Form Upload etc HELP!

I hope I'm in the right section! I'm currently using the free host freehostia.com which has all the tools I need (I think!). I've got that many tutorials etc saved under "Favourites" I can't see the forest for the trees!
I simply (?) want a form on my web site (which I have) so when the user submits the form it goes somewhere and I can then view it and hopefuly one day other users can search and find it too read.
I understand that the form is html, the code is php, the form_handler is php, but what's next. I get the impression that I should also be using mysql but when I log in and look at what's required to set it up, I log out again. And what's ftp (file transfer protocol)? Is that to be used as well? I really do need step by step instructions, it's taken me nine months (on & off) to get this far. If I was a women I could have had a baby by now!
PLEASE HELP. Thanks, Alan.