Seeing as I haven't done much creative writing since... well, my freshman year of high school or so (though I'm still meaning to get back into it in general), do you have any general tips?

A bit more specifically (though general advice is welcome), do you have any specific way that you go brainstorming, or good tips about it? (I was hoping to get to programming and the actual writing of that thing I mentioned on the SoA board by spring break, but I'm still wrestling a bit with the main story.)