Raw literature is first-works. It’s the original material a writer produces in response to an idea, challenge or aspiration. It’s the novelist’s first draft; the poet’s scribbling of a sonnet; a screenwriter’s initial storyboard. It’s a memoirist’s recognition of a relevant story to share. It’s that ah-ha moment when the imagination outpaces the fingers across a keyboard or a tongue giving diction. It’s the writer’s eye on the blank page like a sculptor’s gaze through a block of marble.
Raw literature is the first lick of flame after flint sparks.
Yet, writers often struggle with words. Not in the sense of writer’s block, but more in the ideas of who they are in relationship to what they do with words. They often resist the words by which they are labeled — writer, author, literary artist. Even the greats, the ones writers eagerly recognize as such, struggle with calling themselves writer. In 1994, back when I started my college work as a student of creative writing, I discovered Toni Morrison, who is a great writer of our era. Back in 1994, despite publication success and critical acclaim, she explained in an interview her own reluctance to say she was a writer:
The word “writer” was hard for me to say because that’s what you put on your income-tax form. I do now say, “I’m a writer.” But it’s the difference between identifying one’s work and being the person who does the work. I’ve always been the latter. I’ve always thought best when I wrote. Writing is what centered me. In the act of writing, I felt most alive, most coherent, most stable and most vulnerable. ~ Toni Morrison, Sept. 11, 1994
What about the work? If we struggle with words as the worker, it’s no wonder we struggle to call our works literary. Are you kidding? Literature is the highest accolades of writing, the works of classic masters we know by single name: Shakespeare, Hemingway, Austen. Literature is bound in leather with titles embossed in gold leaf. But what if I told you that while we struggle with what to call ourselves, we are producing literary art? We are part of a tradition of literature if you consider that Shakespeare was once novice, and that before she earned her Nobel Prize in Literature, Toni Morrison worked for 18 years as a book editor, writing when she could.
Even the masters, laureates, and winners wrote raw literature.
If your medium is language, you are a literary artist. Even writers of raw literature have a vital role to keep language alive and in the mouths, ears and hands of people, everyday people, common people, diverse people. Because in the hands and mouths of fascists, sexists, racists, theists, and those with power over those without, language becomes dangerous, even dead. This is the idea of Morrison, from her 1993 acceptance speech:
The systematic looting of language can be recognized by the tendency of its users to forgo its nuanced, complex, mid-wifery properties for menace and subjugation. Oppressive language does more than represent violence; it is violence; does more than represent the limits of knowledge; it limits knowledge. Whether it is obscuring state language or the faux-language of mindless media; whether it is the proud but calcified language of the academy or the commodity driven language of science; whether it is the malign language of law-without-ethics, or language designed for the estrangement of minorities, hiding its racist plunder in its literary cheek – it must be rejected, altered and exposed. It is the language that drinks blood, laps vulnerabilities, tucks its fascist boots under crinolines of respectability and patriotism as it moves relentlessly toward the bottom line and the bottomed-out mind. Sexist language, racist language, theistic language – all are typical of the policing languages of mastery, and cannot, do not permit new knowledge or encourage the mutual exchange of ideas. ~ Toni Morrison, December 7, 1993
Therefore, our work as literary artists, as writers, does matter. We need new knowledge, mutual exchanges of ideas, and diversity in books. Another great writer I encountered in college was Sherman Alexie. He is a storyteller, poet and Indigenous American advocate. He uses language in books like The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven as a medicine shield to counter all the suffering his people, our nation in its worst history, has endured. He deflects, defends and spears truths that makes oppression squirm. In a more recent interview, he also acknowledges the importance of writing in the era of Trump:
I’m not one of those artist-writers who thinks they have any real power. I’m laughing because they’ve already begun the calls for Poets Against Trump anthologies—talk about the most powerless gesture in the history of the world. But what we can do with art is become spiritual boosters. I think we can be spiritually nourishing even if we have no political power. We end up being the equivalent of noise-canceling headphones. ~ Sherman Alexie, December 6, 2016
Alexie is right. We might not hold power against the political forces at hand, but we can lift-up, counterbalance, and use our writing to reveal the perspectives denied, silenced, oppressed. He continues in the article to talk about his podcast, A Tiny Sense of Accomplishment, and how they reached an audience of aspiring writers:
…one of the great things has been how many aspiring writers listened to it, which was great because they got to see us for all of our incompleteness, our struggles, our faults, our doubts, our fears. Jess and I very purposely set out to do the opposite of publicity for ourselves. We talked about the struggle to create something great. ~ Sherman Alexie, December 6, 2016
Even the greats feel like those who aspire. And it comes down to the fact we all begin with raw literature. What if we honored those initial efforts, explored the potential, and examined the process instead of referring to our firsts as shitty. Although, Anne Lamott meant it in a powerful way, too many get hung up on those firsts as a negative which mirrors the perfectionism she’s trying to get writers to break:
Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren’t even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they’re doing it. ~Anne Lomott, from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, 1994
If you’ve noticed my references are from the mid-90s, that’s because I’ve been thinking about creative writing, what it is, and why it matters for a long time. College was my strongest encounter with meaningful process, but we focused on deconstruction and plotting. The mechanics of craft are clearer concepts to teach and understand. It’s the creation of craft that is harder to define. Raw literature is as close as we can come to definition because it is the result of those less definable acts of creative writing.
