A question in short(s).

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

Any of you writers out around here who use outlines, could you help me with figuring out just what I'm looking for in one. I've never written an outline for a novel, let alone much of anything else. I'm not much of an outline person but I need to write one for this collaborative novel I'm working on. Thanks.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

when I outline, I just make a list of events that are going to happen.
That list, however, is made from a series of questions I ask myself about what I already know is in going into the story. Those questions deal with the consequences of the known factors, why those factors are important, how I want to let the reader know about them, etc.

[Oseleon]

I have to be careful not to pour too much time into an outline.  
I'll start with an outline of events... but then get into Charicter backgrounds, history of the surrounding lands, concepts of the technology introduced, Etemology of the foreign names, etc...
Before you know it, I have a 20+ Pages of a compendium and no story... and by that time the flavor has left me and I loose my desire to write the actual story.  
I guess I was raised on too much Tolkien

This is why I have yet to publish anything of my own and spend my efforts helping my Father's research.  History is much easier to deal with.

[The Lost One]

I find that an outline helps to determine where to start, where to end, and some what is in the middle. I find outlining very useful as long as it doesn't interfer with what you are trying to help. My suggestion is outline the main parts but be flexible enough to change it if needed.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Yeah, generally I ask those questions so I know where I need to get to. How I get there will probably change a lot. Sometimes even the goal does, but it's nice to be shooting for something.