Hi, Robin!
Thanks for dropping by. I'm glad to be of help.
I personally do not write an outline, but I do have an idea of where I need to be at various points in my manuscript.

For example, with The China Conspiracy, I started with the plotline. I was shooting for approximately 40 chapters (there are 43). I knew one problem with longer books is the middle seems to drag. So I set a goal of having what could in itself be a climactic scene in the middle of the book; then the book veers into a different, unexpected course of events. Because it dealt with a new Virginia governor, I knew the final, climactic scene had to occur as the governor was being sworn in - January 20. That set the stage for when the events happened. So I developed a timeline.

So, my anwer is, I don't actually do a complete outline, because that takes the spontaneity out of the characters (for me). But I did have a good idea of where I wanted to be at different parts of the book.

By the way, speaking of timelines, if you want a real page turner, have the events happen in as short a time as possible. Did you ever see the movie "Three Days of the Condor" (starring Robert Redford, at the height of his box office fame). It was actually based on a book called "Six Days of the Condor". The director thought it would turn things up a notch if the action occurred in half the time - and he was right.