Prompting, compiling, and writing flash fiction has given me a greater appreciation for the process of sparking an idea into the first-flame of a story. It’s like NaNoWriMo as a tool to generate material, but with less commitment. 99 words is a constraint, but it’s also meant to be short enough to not interfere with your priority work. Many of the writers here have also engaged in writing posts or making comments that express ideas of craft and creative process. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that produces raw literature weekly as flash fiction. It’s only natural we would write about what raw literature is, who produces it, and is influenced by it.
Thus begins the next phase of development at Carrot Ranch as a literary community. As we prepare to publish our our first anthology, Carrot Ranch is starting the conversation about raw literature. Our anthologies will be more than reprints of flash fiction already published here; they are an evolution of the material developed here and insights regarding the process of using flash fiction as a tool for literary artists. Every Tuesday Raw Literature will post an eclectic and diverse look at what it is, how it is generated, why it matters, and how literature impacts people from different walks of life. Profiles, reviews, and guest essays will further the discussion.
As we work and play with language, let’s get literary and discuss what we write and read, too. It might feel freeing to some, emotionally vulnerable to others, yet this will remain a safe place to express diverse views. We aren’t critiquing the struggle to climb the mountain; we’re trying to understand how the climb makes us feel alive.
This is a guest series. Want to write a review that examines the literary merits of a book? A profile that explores the impact of literature on a person? An essay that examines an aspect of raw literature or the process of creating literary art? Pitch your ideas to the Lead Buckaroo at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. Carrot Ranch is a community-based platform and does not (yet) pay for guest posts. However, you can link back to your own blogs, projects or books within the body of your submission or artfully crafted writer’s bio.
What does raw literature mean to you? How important are your first drafts? Do you pants, plot, or both?
This will be a smashing guest post series! 🙂
Love the ‘raw literature’ title. (Also, have always loved Anne Lamott’s ‘shitty first draft’ description – love that whole book.)
A certain editor has had me thinking about the relevancy of what we do at Carrot Ranch and how flash can be educational. This is a sign that certain editor will be receiving my thoughts and her manuscript soon. 🙂
Definitely! I find Anne Lamott’s book a deep well to revisit. And I believe I got “raw literature” from Sherman Alexie. I reviewed the hashtag #rawlit and it has little activity on Twitter, from several years back. As this progresses and I get back to a reliable social media schedule, I plan to use it.
I’m inspired by your fiery essay on raw literature! Am looking forward to dedicating time & place to read more.
I tend to get caught up in perfecting each section of that first run at the thing and then lose momentum, and the NanoWriMo model of flooding the page means I get snuffed as well. Still looking for that happy medium of inviting and then taking the time to listen to Muse–capricious. moody beast!
Can I ask (cuz I’m confused)? “…How important are your first drafts? Do you ***pants***, plot, or both?” Is there an autocorrect thing going on?
😀 Do you mean the word “pants” in this context? If so, those are the people who write by the seat of their pants. No planning (or very little). As opposed to those who plot (outline or plan their stories out). I’m a proud pantser. One can also be a mixture of plotter and pantser, where they plan but are flexible. Is that what you meant?
Oh my Lord, I googled this and pantsing is an actual writing word, as described above. Huh!
Ha! It’s an odd jargon to come across before knowing the full context to describing how a writer approaches the process of writing. Thanks for asking, Liz, and for explaining, Sarah!
But be cautious, when describing in past tense (I THOUGHT I remembered this from high school!): From Urban Dictionary:
Pantsed: When one has their pants pulled down, but not their underwear. Only the pants come down.
“We stared in amazement as Ryan got pantsed! We all got to see his tighty-whities!”
I’ll be careful because I don’t want to get caught in my panties in front of everyone! Ah! What a wondrous critter language is, nipping at our ankles as we try to lead it.
