Very simple help with MS Project please

I would like to know if anyone has figured out something very straightforward.
When I enter tasks in the Gantt chart view, can I make them come one after another as I enter them?
By default, all tasks are entered for today. I do not want all of my tasks to be for today, I would like them to be sequential.

Any advice would be sincerely appreciated, as this simple usability issue is the difference between this being a good solution for the needs of our team and it being a tedious operation.

Many thanks
Ed