A nugget of wisdom I found in a book I am greatly enjoying.
Talking about a short story published in 189, the author says she used it to “get a feeling” for a setting she’d later develop in a series of novels, and to try and develop the kind of character that would later appear in one of those novels.

It’s a scheme I heartily recommend. Get paid developing the ideas for your novels!

Indeed, it seems to be an excellent idea, and I have used it in the past, without really knowing.
I’ll have to write more stories, and use them to explore a few of the ideas I’ve here simmering.