You will need to estimate the time required for each activity and the logical sequence. It is important that dependencies are included in your plan so that the logic remains even if activities move. A dependency is a link between two or more activities. Because scheduling is an iterative process, there is a definite advantage to using a PC based application when a project has many activities. The worst thing that you can do is stick it in a drawer or on the wall and never look at it.
Planning is just the beginning of the project management process.
You need to track actual progress against the baseline plan and assess where you are at regular intervals. Like the WBS, there are very formal ways of comparing budgeted work and costs to actual work accomplished and the cost of that work. On smaller projects a lot can be learned by looking at scheduled activities at regular intervals and estimating the percent complete. Investigating activities that are not started or completed on time can bring to light many problems with the execution of the project. Reviewing project status regularly allows you the opportunity to develop strategies to keep the project on track.