Brandon, the expression, “whatever works for you” is never more appropriate than in your situation. Do it by the “Brandon method”. Maybe it is post-it notes. Maybe it’s drafting on napkins (another Lynch method). All artists, once they know the basics of craft, do it their way.
I’ve heard great ideas from big names, and they’re all different. David Lynch says “…you get ideas for 70 scenes. Put them on 3-by-5 cards. As soon as you have 70, you have a feature film.” It’s for film, but story is story.
Aaron Sorkin (I took his masterclass) says he lies on a couch and runs through the scene or sequence or act in his head. He doesn’t sit at the computer and start typing until he has something complete, anything from a page to an act. He’ll go to the studio where he works and sometimes, he’s brainstorming in a conference room and other times (full days or weeks) he lies around, and it looks like he’s doing nothing, but he’s watching the movie in his head. (And this guy’s arguably the most successful writer in Hollywood.)
David Mamet (took his masterclass to) says he sits at a table with his character in mind, what he wants, who or what is going to stop him from getting it, and how they fight for it. Primarily one person wants one thing and has to go from A-Z by indirect routes to get it.
James Patterson (in the top couple of the most prolific and wealthiest writers in history) outlines scenes, labelling them 1-X as he goes along. He just writes the story along and doesn’t care how bad or wasted it might seem his time is being spent. He might get to the end and throw the whole thing away and start over, but he eventually arrives at something worth ‘rewriting’ which is what writing really is…rewriting.
These people say things like, “Don’t waste your time on building a bunch of backstory to a character, focus on the emotions and the characters builds themselves.” or “Write every day? I write when I feel well and am in a good mood. Sometimes I write nothing for months. Other times I write from 6:00 a.m. and exhaust myself until 2:00 a.m. the next morning.” Lesson I learned? Whatever works for me.
Once I realized that, my own method emerged and writing became more joyful. It’s still work, but I’m happier and more productive and the writing is so much better (maybe it isn’t, doesn’t matter in end. I love it). Best of luck.