Even in the murkiness, you can see more clearly the shape of my house-shaped shed. The Steves have had to make a few adjustments, lowering the foundations so that the finished structure will be within height regulations - the literary equivalent is making sure that your story will work within the conventions you have chosen for it. There's no point in setting out to write a thriller if there is no element of mystery in your plot. By checking things thoroughly at this stage, they have (fingers crossed) pre-empted problems later.
There are endless debates about how much advanced planning you have to do as a writer: whether setting everything in stone (or concrete) restricts your inspiration or offers it valuable support, but my hunch is that it is helpful to have an idea of the direction you are heading in, at the very least.
In terms of creating your story, perhaps you should be jotting down a few notes (or simply thinking) about any characters which interest you (and why). It might also be helpful to start letting a few ideas about their situation float to the surface. WHATEVER you do, DON'T start writing yet - just let everything ferment.
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