One important aspect is having a clear understanding of the project scope first. If you start writing user stories too early, without a full grasp of what the product should do, the stories may be inaccurate or incomplete. Also, it's good to time it after initial market research. This way, you can factor in user needs and expectations that you've discovered. Another factor is when the development team is ready to start working on them. If they're swamped with other tasks, it might be better to wait until they can give proper attention to the user stories.
Timing for writing user stories is crucial. Firstly, it should be when there is enough information about the user personas. If you don't know who your users are, what their goals are, and how they will interact with the product, the user stories will lack depth. It's also important to time it when there is a stable product backlog structure. This helps in placing the user stories in the right context within the overall project. Moreover, if there are any changes in the technology stack or external dependencies, it's better to wait until those are sorted out before writing user stories. Otherwise, you may end up with stories that are not feasible to implement.
The right time to write user stories often depends on the availability of stakeholders. When key stakeholders like product owners, users, and developers can come together, it's a good time. For example, if the product owner has just finalized the high - level product vision, that's a great time to start writing user stories. Because the overall direction is clear, and the details can be filled in through the user stories. Additionally, it should be timed in line with the development cycle. For instance, writing them just before a sprint planning meeting can ensure they are fresh in everyone's minds and relevant to the upcoming work.