in The City

The sodium yellow streetlight starbursts through the windshield unexpectedly wake Art. Nicotine stained fingers rub sleep from his eyes as he uncomfor…

by Tony

Jun 15204 words

#5
Flash Fiction

Terrible Reflections

This is stupid. You are stupid, and fat. You are really fat. Just look, wipe the steam off the mirror and look. The roundness, the chicken skin, the s…

by Tony

Jun 15200 words

#6
Flash Fiction

Space Cowboy

Raindrops threaten the desiccated flatlands, scrub brush shiver in the cool breeze. Angry clouds perch above the fortress of basalt, brimming with fur…

by Tony Wittinger

Jun 1497 words

The weekly letter

Next week's challenge, in your inbox.

One challenge, three prompts, and one featured author — written by a fellow writer. See what's inside.

Double opt-in. Unsubscribe in one click, any time. We never share your email.

Built different by design.

Not another focus-mode wrapper. Not an AI assistant. Something different.

No AI. Just your voice.

No suggestions, no autocomplete, no generation. Draftingboard is the anti-AI writing tool — built for writers who want the work to sound like them.

Modes that change the rules, not just the view.

Other apps dim surrounding text and call it focus mode. Draftingboard changes what you're allowed to do per stage — because the rules of writing should change between ideation, drafting, and revision.

Offline-first. Any device.

Works in any browser with or without a connection. Your writing lives on your device first. Sync is optional — and free.

Free to start. No lock-in.

All four modes, folders, kanban board, version history, and cross-device sync are free. You can write indefinitely without paying.

Free to write. Pro to publish.

The writing experience is completely free. Pro unlocks the publishing pipeline.

Free

$0

Forever, no credit card

  • All four writing modes
  • Daily Flash Fiction challenges
  • Folders & document tags
  • Version history — auto + named snapshots
  • Cross-device sync
  • Kanban board
  • Session analytics
  • Readability score in Freeform
  • Markdown export
Start writing free

Pro

$5/mo

Cancel any time

  • Everything in Free
  • Daily word goals & streaks
  • ePub export
  • PDF export
  • Word / .docx export
  • Manuscript compile

Fair questions.

The things writers ask us before they trust us.

Do you use AI on my writing — or train on it?+

No, and no. Draftingboard has no AI generation, no autocomplete, and no suggestions. Your writing is never used to train anything. The prompts and challenges are human-curated.

Is my writing private?+

Yes. Everything you write is private by default. Sharing a piece or publishing to your author page is always an explicit choice you make per piece.

What happens if I lose connection — or you disappear?+

Your writing lives on your device first and syncs when you're online, so offline writing just works. You can export everything as Markdown at any time, free — no lock-in, no hostage data.

Why can't I edit while I draft?+

Because the inner editor is how drafts die. Each mode enforces one rule for one stage — ideate without rereading, draft without deleting, then revise with full tools in Freeform. The constraint is the feature.

What does Pro add?+

The writing experience is free forever — all four modes, sync, version history. Pro adds the publishing pipeline: ePub/PDF/Word export, manuscript compile, and word goals with streaks.

The draft won't write itself.

Open the editor and start now — no account, no setup. Your words stay yours.

Start writing →