Eden Lit Is "March"ing On and Getting Things Started « Culture

"There’s an awful temptation to just keep on researching. There comes a point where you just have to stop, and start writing."

— David McCullough

Eden Lit March Meeting: Getting Started

Eden Lit met at its usual time of 4 pm on March 11,2013 to discuss how the heck to face that blank piece of paper or the ever so white computer screen. You've done all your research, mapped out your plot, designed some great scenery, and fleshed out some amazing characters; so how do you put it all together and write that first amazing sentence?

As writers, we have all stared at a blank page, even if it's only a review page, and wondered how the heck to begin. What do you say to captivate and titillate your reader? How do you begin to show someone else what is in your brain? Why is it that the first sentence seems to be the hardest to write?

Check out the meeting forum to see how SneakersandPearls, Stormy, myself and Rayne handle this thorny subject. Along the way, we gave some really helpful tips and strategies for just getting started.

Weird Sex Fact For March

"Sperm contains proteins that have the same anti-wrinkle effect as your moisturizer, which tighten skin and give an instant face-lift."
So, your man IS correct, he is a facial in a cuter package than most face creams!

Spotlight Author For March

Our spotlight author this month is Ron Ronald. He started by listening to an acquaintance talk about strippers. Our lucky Ron actually knows a stripper and he decided to see if "Dale's" assumptions about strippers were correct.

Here's an excerpt from Ron Ronald's The World According To Dale:

Some of the things Dale says makes me laugh and others make me cringe. For example, one day Dale and I got on the subject of strippers. Now, I just so happen to have a very good friend who has been a stripper for a couple of years, so naturally I was tuned in to hear what Dale had to say on the subject.

My friend's name is “Crystal.” She has worked at my town's only strip club for over two years. When I called her and asked if I could do an interview with her for an article, she was more then willing. When she asked if I thought it would be alright to do it at the strip club she worked at before her shift, I was more then excited. I asked her a series of questions based on Dale's ideas about what strippers are actually like in real life.

From here on out, I will be referred to as “J” and 'Crystal' will be referred to as “C”. Okay? Okay...let's start.

All Strippers Are Addicted To Drugs
J- “So... as I told you over the phone, I work with a guy named Dale who has some pretty messed up views when it comes to strippers. I just wanted to tell you some of them, and either get your take or opinions on them. Sound good? I'll just start where he basically did during the conversation I had with him. The first thing he said was that all strippers are addicted to drugs or are on meth. Basically going on to say the only reason you guys even strip is to pay for more drugs.”
C- ”That has to be the most asked question, I think. I have people constantly asking me if I know where to get some, or would I like some. You know, just guys trying to exchange what they have for sex. It use to bother me, but after the 100th time hearing it, you just get use to it.”
J- ”So, you don't use drugs, right?”
C- ”Yeah, but no... I haven't for awhile. I stopped all that. I just used to smoke weed and drink. Nothing hardcore or anything. Never touched Meth. Never knew any girl who did. We all have more important things to spend our money on. I have house payments. Most girls are just trying to pull what they can together to pay their next months rent. I honestly think that if people stepped back for a minute and looked at the bigger picture, they could see the truth of the matter smacking them right in the face. If we were really here simply to pay for more drugs, then why are there still so many strippers. What I mean is, some drug dealer or whatever could easily just walk in here and tell one of the girls that he could take care of her. Give her all the money and drugs she needed. Then, just like that, she would be gone. Quit this place and just live off of him. It sounds like an impossible scenario, but trust me. That proposition happens nightly. Everyone of us turns it down. We don't want to get hung up on that crap. We have families to provide for. A lot of the time we are the only source of income. So, no. No, we are all not on drugs. If I had to give you a percent in this city, I would say less then 2% of all the strippers I know are on drugs. Those girls... hardly work more then a month. Their addiction out weighs their income, and they're swallowed up by it.”

To read more of this interesting and quite amusing look at presumption and reality check out the entire interview The World According To Dale.

Eden Lit Lessons

Along the way during the three years that I have been running the Eden Lit Club, I have written quite a few tutorials all aimed at building writing skill. All of the lessons are hosted on the Eden Lit Forums. Here's a handy clickable list to the lessons grouped according to subject:

Writing Form Lessons

How To Write A Limerick
How To Write A Sonnet

Writing and Reading Poetry

Meter In Poetry
The Use Of Rhyme In Poetry

Skill Building

Some Grammar Rules
All About Modifiers
Capitalization
Proofreading Dont's; The Beginning
Proofreading Common Mistakes part 1
Proofreading Common Mistakes part 2

The Pieces To A Great Story

Voice in Writing
Writing In First Person Narrative
Writing In Second Person Narrative
Writing In Third Person Narrative
Combining First, Second, and Third Person Narrative
Writing Great Dialogue
Punctuating Dialogue
How To Build A Compelling Plot
Plot Mapping
Building A Compelling Character part 1
Building A Compelling Character part 2
Building A Compelling Character part 3
Setting The Scene

This is a dynamic and growing list of tutorials. So, if you have a subject that you are interested in, let me know, either on the forum, through my IM, or in the comments of this article. I would be happy to help!

Look for workshops in the future, all aimed at helping our authors learn more about the art of self expression.

Eden Lit's April Meeting

Our next meeting will be hosted on our forum on April 08, 2013 at 4 pm EDT. We will be discussing proofreading - tips and tricks. This can be a sticky issue for any writer, and every writer should have a pretty good grasp of how to read over their own work and clean up the jumble of ideas. While a good grasp of grammar is essential for good proofreading, there are other skills that are just as essential. We will discuss how we proof our own work, and since we have one or two editors for SexIs, it should be a great meeting. So, come and pick our brains; find out how we proofread!

Obscure Grammar Rules

Jactitate- To toss and turn or toss back and forth

Kakidrosiphobia- an irrational fear of body odor or sweat/secretions

...and finally, just because I find the practice and the word completely intriguing:

Kalling- The strange divinatory practice of blindfolding a person and divining the future by what variety of cabbage the person chooses.