The first draft.
The idea is scary for most. The image of a blank page is daunting, but essential for any project. It's usually trash with run-on sentences, typos, and confusing phrases.
All of that is okay, though. A first draft's only purpose is to lay out the full story.
I wouldn't compare it to a rough draft or an outline because those tend to be simplistic in nature. A rough draft may be a fraction of the story with more summary than actual prose. An outline only plots the structure. There are no dramatic scenes needing to be dialed back or ramped up. Both can be helpful, but they fall flat compared to the importance of a first draft, which will still have flaws—probably many flaws. But a first draft is your story completed, with all the plot you want, and the character arcs basically fleshed out.

The first draft’s entire purpose is to be written. If you find gold in it even better, but that’s the easy, boring part. Polishing the less pretty pieces until they shine like diamonds is where I find the most joy. To explain further, the first draft gives you a baseline to work from. You can adjust, knowing what's written instead of an arbitrary idea of where the story is going. You know character decisions and how the antagonist will act. The transitions are there for you to play with and off of. There is less guesswork. It’s a crucial part of any story. Until your story is on paper, it’s just an idea you can toy with and change.
It’s almost like drawing in pen as opposed to pencil. You've created the confines you can work in, making it a more concrete thought. This may make more sense for a panster than a plotter, but, even if the story is fully plotted, the words haven’t been written and the story is still an idea instead of a tangible document you can read. That's not to say there isn't work to be done. A first draft may have all the story elements and ideas you want but they aren't finished. The polish is missing.

Plot holes will be visible once it's finished, 2d characters will become more obvious, and the skimmed over sections you rushed to through can be gone over properly. There may be notes to yourself, unfinished thoughts, simple statements lacking description, and bland dialog. You may even change entire chapters from the first draft to the finished product.
Again, all of this is okay.
Perfection comes from work. Remember, step one is to finish the story. It’s a crucial and overlooked step. The ideas in your head may be finished, but, until it’s on paper, the story is incomplete. The relief of reaching the end and seeing the story in its entirety is such a boost to confidence. You can finally say ‘I did it.’ An analogy I like to use is a puzzle where all the pieces are lined up but not clicked into place. The image is there, and you can begin working the pieces in.
You don't need it to be perfect. That is for the editing process.
Happy writing.
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