I like to plan out the story ahead of time because I find that I can't write if I don't know where I'm going. That's not to say that things won't change part way through. In fact, I'm often revising the outline as I go because sometimes characters surprise me!
I use beat sheets to help with plotting and pacing so I know where to place "crisis" moments and keep things moving along.
I dabbled in Stine and Pike, but was put off by all the paranormal. Or at least the books I picked up had more paranormal than I wanted to read at the time. Love paranormal now, though!
Thanks, John! Andy is Catholic, but I believe that many people in other religious traditions have similar struggles. I come from an evangelical tradition and spent some time reconciling the religious teachings with the reality of homosexuality. I don't think they're in conflict. Unfortunately, some people disagree with me.