In general, writing little short stories, or in-universe little pieces (article, newspaper text, journal, etc.) is a good way for worldbuilding and plot-enjoying GMs, and honestly for all GMs I think, to let their cool ideas out without making their game pre-written and boring.
Like, you've got an NPC, villain or plot you really find cool? Great, write some foundation for it the players might come across and interact with and don't assume anything they might do. Then, depending on how it's going to come up in play, you can write some stories with your cool NPC that you really enjoy thinking about, either something in the past, some parallel event that the players might hear about (did you hear the weird merchant somehow set that village on fire?), or even more involved stories and adventures if you know the NPC is not going to meet the players or their role has already been fulfilled.
Sometimes you have a very cool idea, you introduce it in play, the players do something unexpected or just don't really grab on it, that's fine. The weird merchant goes on their merry way to his own stories, it gives you a way of venting the things you wanted to do and even things you couldn't have done with your players, a way of building your world a little more. It's like a kind of solo-session for yourself :)
In general, writing little short stories, or in-universe little pieces (article, newspaper text, journal, etc.) is a good way for worldbuilding and plot-enjoying GMs, and honestly for all GMs I think, to let their cool ideas out without making their game pre-written and boring.
Like, you've got an NPC, villain or plot you really find cool? Great, write some foundation for it the players might come across and interact with and don't assume anything they might do. Then, depending on how it's going to come up in play, you can write some stories with your cool NPC that you really enjoy thinking about, either something in the past, some parallel event that the players might hear about (did you hear the weird merchant somehow set that village on fire?), or even more involved stories and adventures if you know the NPC is not going to meet the players or their role has already been fulfilled.
Sometimes you have a very cool idea, you introduce it in play, the players do something unexpected or just don't really grab on it, that's fine. The weird merchant goes on their merry way to his own stories, it gives you a way of venting the things you wanted to do and even things you couldn't have done with your players, a way of building your world a little more. It's like a kind of solo-session for yourself :)