diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/articleView.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/articleView.tsx
index 9044699..c01e31e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/articleView.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/articleView.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react"
-import { ExternalLink, Search, Pencil, Plus, Trash2, X, ChevronFirst, ChevronLast, ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Undo2, Copy, Check } from "lucide-react"
+import { ExternalLink, Search, Pencil, Plus, Trash2, X, ChevronFirst, ChevronLast, ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Undo2, Copy, Check, TrendingUp } from "lucide-react"
 import { Link, useNavigate } from "react-router-dom"
 import { articleUrl } from "../auth/urls"
 import { useApiFetch } from "../hooks/useApiFetch"
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ type ArticleStatus = "Published" | "Scheduled" | "Draft" | "Archived"
 type ArticleItem = {
   id: string
   title: string
+  excerpt: string
   authors: string
   status: ArticleStatus
   date: string
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ type ArticleItem = {
 type ApiArticle = {
   id: number
   title: string
+  excerpt?: string
   slug: string
   status: string
   published_date?: string
@@ -211,6 +213,8 @@ function ArticleView({ pageTitle = "Articles", fixedType, excludeType }: Article
   const [deleteError, setDeleteError] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [deletingArticleId, setDeletingArticleId] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [copiedArticleId, setCopiedArticleId] = useState<string | null>(null)
+  const [promotingArticleId, setPromotingArticleId] = useState<string | null>(null)
+  const [promotedArticleId, setPromotedArticleId] = useState<string | null>(null)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     writeSessionJSON(uiStateKey, {
@@ -483,6 +487,7 @@ function ArticleView({ pageTitle = "Articles", fixedType, excludeType }: Article
         const items = (payload.articles ?? []).map((item) => ({
           id: String(item.id),
           title: item.title,
+          excerpt: item.excerpt ?? "",
           authors: (item.authors ?? [])
             .map((author) => (author.name ?? "").trim())
             .filter((name) => name.length > 0)
@@ -616,6 +621,35 @@ function ArticleView({ pageTitle = "Articles", fixedType, excludeType }: Article
     setDeleteError("Could not copy the link. Your browser blocked clipboard access.")
   }
 
+  // The developing story is a copy, not a reference: the rail is keyed on the
+  // title, so it keeps saying what it said even if the article is retitled or
+  // never published.
+  const addToDevelopingStories = async (item: ArticleItem) => {
+    if (promotingArticleId) return
+
+    setDeleteError(null)
+    setPromotingArticleId(item.id)
+    try {
+      const response = await apiFetch("/v1/developing-stories", {
+        method: "POST",
+        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ title: item.title, description: item.excerpt ?? "" }),
+      })
+      if (response.status === 409) {
+        throw new Error(`"${item.title}" is already a developing story.`)
+      }
+      if (!response.ok) {
+        throw new Error(`Could not add to developing stories (${response.status})`)
+      }
+      setPromotedArticleId(item.id)
+      setTimeout(() => setPromotedArticleId((current) => (current === item.id ? null : current)), 1500)
+    } catch (err) {
+      setDeleteError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Could not add to developing stories.")
+    } finally {
+      setPromotingArticleId(null)
+    }
+  }
+
   const deleteArticle = async (item: ArticleItem) => {
     if (!item.slug || deletingArticleId) return
     const shouldDelete = window.confirm(`Move "${item.title}" to trash?`)
@@ -966,6 +1000,17 @@ function ArticleView({ pageTitle = "Articles", fixedType, excludeType }: Article
                           {copiedArticleId === item.id ? <Check className="w-4 h-4" /> : <Copy className="w-4 h-4" />}
                         </button>
                       )}
+                      {activeTab !== "trash" && (
+                        <button
+                          className="p-1.5 rounded-lg text-muted-foreground hover:text-primary hover:bg-primary/10 transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed"
+                          disabled={promotingArticleId === item.id}
+                          onClick={() => void addToDevelopingStories(item)}
+                          title="Add to developing stories"
+                          type="button"
+                        >
+                          {promotedArticleId === item.id ? <Check className="w-4 h-4" /> : <TrendingUp className="w-4 h-4" />}
+                        </button>
+                      )}
                       <button
                         className="p-1.5 rounded-lg text-muted-foreground hover:text-primary hover:bg-primary/10 transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed"
                         disabled={!item.slug}
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/developingStoriesView.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/developingStoriesView.tsx
index 30c8b7c..fd9f056 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/developingStoriesView.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/developingStoriesView.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react"
 import type { FormEvent } from "react"
-import { Plus, Trash2, RefreshCw, Pencil, Check, X } from "lucide-react"
+import { Plus, Trash2, RefreshCw, Pencil, Check, X, FileText } from "lucide-react"
+import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom"
 import { useApiFetch } from "../hooks/useApiFetch"
 
 type DevelopingStory = {
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ async function readErrorMessage(res: Response, fallback: string) {
 
 function DevelopingStoriesView() {
   const apiFetch = useApiFetch()
+  const navigate = useNavigate()
   const [stories, setStories] = useState<DevelopingStory[]>([])
   const [newStoryTitle, setNewStoryTitle] = useState("")
   const [newStoryDescription, setNewStoryDescription] = useState("")
@@ -121,6 +123,15 @@ function DevelopingStoriesView() {
     }
   }
 
