No matter what genre, story length, or age group you're writing to, all stories must have a plot. For some writers, this may seem like a no-brainer. For others, it doesn't even cross their mind, resulting in pieces posted on Wattpad that don't tell a story. There's nothing there - just bits and pieces of a masterpiece, but never the full picture.
I think that writers underestimate the value of planning out their story. We've been conditioned by the new generation of writers to not plot out our stories for fear of following the clear-cut "writing process" from beginning to end. They tell us that if we plan things out, we may magically lose our zeal for what we're writing - or worse, stop feeling inspired.
I don't think this is true. I was a hardcore pantser up until Alura. Now I land somewhere between a pantser and a planner, but I will say that if I hadn't at least tried a plan, my writing process would be full of grief today. Plans can be good. They can help you stay organized and divide up a long piece into manageable chunks. Moreover, if you have a deadline, they can save you from that pesky writer's block that results from losing your story's direction.
However, I also recognize the danger of planning everything out - you can't possibly know the perfect plot for your story to take right from the onset. During the post-rough draft process, you may end up scrapping the entire plan and starting over. Moreover, some writers feel that it's better to write without a plan so the characters act organically - not according to an outline.
I don't know the right answer for you, since every writer is different. However, I would urge you to try out both styles (having a plan and winging it) before you land on one side or the other. Two years ago, if you'd told me I would be a planner, I would have laughed. Now, I consider my plans a valuable asset to my work. Give both styles a go and see which one helps you write with less stress, which is the goal here.
However, I would offer a provision for all writers, planner or pantser. There are three things a writer should know from the outset of writing their book. The first is the inciting incident - the event in the story that begins building tension between the characters and kicks off the story. The second element is the climax - the breaking point of the tension built up by the rising action.
Finally, you should know how your story ends, so you have a goal to work toward. Everything else can be unknown, and as someone who wrote this way for years, sometimes that's the more fun route to take. We'll discuss all of these elements in this part, but for now, know that they're essential to making sure your story has a plot to begin with.
Try both styles and see what works best for you. In the next chapter, I'll be discussing the elements of plot, which you should make sure your story contains before you publish it for the world to see.