Thank you, Liz! Like you, I continue to seek that balance. I was trained in a form of outlining that concentrated on perfecting the beginning (lead, intro, first chapter) before outlining what followed and concluded. In the workplace, I revised my intro then wrote the rest by the seat of my pants.
The workplace is a different taskmaster than a professor. Aspiring to write novels, I never got beyond the beginning because of that training and work pattern. In 2012 I took a workshop that broke my habit because the instructor convinced me of the value of having material. Material first, revision next. Plot, then re-plot. It began to make more sense. Therefore, I embraced NaNoWrimo for material generation.
My biggest dilemma now is too much material, and getting into a situation of revising two WIPs at once. Flash fiction has been instrumental in helping me process. These are the ideas and experiences to explore in Raw Literature.
I am most definitely a ‘pantser’ (new word to me). Being primarily a poet who (mostly) writes short pieces that once written, I do not edit to shreds. (Others have thought unkindly of my process or lack thereof. But I learn through appreciative comments just what I have accomplished.) I might accidentally plot. I (in my formative years) was always encouraged to just write. And never really learned all the rules. So I repel rules and as a rebel take out of the shadows what ever emotional light I can fine and breath into it life that might mean something to those who get to read what I sentence to a page.
With all that said…I will enjoy reading what other guests may contribute. But I do not feel qualified to even suggest what others should or could do in regards to writing.
Thank you for sharing your insights on your personal process, Jules. And I think you are qualified to share your experience because it is relevant. The rules you speak of are the mechanics of craft. But what is it to “just write”? How do we describe that? Can we learn from it? You can definitely speak to that in your experience! We aren’t going to tell each other what to do, but rather, try to describe how we write or what we observe in writers in general.
How complex in its simplicity or how simple in its complexity; is writing.
Much to think about that is for certain.
Yes, indeed! And hopefully much for us to keep the conversation going.
Lovely conceit here Charli. I’ve come to realise I’m a plotting pantser or panting plotter or whatever since I plot – hell every pantser plots, just in the head and not too far ahead – but I don’t commit the plotting to a plan, other than the first draft itself which is my plotting. And every plotter I know never actually writes what they plot because they replot when they need to. So there’s no real distinction, merely tendencies. All is grey and murky, like those exposed pants above from over-washing in public…
I agree, Geoff, I think people are shades of both because writing requires a blend of creativity and forethought. Mechanics like plotting are easier to explain, how do we explain pantsing? And I’m not so convinced we all pants the same way. I’m visual, so I have this challenge to give words to what I see. Other writers are auditory, and they hear character dialog. Some of those plotters are serious map makers and disciplined writing at the crack of dawn every day. How do they write, though, what do they see, hear, feel that changes the course of their best laid plots? Ah! This is our mud hole, and raw literature our mud pies. And our exposed pants are muddy from playing here.
Oh Charli, I am so excited about your Raw Literature series! I particularly love and relate to the Toni Morrison quote. Anne Lomott’s quote is inspiring. As a pantser, I think I probably break a lot of writing rules too, but maybe that’s where, as you say, we can best learn while also maintaining our creative flow. But I can see myself in that perfectionist role, although since I’ve only written one first draft, I can only go by that one experience (although I have a first draft for all my writing, including blog posts, tending to bin most of it by the finished product!) but it was great to be able to just get the words out there, although the rewrites are very different! I look forward very much to the dialogue this series generates with everyone. Thanks Charli! <3
It was really hard for me to break that “polishing the introduction” although it did teach me to get my thoughts organized at the beginning and trust the rest will follow. Like you, I’ve found the revision process more daunting, yet I’m intrigued to explore that burst behind our firsts and give thought to Raw Literature. I look forward to your essay! <3
Yes, getting that begining organised definitely leads to renewed hope for the rest, even when we know it’s still a long, hard road ahead! And you’ve already given me new insight into that ‘burst behind our firsts’ Charli…thank you! <3
I agree with the others, Charli. This is a fascinating post with some interesting perspectives and quotes from writers I will have to investigate. I like the idea of acknowledging our work as “raw literature” and feel, as an early childhood teacher (how could I help myself?) that perhaps if we looked at children’s writing as raw literature, we might appreciate it more and avoid many fearing the perfectionism often required of a one-only draft that turns them of any kind of writing at all.
I think that, as adults, much of what we learn about craft, we learn from reading. (Though I must say your creative writing course with Toni Morrison sounds awesome – and what a fabulous speech!) As you said, “It’s the creation of craft that’s harder to define”. I hear too often about teachers not having time to read to their students. How sad is that? How can they possibly learn the craft if they don’t experience it? They need to be read to, daily, from a wide variety from genres. They need to experience much with a pencil crafting raw literature before they are expected to write a perfect piece. Who does that first time? I think of the wonderful American writer and educator, Bill Martin Jnr and his “Sounds of Language” books which inspire many with an appreciation of literature and for words.
