Teresa LeYung Ryan

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Saturday, March 06, 2010 My dear friend author Lynn Scott http://lynnscott.wordpress.com/ fed me a lovely meal today; then she critiqued my letter to Ms. Glenn Close and said exactly what I needed to hear. Lynn reminded me to speak from my heart. Thank you, Lynn!

Dear Ms. Close,

You and I speak the same powerful mission statement.

Your riveting article “Mental Illness: the Stigmas of Silence” for The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-close/mental-illness-the-stigma_b_328591.html, especially revealing the truth about the original ending of Fatal Attraction, and your comment about how “certain words have power over us” in your Aha! Moment for Oprah http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Glenn-Closes-Aha-Moment touch me deeply.

Your delivery of Iris in The Natural has inspired me to be “a good woman.”  Picturing you as Iris (a calm tower of strength) and reading about your confronting mental illness in your family gave me the inspiration to present my book Love Made of Heart to you.

Since the publication of that story, I have spoken openly about how my mother suffered terribly as an immigrant woman with a mental illness.  As a young girl, I had learned from relatives to blame my own mother for “bringing on craziness upon herself” and “not being able to let go of grief like everyone else.”

I was 27 years old when my mother came to visit me and my sister (we were sharing an apartment).  She moved in without any discussions.  In our apartment, our mother plotted her way to end her misery.

Please accept my book as my expression of gratitude to you for speaking openly and unabashedly about the suffering that your loved ones and you endured.

I can see your face when I read the lines spoken by Dr. Gloria Thatcher, the compassionate psychologist in Love Made of Heart.

I’m dedicating this week to writing posts on my blog about you and your work with www.BringChange2Mind.org
The video of you and your sister is most inspiring.  “Words are powerful.”
Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan   www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

As an author and a community spirit, I, Teresa LeYung Ryan, use my novel Love Made of Heart to shed light on stigmas suffered by women, men and children with mental illness/traumas to the mind. I speak out openly for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Other resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness   www.nami.org

Stamp Out Stigma  www.stampoutstigma.org

www.BringChange2Mind.org 1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness.

Yesterday February 2, 2010 turned into a strange yet motivating day for me as a writer.

A dear friend said yes to driving down to Palo Alto with me to attend the 7:00pm Other Voices TV  “Why Did Haiti Collapse? More Than an Earthquake” at Community Media Center.  I got onto North 101 instead of South 101, so, lost 15 minutes there. Then, relying on MapQuest wrong directions, we lost another 20 minutes. Asking people for directions to 900 San Antonio Road [Community Media Center] led us to the Jewish Community Center instead.
So we did “follow the numbers.”.  I drove to the 800 block of San Antonio and got onto the side of the street with even numbers and headed in the direction of higher numbers than 800.  900 San Antonio Road was tucked away in a strip of buildings partially hidden behind a sound wall.

We made it!  20 minutes late but we made it!  Paul George of Peninsula Peace and Justice Center http://www.peaceandjustice.org was moderator.  His articulate speech on KZSU 90.1 FM http://kzsu.stanford.edu/ on February 1, 2010 had propelled me to attend this program.
The 2 panelists gave compelling eyewitness accounts and the audience learned how we can really help Haiti right now (right now to help lessen the suffering).

Seth Donnelly, a longtime Haiti solidarity activist, has visited Haiti many times, assisting grassroots projects and documenting human rights abuses by the UN occupation forces, was a calm eloquent speaker.

Walter Riley, a longtime civil rights attorney, peace activist, and Haiti Solidarity activist, was in Port-au-Prince when the devastating earthquake struck Haiti.  For three days, he and his family aided in the frantic rescue efforts and witnessed the scope of the devastation.  Walter is the Chair of the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund.

