Let me offer the wisdom of a great philosopher: "Do or do not - there is no 'try.'" You completely overlook the entire point of NaNoWriMo - it is to get people writing. It is not to make a great writer out of them. It is not to get 50,000 words. It is to get them to actually sit down and write. Humans are goal-oriented. For those that have not written extensively before, having a set goal of 50,000 words gives them something to shoot for. You're deeply offended by something that shouldn't effect you so - this is just an activity for most, and when the month is over they'll toy with the product of their hard work and will eventually shelve it. A few might actually realize that they've got what it takes and will either write more or will seek out an education that bolsters what skills they have already developed. But if it were up to you, no one would be able to write unless they were born into it, somehow.

I understand how you see it - as an art. As a graphic artist myself, I know exactly where you're coming from. I see dozens of examples a day of people who claim to be artists but it's obvious that what they do doesn't come from the soul. They rely too heavily on the tools and haven't taken any care to develop the skills that I, with a Bachelor's degree in art, can see is sorely lacking. But I'm glad to see people at least *doing*. Most will remain bad artists. Some will find that something they've done ignites a passion in them and will take the next step. Good for them - we need more people brave enough to do this.

Most of all, NaNoWriMo is simply about getting the ideas out there. I know it's mentioned many times, but you seem to have overlooked it in your zeal to belittle this venture - the point is not to have a finished product in a month, or at 50,000 words. The point is to have something from which to work forward.

What's worst about your position is that it assumes that everyone is exactly like you, that everyone writes like you, and that everyone needs to write for exactly the same reasons you do. I'm actually stunned that a writer today would have such a closed-minded view. I would think that most writers would be happy that people are at least doing something. You're so caught up in the "art" of writing that you're actually offended at the prospect of new people giving it a shot. What harm will it do you?

it gives voice to our unique existence, and in the most selfless form of expression.

Exactly! Why would you want to limit the voices that express their existence? Let the voices speak.

I see writing, creativity, as a great responsibility, a commitment. That we shoulder it individually is a great burden; on the other hand, look what it does to us: it gives voice to our unique existence, and in the most selfless form of expression.

But how can it be so when the emphasis is on quantity, not on quality content, when it embraces the same superficiality the student has already internalized from long TV watching hours, cheap movies, (violent) action video games, and yes - the industry of commercial non-books?

A fellow Tetris fan, right on! Have you ever played Wordtris? Same thing, but you spell words from the dropping letter. Lots of fun with two players. It's one of (my wife and I) our favorite games.

As for the NaNoWriMo thing. I agree with Tom. The first step in writing is to actually write something. One of the biggest writing cliches is all the people we've ever heard say, "If I only had the time, I have this great idea for a novel."

It's like non-writers think writing is such an easy thing to do that on a whim, a weekend trip, they could crank out the next Stephen King novel. Writing publishable fiction isn't easy. Writing publishable non-fiction is much easier, in my opinion, because if you are an expert at something, that expertise can often be saleable in the publishing world. However, one still needs to write something, anything, before the end of the day.

Ideas are nothing until they are acted upon. This 50,000 words might only produce a small fraction of quality material, but it will get those who partake to actually write. Plus I imagine that it will be lots of fun.

I haven't entered it yet and not sure if I will (time's running out), but I think it's great for those who are in it ;)

I don't see this as a game so much as a writing exercise.

My bestfriend plays Wordtris on her comp but she doesn't know where she downloaded it from. I haven't seen it on any console game system but I would love to play if you know where I can get it.

Wordtris is available on the old Super Nintento (SNES) system.

I did a quick search on eBay and didn't see any results, but I've seen it there before going for only a few dollars.

The following place claims to be selling it for 99 cents, but I couldn't actually get to an eBay listing where this could be confirmed.

This place says they have it and are selling it for $24.99 but I think you can find it cheaper if you really look around. If that's the price for a brand new cart in box, then that's not bad though. You can call and ask them more about it if you click the "inquire about this item" button at that page. Maybe they can point you in another direction if they don't have in stock.

Another possibility is your local Electronics Boutique or other videogame chains that sells used software. Lots of them do that these days and some decent deals can be found in those used bins. I'll keep my eyes peeled and if I see it anywhere else online where you can purchase new I'll post about it.

eBay can be a good place to purchase videogames at. We bought an Atari 7800, 4 controllers and 31 games for $25 USD once upon a time there.