+  // Hands the story to the article editor as a starting point. Keeping the
+  // title identical is what later lets the homepage rail link the story to the
+  // article, since the rail matches on the slug derived from the title.
+  const writeArticle = (story: DevelopingStory) => {
+    const params = new URLSearchParams({ title: story.title })
+    if (story.description) params.set("excerpt", story.description)
+    navigate(`/articles/new?${params.toString()}`)
+  }
+
   const deleteStory = async (title: string) => {
     if (!confirm(`Delete developing story "${title}"?`)) return
 
@@ -288,6 +299,15 @@ function DevelopingStoriesView() {
                           <Pencil className="w-4 h-4" />
                         </button>
                       )}
+                      <button
+                        type="button"
+                        onClick={() => writeArticle(story)}
+                        className="p-1.5 rounded-lg text-muted-foreground hover:text-primary hover:bg-primary/10 transition-colors"
+                        title="Write the article"
+                        disabled={isSaving}
+                      >
+                        <FileText className="w-4 h-4" />
+                      </button>
                       <button
                         type="button"
                         onClick={() => deleteStory(story.title)}
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.test.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.test.tsx
index f4efd61..a1fc356 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.test.tsx
@@ -147,6 +147,16 @@ describe("EditArticleView autosave", () => {
     vi.useRealTimers()
   })
 
+  it("seeds a new article from the developing story that sent the editor here", async () => {
+    await renderEditor(
+      "/articles/new?title=Title%20IX%20Coordinator%20departs%20suddenly&excerpt=Blaze%20Bowers%20departs%20the%20office.",
+      "/articles/new",
+    )
+
+    expect(screen.getByLabelText("Title")).toHaveValue("Title IX Coordinator departs suddenly")
+    expect(screen.getByLabelText("Excerpt")).toHaveValue("Blaze Bowers departs the office.")
+  })
+
   it("does not publish a draft when the editor only selects Publish now", async () => {
     const user = await renderEditor()
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.tsx
index 6194d83..fac5443 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/editArticleView.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { lazy, Suspense, useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react"
 import type { KeyboardEvent } from "react"
 import { ArrowLeft, Save, Image, Search, X, Copy, Check, RefreshCw, Plus } from "lucide-react"
-import { useNavigate, useParams } from "react-router-dom"
+import { useNavigate, useParams, useSearchParams } from "react-router-dom"
 import { useApiFetch } from "../hooks/useApiFetch"
 import { articleUrl } from "../auth/urls"
 import TrixEditor from "../components/TrixEditor"
@@ -270,6 +270,9 @@ function EditArticleView() {
   const navigate = useNavigate()
   const apiFetch = useApiFetch()
   const { id: rawID, slug: rawSlug } = useParams<{ id?: string; slug: string }>()
+  // Set when the editor arrived from a developing story, which hands over the
+  // headline and blurb it was already carrying.
+  const [searchParams] = useSearchParams()
   const slug = useMemo(() => (rawSlug ? decodeURIComponent(rawSlug) : ""), [rawSlug])
   const articleID = useMemo(() => (rawID && /^\d+$/.test(rawID) ? rawID : ""), [rawID])
   const articleQuery = articleID ? `?id=${encodeURIComponent(articleID)}` : ""
@@ -303,8 +306,8 @@ function EditArticleView() {
   const [lockedBy, setLockedBy] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [lockChecking, setLockChecking] = useState(false)
 
-  const [title, setTitle] = useState("")
-  const [excerpt, setExcerpt] = useState("")
+  const [title, setTitle] = useState(() => (isNew ? searchParams.get("title") ?? "" : ""))
+  const [excerpt, setExcerpt] = useState(() => (isNew ? searchParams.get("excerpt") ?? "" : ""))
   const excerptRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null)
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/server/internal/routes/routes.go b/server/internal/routes/routes.go
index 3f4b4eb..3201a95 100644
--- a/server/internal/routes/routes.go
+++ b/server/internal/routes/routes.go
@@ -146,9 +146,9 @@ func Register(mux *http.ServeMux, conn *sql.DB, verifier *oidc.IDTokenVerifier,
 	mux.Handle("POST /v1/polls/{id}/options", authMW(handlers.PostPollRecordOption(conn)))
 	mux.Handle("PATCH /v1/polls/{id}/options/{option_id}", authMW(handlers.PatchPollRecordOption(conn)))
 	mux.Handle("DELETE /v1/polls/{id}/options/{option_id}", authMW(handlers.DeletePollRecordOption(conn)))
-	mux.Handle("POST /v1/developing-stories", authMW(adminOnly(handlers.PostDevelopingStory(conn))))
-	mux.Handle("PUT /v1/developing-stories", authMW(adminOnly(handlers.PutDevelopingStory(conn))))
-	mux.Handle("DELETE /v1/developing-stories", authMW(adminOnly(handlers.DeleteDevelopingStory(conn))))
+	mux.Handle("POST /v1/developing-stories", authMW(handlers.PostDevelopingStory(conn)))
+	mux.Handle("PUT /v1/developing-stories", authMW(handlers.PutDevelopingStory(conn)))
+	mux.Handle("DELETE /v1/developing-stories", authMW(handlers.DeleteDevelopingStory(conn)))
 	mux.Handle("PATCH /v1/settings/site", authMW(adminOnly(handlers.PatchSiteSettings(conn))))
 	mux.Handle("PATCH /v1/settings/seo", authMW(adminOnly(handlers.PatchSEOSettings(conn))))
 	mux.Handle("PATCH /v1/settings/breaking-news", authMW(adminOnly(handlers.PatchBreakingNews(conn))))