The writing proccess?

After working on my novel outline that I was having difficulty with for several hours over the weekend, I finally submitted it, but I have just determined that it completely sucks, and as a result I am going to write a new outline and try to create a more interesting story with better characters and perhaps give myself something to work with for the rest of the semester. I now know why every time I was given the option in Creative Writing 1 to pick between 12 poems or 1 short story, I picked the poems. I am a poet! Novels aren't my thing, but I'm going to give it a shot and try to make it good. Since I have to submit a manuscript to a publisher at the end of the semester, I really don't want to create something weak and embarrassing. I have considered doing the novel as either a historical or future situation. I am more likely to pick future, since I am more comfortable with a future character changing than I am with anything changing in the modern or historical perspectives.