What did I learn from Mr. Donnelly and Mr. Riley?  Many organizations are raising money. Great. Is that money really going to the Haitian grassroots agencies? Is the money to buy food, medical supplies, and building material waiting for red tape (supplies and materials sitting on tarmacs while Haitians are dying)?  Apparently, Haiti’s grassroots (women’s groups being a huge component) are the ones who can help most effectively because they’re right there helping neighbors; they know their infrastructure. What else did I re-learn?  Natural disaster on top of abject poverty = brutal suffering. Medical personnel, disaster relief workers, and compassionate souls are all heroes.

Channel 27 Mid-Peninsula, California http://www.communitymediacenter.net/

Haiti Emergency Relief Fund   http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/HERF.html

I don’t have the means to write big checks; I do have a big voice as a writer though.

Writers, keep on writing!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Dear Mary Knippel  http://openuptoyourcreativity.com/,
Thank you for an empowering day (Saturday, January 30, 2010) at the Creativity Workshop for Women’s National Book Association.

I had a good time with the dozen fellow writers as you led us in “Decide, Declare, Design Your writing life for 2010!”

I’m a writing career coach who helps my clients build their names/platforms by identifying the themes in their books (pre and post publication).  I thought I would put all my energy in promoting my new workbook the first half of this year.   Not.  While creating my vision board at your workshop, the message [ that I need to continue using my novel Love Made of Heart to shed light on stigmas on mental illness ] appeared “loudly and clearly”  in words and pictures.   My new mission statement:  I, Teresa LeYung Ryan, use my novel to shed light on the secret agonies suffered by women with mental illness.
Thank you, Mary and WNBA colleagues!
Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan
a.k.a. Coach Teresa
Creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published
http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Coach Teresa here with my resolutions for February 2010:

• Finish up January resolutions

• Attend “Other Voices TV: Why Haiti collapsed – More than an earthquake” A conversation with Seth Donnelly and Walter Riley (Paul George as moderator) on Feb. 2nd at Community Media Center in Palo Alto  http://www.peaceandjustice.org/.

• Meet with Kim McMillon playwright, first mentor; Elisa Southard http://breakthroughthenoise.com/ to rehearse for our session at San Francisco Writers Conference

• Attend Margaret Davis’s book launch  http://margaretdavisbooks.com/;

• Present at SFWC with Elisa Southard on Feb. 12, 2010 and help attendees at Ask-A-Pro and Book Doctor consultations on Feb. 12 & Feb. 13  http://sfwriters.org/;

• Celebrate Chinese New Year 2010 with cousins;

• Celebrate Library Lovers’ Month  http://savethelibraries.spaces.live.com;

• Celebrate Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month;

• Help WNBA-SF Chapter promote “Meet the Agents & Publishers” March 27, 2010 http://wnba-sfchapter.org/

• Submit proposals (Major League Tryouts with Coach Teresa for Writers to Build Their Names) to Writing Salon http://www.writingsalons.com, Book Passage  http://bookpassage.com/, Media Bistro  http://www.mediabistro.com/.

• Submit comments to blogs relating to women and mental illness.

• Contact WNBA colleague Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer, author of Write Out of Depression (who was also at the Jan. 30th workshop) regarding creating a workshop together  http://writeoutofdepression.blogspot.com/

Blog  is the abbreviation for  weblog (you can have a blog inside a website or as a stand-alone blog)

Verb:  To blog = to write posts (entries) in, add material to, or maintain a weblog.
Noun:  A blog = a shared on-line journal where you can publish your posts (entries about your experiences, observations, expertise, and hobbies); the most recently published post appears first to readers; readers are given the opportunity to submit comments.

Examples:

This post you’re reading is on my blog which is on my website http://writingcoachteresa.com

I have a second blog (a stand-alone blog ) http://writingcoachteresa.wordpress.com/ which I started on Dec. 28, 2009.

I have a third blog http://www.redroom.com/author/teresa-leyung-ryan at Red Room http://redroom.com/ (a wonderful website where authors can sign up to receive a webpage as a Red Room Author)

Why multiple blogs?  Because I want my work, my colleagues’ and my clients’ work to be found via multiple sources.

