Brief synopsis of what you want to write. 
Will you need to research your topic or is it something you already have knowledge of.

Some are more rigid with an outline before they begin.  I tend to hop around with my story.  I may have a scene in my head that may play out sometime in the middle of the book.  If I have an idea, I write it down.  If I don’t use the scene in that book, I store it for a possible use in another story.

Once I have an idea for a story, I like to pick my names for the characters.  I need to know who they are. Depending on what my story is about, I look for an appropriate name that fits the nationality of the character.  I have a favorite baby book I use called The Best Baby Name Book in the whole wide world by Bruce Lansky. 

For the last names, I have an Irish Clans book, Scottish Clans book and the Internet is great to find surnames and their origin. 

I also like to know what my characters look like?  What do they do for a living? I jot down the information in a notebook. 

Statistics of my character
1.Name
2. Height
3. What does he look like: tall, short, heavy, buffed, thin, etc
4. Color of hair
5. Color of eyes
6. Age
7. Marital status
8. Children
9. Siblings
10. What’s the character's family background?
11. What do they do for a living?
12. Do they have little quirks?  Ex.: the character runs his or hand through her hair when nervous, or she bites her lower lip when she about to lie, etc.
13. Strengths and weaknesses
14. Do they have a favorite saying?

You may not use all the information you jot down, but it gives you a basis where to start.

Good Luck!

Karen