Non-Greek Wanting to Portray Sorority Life as Part of Story/Script

[GDIwriter]

Honestly, the fact that you're claiming to be interested in portraying Greek life realistically but are completely off base is kind of offensive and makes me wonder if this is how we're viewed by many people.

Well, I hate to sound mean or anything, but the Greek community (at least where I live) does not always do a very good job of maintaining good PR. Outside of discerning a religious vocation and an avocation for writing, I am involved in local politics (actually running for city commission and the election is this Tuesday ) and so I read the local newspaper and the local college newspaper (although students rarely vote in city elections, they are a potentially big voting bloc) to try and keep abreast of local issues. Anyway, there was a big scandal in the college newspaper (we are a major college town) where two sororities were caught trying to affect Student Government elections a couple weeks ago (one by bribing members w/ alcohol for voting and the other by denying food to pledges unless they voted) and there have been other scandals (the Homecoming Queen, who is in a sorority, was caught for DUI; another sorority got rowdy and destructive in a very nice restaurant in another city and did damage) and this is not including things frats have been caught doing. As a candidate for city political office (even though I have graduated from college, I am sort of in that gray area because I am quite young), I have refrained from publicly commenting on the university's SG elections and the issues that occurred.

[Save Ferris]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

Well, I hate to sound mean or anything, but the Greek community (at least where I live) does not always do a very good job of maintaining good PR. Outside of discerning a religious vocation and an avocation for writing, I am involved in local politics (actually running for city commission and the election is this Tuesday ) and so I read the local newspaper and the local college newspaper (although students rarely vote in city elections, they are a potentially big voting bloc) to try and keep abreast of local issues. Anyway, there was a big scandal in the college newspaper (we are a major college town) where two sororities were caught trying to affect Student Government elections a couple weeks ago (one by bribing members w/ alcohol for voting and the other by denying food to pledges unless they voted) and there have been other scandals (the Homecoming Queen, who is in a sorority, was caught for DUI; another sorority got rowdy and destructive in a very nice restaurant in another city and did damage) and this is not including things frats have been caught doing. As a candidate for city political office (even though I have graduated from college, I am sort of in that gray area because I am quite young), I have refrained from publicly commenting on the university's SG elections and the issues that occurred.

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

[GDIwriter]

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

I agree with you, but it does seem like whenever a sorority/fraternity member does something foolish or irresponsible, it does garner greater media coverage something.

Since the OP is looking for a plot that more closely resembles the former example rather than the latter, I'm not sure why he needs any further information regarding Greeks.

Well, "Sorority Row" (and even "I Know What You Did Last Summer") was more of a horror movie, although I did not think it was very well done (I have the same complaints about a lot of modern horror movies: too much of a gore and sex fest). My idea is more of a mystery, not a horror story.

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by Leslie Anne

Oooh, oooh! How much you wanna bet it's a member of the rival sorority?

You're probably right. And then at some point, said sorority girls will make-out.

As someone else mentioned, OP is probably only interested in having sorority characters to "sex up" the plot. And is the priest going to get involved with one of the girls ("Thorn Birds")?

Most movies that are centered around a sorority end up tanking...because they are LAME.

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

This. Also remember that they are college students, and issues like you mentioned are not unique to the Greek system. It makes for a much better article when you can sensationalize it and play up the sorority angle. Hearing about the great leaders that come out of the Greek system or how they help the community- who wants to write about that? I mean, the second term governor of my state is a sorority woman, and I only know from happening to look on that organization's website & list of famous people.

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

This too. Every campus is different (regardless of Greeks), every Greek system is different, every region is different... If you want to do this right, you need to do a lot of good personal research at a variety of schools.

[GDIwriter]

As someone else mentioned, OP is probably only interested in having sorority characters to "sex up" the plot. And is the priest going to get involved with one of the girls ("Thorn Birds")?

I would never portray a Catholic Priest in a scandalous light.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

Well, I hate to sound mean or anything, but the Greek community (at least where I live) does not always do a very good job of maintaining good PR.

Quite true. It's true of many groups, though, not just fraternities and sororities.

The thing is, you said at the outset you wanted to portay Greek life positively, or at least neutrally, yet all that you have described so far relies on or raises the negative stereotypes.

