An outline can start as a grocery list of thoughts or ideas that later on the writer lists in order and fleshes out. It's rare for any writer to have an entire novel planned out before starting his first draft, but by having an outline or simple guidelines to follow, she can stay on task. However, some writers may feel trapped by using an outline or possibly afraid to write something different from what they originally had written down. Because of this, writers should keep in mind that an outline is only supposed to be used as a tool, to flesh out a weak idea and make it stronger. It isn't a strict rule.
First drafts are similar to outlines in that they likely aren't as polished as the finished product will become. Authors will take the short notes and bits of plot they've recorded in and outline and fill in the blanks when writing the first draft. If he only outlined conflicts and major turning points, the author may add subplots, new characters or even change the overall time line of events if the story calls for it. The first draft doesn't have to be perfect but should include most conflict points and important bits of information. Anything the author may have missed in the first draft, he can add later on in additional drafts or while editing.
Point of view, or POV for short, is a tool many writers use to move the story forward. For example, a story written in the first person may have just one point of view, the narrator. However, a book that's written in third person such as the books in the "Harry Potter" or "Lord of the Rings" series can have as many points of view as there are characters. The point of view an author decides to use will depend on her story as well as its genre. Some of the most common points of view are the first person, third person and omniscient third person. Unlike first and third person where the thoughts and senses are limited to the character the reader's following, omniscient third person allows both author and reader to bounce from one head to another. This means that the author can go from a bird's eye view of a battle scene to the thoughts and pains of each of her characters.
Sometimes said to take just as long if not longer than the first draft, editing and revising is a tool every writer should use. When working on a draft, a writer sits in the moment, writing as fast as he can before those ideas disappear. During those rushes of information, he may misspell a word, give a character the wrong name or jump around in scenes to fill in any blanks later on. Whatever the writer may have skipped or missed when writing the first, second or third draft, he fills in during the editing phase. Edits can be as simple as correcting spelling errors or as complex as checking the overall voice or feel of the story.