To get comfortable submitting comments to other people’s blogs,  click on the title of a post in my blog (in order to see the entire post); scroll down to get the comment boxes.

I’d encourage any writer who do not have a website to get a blog from http:wordpress.com (so that you’ll have an on-line address for the world to see).  These days, a blog serves as an answering center (give your fans a chance to find you and to communicate); you don’t have to publish your email address.

After you get your own blog and write some posts, remember to copy the keywords and key phrases (tags) in each postnd add them to the tag box for each post. Your blog will compile a list of your tags.  Help search engines help people find you and your work through the tags.

Sincerely,

Writing Career Coach Teresa

Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Coach Teresa’s  Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published is available  $22.

Invite Coach Teresa to conduct “Major League Tryouts to Build Your Name” at your writers’ club or group.

Form a study-group, split the cost and hire Coach Teresa to:

* coach you in name-building to attract the right agent or publisher or more fans
* guide you in designing and growing your blog (to showcase your expertise and experiences)
* show you computer-navigating shortcuts and how to easily “find stuff” on the World Wide Web

Monday night, January 18, 2010
Three weeks ago, I thought I would be working today at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. REGIONAL SHORELINE in Oakland. However, because of overwhelming registration, the organizers didn’t need me.

In a way, I did have a Day of Service. I made phone calls on behalf of my friend (to report elder abuse from a home-care agency).

The phone numbers below came from mental health advocates from Alameda and Contra Costa counties; they encouraged me to file reports.

Adult Protective Service 925-646-2854 serving Contra Costa County, CA

http://www.cdss.ca.gov/agedblinddisabled/

Disability Rights CA 510-267-1200 (formerly State Protection & Advocacy) http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/

Consumer Assistance 1-800-779-0787

After I made the phone calls (left voicemail at the second & third numbers; a person answered at Adult Protective Service and told me a social worker would call me back even though today was a holiday…so professional and reassuring).

Jan. 22, 2010

I learned from  Adult Protective Service and Disability Rights CA that because  home-care services are “businesses”I would need to make a complaint and also report abuse http://ccld.ca.gov/ as well as contact Better Business Bureau http://www.bbb.org/us/ Complaints: http://www.bbb.org/us/Consumer-Complaints/

While researching, I found http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/home-care-services/HO00084 Mayo Clinic website which has and answers regarding home care services. The text below inside [   ] came from the Mayo Clinic website:

[ If you're considering a home care services agency:

• How does the agency hire and train caregivers? Does the agency provide continuing education?
• Are the caregivers licensed in their fields and insured?
• How closely does the agency's supervisor evaluate the quality of home care?
• Do the agency's employees seem friendly and helpful? Make sure you feel comfortable with the agency's representatives.

If you're considering a home health aide:

• Does the home health aide have a good temperament? Make sure you or your loved one feels comfortable with the home health aide. ]

http://www.hcbs.org/ which I will review later.

Jan. 18, 2010

I’m blogging about this because: 1) I want to share those phone numbers and URLs; 2) I think writers make for great advocates (writing down our observations; reporting the observations); and 3) I need to remind myself to be true to myself and honor the powerful voice of the written word.

On Saturday, 40 writers at California Writers Club-SF Peninsula Branch heard how VP Linda Okerlund introduced me.

“Teresa LeYung Ryan wears 3 hats . . . [the third hat] She is a community spirit who uses her first book Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly and unabashedly about the stigmas their parents suffer.”

To speak openly about illness and stigmas and continue being aware–these are my duties.

Today after I made the calls, I was rewarded by wonderful comments on my blog post from the writers at Saturday’s “Major League Tryouts for Building Your Name.”
I thought about my mom (who’s my biggest angel); I remember how she needed someone to speak up on her behalf.

I’d like to think that Mom is watching over me, inspiring me to use words to help people. Writers need help too. A dear writer-friend said to me today: “How do we find time to blog and build our names when we’re writing books?” My respond was: “Our books deserved to be read by people. But, how would people read our books if they don’t know that our books exist?”