I'll say it yet again: Write what you know.

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

I would never portray a Catholic Priest in a scandalous light.

Okay, what about sorority women?

Like the others have said, I don't see any need for your characters to be Greek, and your ideas thus far seem like they have been "done" and "redone." Try to think up something with a new angle.

[GDIwriter]

Like the others have said, I don't see any need for your characters to be Greek, and your ideas thus far seem like they have been "done" and "redone." Try to think up something with a new angle.

What about going for more a political angle? I know at the university I attended, SG was dominated by Greeks and there had been unsuccessful attempts by Non-Greeks to run for high office in SG.

Also, what are the books out there that you feel portray Greek Life realistically? (I know someone mentioned there are such books out there, but who is the author and stuff so I can look it up)

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

Also, what are the books out there that you feel portray Greek Life realistically? (I know someone mentioned there are such books out there, but who is the author and stuff so I can look it up)

As said above:

Originally Posted by honeychile

If you really feel the need to have a GLO background, read a few books by Anne Rivers Siddon. She's one of the few who uses sororities & fraternities in her novels without offending.

And I'd say the political/the-Greeks-run-the-school or are-the-access-to-real-and-secret-power has been done to death, too.

[LatinaAlumna]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

What about going for more a political angle? I know at the university I attended, SG was dominated by Greeks and there had been unsuccessful attempts by Non-Greeks to run for high office in SG.

Also, what are the books out there that you feel portray Greek Life realistically? (I know someone mentioned there are such books out there, but who is the author and stuff so I can look it up)

I don't know if an on-campus struggle for student government control would be of interest to the masses. I also come from California, where greeks generally do not occupy most of the higher student government positions (not for lack of trying). This is probably a regional thing.

I have not yet come across any book, TV show, or movie that portrays my experience in greek life, but this is because I belong to a national Latina sorority. Still, I would tend to believe that depictions of NPC-style sororities that I have seen are not very realistic. I think a person really has to be a member in order to be able to write a realistic book or movie script about greek life.

[Save Ferris]

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

What about going for more a political angle? I know at the university I attended, SG was dominated by Greeks and there had been unsuccessful attempts by Non-Greeks to run for high office in SG.

Also, what are the books out there that you feel portray Greek Life realistically? (I know someone mentioned there are such books out there, but who is the author and stuff so I can look it up)

Originally Posted by MysticCat

As said above:And I'd say the political/the-Greeks-run-the-school or are-the-access-to-real-and-secret-power has been done to death, too.

And it's usually with a very bitter, Greek hating vibe to it.

OP, I don't see why anyone in your story needs to be Greek. If you want a murder mystery or whatever, do it but I don't see the point in having Greeks involved in it. If it played into the story, fine whatever. Yours doesn't play into the story and you're drastically unaware of Greek life.

People said write what you know. I'd agree but also say that it seems like you're just trying to add Greeks in for an added kick to your audience, perhaps to interest more readers. It doesn't really seem necessary to the story.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Save Ferris

We try to keep good PR. We can't help it if a few people don't always respect their letters to uphold their organizations.

Perhaps you should look at a different campus. One campus isn't universal of every campus.

Originally Posted by GDIwriter

I agree with you, but it does seem like whenever a sorority/fraternity member does something foolish or irresponsible, it does garner greater media coverage something.

Couldn't this same idea apply to anything, though? Example: There are a great number of professional athletes who donate their time and money to charitable foundations. But when do things like that appear on the 5 o'clock news? They don't. The only stories that are shown are the ones about steroids, domestic violence and DUIs.

I don't think it's impossible to write a positive story about Greek life and to have people interested in reading/watching it. But that's not what you're doing here. And I'm not saying that you have to change your story completely. If you want to run with it, it's fine, but again, there's no need for anything Greek to be involved.

And to be honest, your comments make me think that you actually believe all of the stereotypes surrounding Greeks.

[Barbie's_Rush]

The priest could have a sex change and then AI into the sorority. That way he could investigate undercover from the inside, just like Alexandra Robbins! That plot would be made of awesome.

PS. By talking about the "greek scandals" at your school and the election, you've pretty much told the world here who you are. Not very smart.