That's not to say you should plot out every detail -- leave yourself room to be creative -- but having a plan will help you focus on your topic and provide direction so you don't get eaten by the Writer's Block monster. That would be a tragedy.
Wait! Not so fast, pardner.
Before you begin planning, you should consider the following:
Why are you writing this? What's your agenda? Think about your purpose, and have a goal in mind. If you stop and consider your rationale, you'll be able to better focus and clarify your message.
Who is your audience? Who are you writing for, and why? Is what you are writing of value to them? Know their likes, dislikes, reading-level, and their favorite flavor of ice cream. Mine's chocolate chip.
What are your main points? Not the little details, but the most important, valuable pieces of information you're wanting to pass along. Oh, and know why you want to pass them along -- what makes them important?
Remember that things change. Just because you've planned something out in advance, or you've plotted scenes or written an outline, that does not mean it is unchangeable. Writing should be a natural, creative process, so don't look at planning as a hindrance or a barrier. It is simply a guide. Have fun with it, and keep your mind open.
How should you plan your writing?
There are a number of ways, some more effective than others, all of which depend on your situation (or character):
Think. You don't always have to plot everything out on paper (or in a word-processor). Just thinking through your message and knowing what you're going to say will put you in a better position than most.
Create a list. I've written before about using lists for inspiration, but in this case I'm talking about listing your main points. Write them down in order of importance, then go back through the list and add sub-topics until you have a skeleton of your subject ready to be animated. By then, you'll have the makings of...
An outline. A chronological list of your points. A road map, found most commonly in English classrooms, the function of which is to give you a visual representation of your writing's structure (be it an essay, article, story, whatever). Here's a great resource for creating outlines. Of course, I'm not a big fan of outlines. But if it helps, it helps.
Prototype. Create a very rough draft, something far shorter and far messier than even the first draft of your writing, to see its direction and focus. Jot down things you'll want to say, points you'll want to make, sentences you'll want to use. Give yourself something tangible to look at so it's not all in your head, and arrange it in a logical order.
Software for planning
You could use WordPad. You could use a piece of paper. You could even use cardboard, if that's your thing. But these free programs and websites might be useful when plotting out stories and lengthy papers (not necessarily practical when writing blog posts or shorter works, though):
Freemind. Ever heard of a mind map? Freemind is a java-based program that allows you to easily link thoughts and elements together in a visual arrangement.
incollector. Organize information easily. Also allows you to use tags to link related information.
StorYBook. "StorYBook is a free, open source story writing software for creative writers, novelists and authors that helps to keep the overview over the strands when writing a book, a novel or a story. StorYBook assists you in structuring your book."
Springnote. A free, online notebook for collecting and organizing information.
wikiPad. A notepad program that acts like a wiki, linking related information together.
Off we go!
A lot of writers, especially creative writers, are against planning (or plotting). I understand their argument: knowing what you're going to write may very well ruin the opportunity for creative spontaneity. But, in my opinion, that's only if you have a strangle-hold on your plan, if you don't allow yourself room to play.
It's good to have a plan, but not if you're stubborn about it. As I mentioned before, things change. Plans change. But even if they do change, it's good to know where you're going before you set out on your journey.
Give yourself a heading. And good luck!
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