PLOTTING
Some people find plotting easy. Some -like myself- find it hellish. Some don't bother. There are heaps of ways to plot your novel or short story, and even more ways to modify the normal ways to suit your personality and writing style. I can set down some methods, but it's up you to find one that suits you, or one you can modify to suit you. You really just have to experiment. I will say that I think it would be impossible to write a novel without writing down at least a few guidelines, if nothing else, but thats just my opinion.
Thirteen Prime Plot Principles
Outline Your Plot In Thirty Minutes - ** Must-See **
The Top Ten Plotting Problems

Brainstorming
Starting Small And Building A Plot

Mindmap / List

Index Cards
Plotting Under Pressure - ** Must-See **

Letting it brew

Playing 'What If?'

Synopsis As Plot / Sentence by Sentence
Plotting Without Fears




Plotting Links
How to stop padding, and Plot!
Parts of a plot
Basic Plots In Literature
The Plot Is Not The Story - Excellent Article
Basic Plotting for Science Fiction - Is aimed at sci-fi writers, but would be a good read for an author in any genre.
Novel Pre-Writing Workshop