I know thats the truth. I have searched for a few of the old titles I am need of. I need Paperboy (I always seem to get outbidded) on Gameboy (original) and NES. I have the original Atari and NES now I have a select amount of games I need to hunt down.

My friend has some version on Wordtris (probably a bootleg) on her computer. I'll have to beat the source out of her. At any rate I still need the Super Mario Brothers 2 and Mike Tyson Punch Out for NES.

You should also play Teris Worlds on 'Station or Gamecube it has four different versions to choose from which are also very addictive.

Thanks for all the relevant responses.

TDavid,
I beg to differ. Writing is the last step in writing - unless it’s a list of supermarket shopping or a similar project.
Actually writing is a long process of growing up while the book is taking shape, consciously or sub-consciously, by the end of which starts to evolve the writing.

Dew,
1.
Who said you should have anybody hug you or be around you when you’re writing? The idea was that if and when you feel too scared to sit and write, a hug might provide the level of support the said program could never attain.
2.
You are “breaking into an open door” as the Hebrew saying goes:
Of course this is how I myself see it. I’m not the USA President or the Israeli Prime Minister, so I’m free to express my views and insights. Have I said anywhere that this is the way You should see or think?
If for a moment I thought that everybody thinks and sees the issues the way I see them, then there would be no reason left to write this post.
3.
I was not aware that there are video games that contribute to one’s art that much. Still, the games discussion does not belong or contribute to the issues at hand. With your and TDavid’s kind permission I’ll have them deleted.

Tom:
1.
Who is that great philosopher?
2.
I was not discussing people, especially so since at least one of them (Phillip) deserves only respect from all of us here...
Some of us might be alchemists and turn gold out of everything. Still, look: lots of good literature has been written for ages, without such a program.
While lots of non-books appear now, aided by all kinds of programs and how-to books and conglomerates who relate to books as to plain merchandise, glorifying Quantity.

It is a given fact that bookstores, especially the large chains, are inundated by so many non-books that the shelf life of a new book, no matter how excellent, gets shorter and shorter - unless it joins the ranks of the "best sellers".
3.
The goal is to get people writing?
Fine. Then why delude them that they're going to write a novel, why allure them with such profound goals as, You'll be able to mention it at parties, etc. - expressed with or without tongue in cheek.

I'm also goal oriented.
My goal is to build an airspace.
I'm just too busy with my own craft and cannot afford to give it more than thirty days. I don't know much about airspaces, but I would like to give it a try.
Easy done.
I'll join a program, sit at my bench and join together meticulously fifty thousands scrapes of wood and metal I've been collecting, two thousand a day, and by the end of the month I'll have something to allude to mysteriously at late-night parties.
4.
To get people writing?
Fine, but then why not fifty words a day, one page, one paragraph?

What I abhor is this obsession with quantity.

Literature, even letter writing, is about quality, as all Art is. It gives expression to contemporary ideas and feelings, translating Life into Heritage.
Are non-books the modern Heritage?
This glorification of matter over essence is what I find offensive to Literature, to Creativity.
Not to myself in person.
5.
You are greatly mistaken in hastily concluding that if it were for me, no one will write unless they were born into it.
It might be that you've never visited yet my multilingual website.

For eleven years I’ve been running in Israel two artists colonies I’ve founded “with my ten fingers”, where committed artists and writers from Israel and from abroad were enabled to devote time to their craft, and also contribute to the local Arab and Jewish communities in cultural and educational programs meant to help co-existence through the teaching of art and writing.

In person, I would like to live in a society that appreciates values over pretenses and cherishes Humanity’s heritage.
It could be a much better and a more beautiful world to live in.
If it were for me.
6.
As for the worst assumption, Tom, I do not know how you’ve reached such a misunderstanding – that I would like everybody to write like me.
But you know what? In a sense it could have been a great relief to have another person, and one would be enough, write like me. Just think of all this heavy burden of carrying Israeli Humanity Heritage on my brittle shoulders.

Then, by God, I’ll be able to join the said program, or just leave my unhappy country for thirty days on the beaches of sunny Greece… Thirty days will suffice.

Afterwards, maybe I’ll feel encouraged to into the habit…