What Native artists can learn from “Real Artists Don't Starve”

Broken down into three parts, Real Artist Don't Starve takes you on a journey of transformation. What does the life a successful (“Thriving”) artist look like? Are you born with special gifts, talents, advantages? If not, can you still make it as an artist? What traits must you possess to make a living in the 21st century?

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How to Get Started in Fiction Writing

As an author and a writing instructor, I often get emails from those who are interested in getting started with writing fiction as a passion, and possible income. Fiction can include novels all the way down to micro stories, with novellas, short stories, and flash fiction in between. Here are some resources to get you started, but don't feel overwhelmed. It's a journey.

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Two Easy Options for Reading Kindle eBooks

People often ask how they can read my books as an ebook. There are two options on how to read Kindle ebooks:

  1. Buy an e-reader
  2. Download the Kindle app to read books from any device

If you want a dedicated e-reader, I suggest this one: Kindle E-reader (I have an older model)

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New Novel Set in the Old Choctaw Nation

“Someone’s going to be king in this territory. No reason it can’t be me. It sure won’t be you.” 

 

Traitors, (Choctaw Tribune Series, Book 2) picks up a storyline started in the well-received novel, The Executions (Book 1). Set in 1890s Choctaw Nation, the Choctaw Tribune Series follows the journey of a fictional mixed-blood Choctaw family as they encounter the real events and real history in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a state. A historical fiction series with a Western flare, these Native stories explore racial, political, spiritual, and social issues in the old Choctaw Nation—and beyond.

From the back cover of Traitors:

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Preserving Our History Through Fiction

In March 2013, I led a workshop for Choctaw writers. It equipped advanced and beginners alike with knowledge and resources to write a Choctaw Removal story in fiction form, based on family histories. Why is this important? Because each year, these stories are lost with the passing of our elders. 

This workshop had a twofold design. The first was to help the attendees in their writing journey. The second was focused on the honorable task of preserving Choctaw Removal stories. These stories are in danger of not only being lost forever with the forgotten memories of our elders, but obscurity in online and federal archives. Our mission is to preserve these in a way that not only insures our children and grandchildren can someday read them, but that they reach the mainstream audience in the United States and perhaps around the world.

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