Write Away

I am so, so very bad at art, but I sometimes make Sims of characters, or build the impression of a setting. Bonus points in that sometimes the game's AI leads to plot! Building a set, as it were, can help me keep track of positions, say, at a crime scene, or remembering how a room is laid out, which helps a lot with continuity and consistency.

Usually, I just do thorough descriptions in an outline. If I tried drawing anything, it would just make me more confused.

It is so helpful for a character to have a defined set of physical traits! If they have a real-looking face in my head, I can start thinking about how different expressions would look to the other characters, or about how this one guy's forehead wrinkles when he's frustrated. I end up having a lot more character in my characters when I can picture them clearly.