Storytelling Tips from Three Experts
Jane was joined by Craig Johnson (Daughter of the Morning Star — Longmire fame) and Lakota writer David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Winter Counts) for a Zoom meeting in which was titled “Conversation on Writing Native.” The event was hosted by Sunriver Books and Music in Oregon.
Pre-order The Healing of Natalie Curtis
July 6 2021 Pre-order Jane’s newest historical fiction The Healing of Natalie Curtis! (Due to be released on September 7, 2021.) Classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis isolated herself for five years after a breakdown just before she was to debut with the New York Philharmonic. Guilt-ridden and songless, Natalie can’t seem to recapture […]
June 2021
I had my first in-person presentation last month at the Women of Worth event sponsored by the Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin, Oregon. The group celebrates women over fifty. You can watch the video here. I spoke on “Hope is an Orientation of the Spirit.” Music and inspirational words precede my part. I’m at the 39 minute level if you’re time constrained. Enjoy.
May 2021
Writer Brian Doyle in One Long River of Song wrote that Europeans who first saw them called them “flying jewels.” They had never seen them before and lo, hummingbirds are only known in the Americas.
Storytelling Tips – Vexed and Blessed
Writing historical novels is both gift and struggle—rich with discovery, frustration, and faith. The middle is hard, but boulders can become bridges if we keep walking forward.
April 2021
With hope, a little anxiety and love in my heart, I boarded a plane for the first time in two years to officiate at my nephews wedding in Minnesota. After failing to get Uber to note our address in Southern California as anything other than “Bing Crosby at Greer Garson” (a road sign that is two homes away from our home), I decided to drive the 8 miles at 4:00 am and leave the car at the Palm Springs airport.
Storytelling Tips – Writing Historical Novels
A practical, encouraging roadmap for writing historical fiction—start with a question, write with purpose, trust structure over perfection, push through the middle, finish strong, revise wisely, and send your story into the world.
Storytelling Tips – Groping
Writing historical fiction is an act of discovery—researching, questioning, and “groping” toward truth. Not knowing everything becomes the gift, allowing unexpected finds to shape the story and deepen our understanding of humanity.
March 2021
I’ve spent a fair amount of time on the Oregon Trail. Driving it. Walking it. Reading diaries from it and putting characters on it. In 1852, the first year that the most families came across, there were all kinds of fascinating things that happened.
Helping Kids With Grief Forum
March 15, 2021 Yesterday, I participated in an hour-long community forum with Dr. Shilo Tippett and Radio Producer Sue Matters about things we can do to help kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum was recorded and hosted by KWSO radio station located on the Warm Springs Reservation where I worked in Early Childhood and […]