(Photo by Jenny W.) If you're dying to write the next great novel, then this is the month for you. November happens to be National Novel Writing Month, a fast and furious sprint to pump out a 175-page book -- that's 50,000 words. NaNoWriMo began in San Francisco in 1999 by Chris Baty and 21 friends. By last year, nearly 60,000 scribblers worldwide signed on, with almost 10,000 completing their novels. This project is about output over quality. These proto-novelists whip out horror tales, chick lit, and fantasy yarns with equal gusto. And with hordes of fellow writers taking up the challenge, you don't have to be in a room alone. Part of the attraction of NaNoWriMo is the community it builds around the event. Whether in online forums, over the airwaves, or in cafés, writers depend on one another for advice and support. If you fancy yourself a wordsmith, then turn off the Internet, ditch the grocery list, and stow the vacuum. You have to write 1,667 words (about six pages) a day to keep pace. You'd better get started. Suggested Sites... National Novel Writing Month - sign up and get cranking. Plot-o-Matic - get a jump start on that plot. Chris Baty Interview - a chat with the instigator of this wild month of writing. It Was a Dark and Stormy Month... - blow-by-blow look at what it takes to write a novel in a month. NaNoWriMo on NPR - 2002 interview with Baty on exposing your inner novelist.

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