People who ALWAYS wanted to write a novel and should actually, maybe, do so.

So, I am challenging my beloved husband (Hi, Lee) and another friend to finish the novels they have never started. I'm giving them the following questions which I want them to fill out and save without showing them to me... these are sort of a compilation of the best elements of all the creative writing class sheets I've made, the ones I've gotten from writers at conferences, etc.

Things to think about when planning a novel
What is your story in two or three sentences?

What makes this story fresh/unique?

Character Questions I’m using he generically. 
What does your character want? (goal)
What is keeping him from getting it? (conflict)
What is driving him to keep going for that goal? (motivation)

What is the internal conflict?
What is the external conflict?

If they don’t already work together, (I envision the different types of conflict as clockwork cog thingies) how can you make the internal and external conflict work together against your protagonist to make the goal harder to achieve, to force him to change and ultimately to force him to become stronger in the way that will save the day/resolve the conflict?

What makes your character get out of bed in the morning?

What does he love more than anything that could alternate as a strength or a weakness?

How will your character change throughout the story?
Use these questions on protagonist/antagonist/secondary characters when you are ready to do so.

My next assignment to these two deep thinking non writers (both are well read and both are well versed in variety of story-telling venues, movies, television, short stories, novels of all types) is to simply write 3-5 pages. Don't stress about them. Don't worry at this point over voice, imagery, vocabulary, etc. Just get something on paper and we'll see what we can do with it.

This is an interesting project. I'll let you know how it works out.