That's right, it's that time of the year, for National Novel Writing Month!
NaNoWriMo is simple but epic. Your challenge is to write 50000 words of original novel in the month of November. All it has to be is your own work, whether you go over, whether you finish your story doesn't matter. It can be total crap that you write, but this is one activity where you really get out what you put in, so it doesn't matter!
This is for people who have thought "gee I want to write a novel" but never quite got the pluck to do it. Just join up, find your local writers or team up with your writing buddies and let the infectious spirit of peer pressure propel you to literary win!
I myself participated in 2007 (and succeeded), and, against my better judgment, have thrown in the gauntlet for 2008.