I've got a few ideas on certain games, and not quite sure how I should go about making the entire story. Should I make stuff as I go, or pre-plan everything? Write it down or keep in your head?

So, what I'm basically asking is how you make the whole story out of some ideas.

I tend to have a basic story in mind and attempt to work with it adapting new things as I design the game... like while making a village you could think, oooh this would be a good place for a quest....and make one up on the spot.. it all depends on your style..

but I do think you should at least have the main plot planned out in your head before you start.

The best way is to type or write down your ideas. To me IT'S the best way to start a game. Coming up with an idea is great and all, but you might
hit a dead-end during the process of making the game. Write down town names, main story events, item names, whatever. As long as you pre-plan it.

I've got the general plot planned out, but a lot of the specifics aren't. I've found that, yes, it's a very good idea to plan everything out first, but it's easier to get the exact specifics down as you go along. Like save the actual dialogue and map layout for when you get to it. For me at least, it's easier to figure out these details when I've got the Maker running in front of me.

I've actually got the majority of my plans memorized, but I've got some things written down in case I forget them, though that usually doesn't happen for me. Usually.

I prefer to only write down things that I don't want to forget like a witty line or a certain type of event that I think would be cool, otherwise I don't write down anything and simply make the game.

It is a lot of fun to use the RPGMs to dream of what you can make, but if your goal is to actually make it, writing things down can take way too long.

EDIT: Also, you'll be waiting forever to come up with the perfect dialogue. I say sculpt your game by writing the dialogue as best you can and then periodically go back and change it little by little to get it just write.

When you write things on paper, you are going to overestimate or underestimate some of the actual effect that only test playing can give you a proper guage on.