I look forward to this series. It will be great to hear about the rawness of each writer’s process and to consider how this information can be used to improve the teaching of writing to children. Back in the 80s (our earliest learning must stick with us, eh?) we had “process writing”, which I thought was wonderful. Teachers were required to write alongside the children, experiencing and sharing the process themselves. How can a teacher teach writing, if they themselves don’t write?
Thanks Charli, and apologies for the digression.
What a great idea to think of children’s writing as raw literature – although I think one good thing about the bad old days is that I don’t think we were ever expected to revise our own stories – I’m looking forward to your guest post on this theme, Norah.
Thanks, Anne. 🙂
Until you further explained it hear, I didn’t think of reading chapter books to children as experiencing the craft, but that’s exactly what it is. It makes me realize how important it was that I had teachers from early grades who read to us every day. I even had a teacher in middle grades read to us, too, and they were books like “A Wrinkle in Time” and Issac Asimov. These were stories that also made us think, a hallmark of literature. And he’d ask us questions about what we thought was going on in the book in regards to themes and social commentary. It made me want to write. I really hope to see an essay from you on something like process writing and how we learn craft by writing (and reading). Not a digression, at all!
“A Wrinkle in Time”! I loved that Madeleine L’Engle book! I was introduced to that and Joan Aiken’s beautiful stories at the same time. They are amazing. Written for a ten-year-old audience, I met them at three times that age. I think that’s the mark of a great story. You were fortunate to have teachers read to you daily. I think it should be priority, but it tends to get shoved aside. Sad. Very sad.
An exciting new project, Charli, which I’m looking forward to being part of. And really enjoyed these quotes which are all new to me (even if they do date from the mid-90s) – and your beautiful line
We aren’t critiquing the struggle to climb the mountain; we’re trying to understand how the climb makes us feel alive
well deserves its place among them.
It would be great if we could eventually come up with some clearer articulation of pantsing as a viable route to literature.
Thank you, Anne! The measure of a classic is standing up over time, so these ’90s writers are yet relevant and classic. I think it would be fantastic for us to discover that articulation of pantsing, giving it due credit as a route to literature. My sense is that if we turn this stone over, passing it around the circle, we’ll find the commonalities of what we experience. Maybe this is like early science that begins with the step of observation. I’m excited for your contribution to the project!
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
Loved reading every word of what you wrote … I am excited about project and looking forward to writing for it …
For me “raw literature” is my first expression … Unadulterated, undiluted, uninhibited … It is me! In other words, it is my release … It is only after I hold it and feel it can I tamper with it … But raw literature in essence is like delivering a baby and carrying it forward is like raising one.
I start of as someone who has something definite to pen down but what I end up writing is entirely different and sometime diametrically opposite to what I had originally planned and hence I begin as a planner but I end up as a pantsner.
Please share your experience with us and keep the conversation going … Much love Sugarsatchet
[…] when dear friend Charli Mills invited me to write the first essay for her new series, Raw Literature: Starting the Conversation, I was both thrilled and incredibly nervous. Charli challenges us to examine and look past the […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Occasionally, the Lead Buckaroo, will profile those who create raw literature. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay or profile idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] recent posts Charli has discussed the importance of accepting our first drafts as “raw literature”, as part of the process. She provide us with the opportunity to hone our writing skills, and […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] yet read, Carrot Ranch has launched a new guest series that gets muddy, exploring the idea Raw Literature. It’s meant to be an ongoing conversation from different perspectives, and a look at the […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] was quite fascinated with Charli’s introduction to this conversation about raw literature right here on her blog at Carrot Ranch Communications. I was unfamiliar with the term but her […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] more than windy today at the ranch. I thought I scheduled a guest for the series Raw Literature, checked the calendar and see that I scheduled next week! In the midst of a move and a break-down, […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature is an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] 2018 schedule January – September. There are 38 open slots. Essays will continue to include Raw Literature (about the creative process and early creations in writing) and Platform (about marketing tactics […]
[…] Raw Literature returns as an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99 word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature returns as an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99-word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]
[…] Raw Literature posts as an ongoing conversation about those first works we create as writers, as literary artists. Guest Authors share personal insights on their craft, its process, the experience of creating raw literature and what they do with it. Carrot Ranch is a dynamic literary community that creates raw literature weekly in the form of flash fiction (99-word stories). If you have an essay idea, pitch to Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo, at wordsforpeople@gmail.com. […]