To all writers who want others to buy your work, read your work, talk about your work, I encourage you to tell yourself this everyday: “My work deserves to be read by many. My work deserves to be promoted; I’m the best person for the job.”

Sincerely,
Coach Teresa
Teresa LeYung Ryan

If you were there today, click on the title of this post so that when you scroll down this page you can see the boxes to submit your comment and tell the world what number you are (on back cover, lower right corner of the 22-day playbook if you bought one for yourself)

I am so elated that you and 40 other writers from California Writers Club showed up today at Belmont Library, CA for the first “Major League Tryouts with Coach Teresa– Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published”

Let the world know that you were there . . . by filling in your name, email address, website or blog address (if you have one).

In the big rectangular box, tell the world what your “tags” are. If you bought a Build Your Name 22-day playbook, let the world know what number you got.

Review what you typed, because, as soon as you press the Submit Comment bar, your comment will appear on my post for the world to see. You won’t be able to edit it after you press the Submit Comment bar.

My blog alert will send me an email, notifying me that there’s a new comment waiting for me to view. For You Fabulous Writers Who Were There Today, if you press the Submit Comment bar by accident and want me to delete your comment, I will do that for you. Ask me . . . by submitting another comment. This is good practice for writers who have never submitted a comment on a blog before.

Also, if you have a quick question for me, submit a comment. Even if you don’t have a question, submit a comment anyway. I want to hear from you.

I’m cheering for you!

Coach Teresa

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Coach Teresa wants you to have a blog. Why? You can showcase your writing style, “tag” the keywords and key phrases in your blog posts — to attract agents, publishers, more fans.

Ann Foster, on CWC Peninsula Branch executive board, writes historical fiction set in Texas

Apala G. Egan (Apala, check out http://wnba-sfchapter.org)

Arnette Bourla (Arnette, where were you sitting yesterday?)

Bardi Rosman Koodrin, a visionary communicator! Bardi is Publicity Chair for CWC Peninsula Branch

Bel M. Rennels, author of A Gift Not Wasted – organ advocacy, joy of gifting life

Carmen Lee, founder of Stamp Out Stigma. Read about famous people with mental illness http://www.stampoutstigma.org

Catherine Byrne (Where were you sitting?)

Christopher Wachlin writes fiction, scripts, poetry. (Chris, thanks for helping Coach Teresa yesterday!)

Darlene Frank (Do you have Playbook #12?)

Darlene Rose DeMaria, spiritual mentor, Catholic Buddhist Wisdom

David Hirzel writes about Arctic, Antarctic, explorations, Tom Crean http://davidhirzel.net

Diane Warner is NOT a clown anymore.

Eve Visconti says “Personal growth through movies!”

George Jensen writes engaging stories.

Georgia Platts writes about “Having it all without doing it all” for moms whose careers are at home or outside the home.

Geri Spieler, author of Taking Aim at the President, is an investigative journalist and award-winning speaker http://gerispieler.com

Ida Lewenstein, author of a delightful children’s picture book.

Inés Villafañe-León salutes immigrants; she’s fluent in Spanish; author of 2 books http://inesalicia.com/

James Hanna writes about prison riots.

Jess Roat (Where were you sitting?)

JO

Joyce Robins, author of Aunt Lydia’s Trousseau

Kimmelin Hull was there.

L J Anderson specializes in writing about health http://LJANDERSON.com

Laurel Anne Hill, author of Heroes Arise, writes about forgiveness, inner turmoil, unlikely heroes http://www.laurelannehill.com

Lenny Robins is Joyce Robins’ adoring husband.

Linda Okerlund, VP of CWC Peninsula Branch. (Linda, thanks again for inviting Coach Teresa to deliver “Major Leagues Tryouts for Writersto Build Your Name”)

Lisa Meltzer Penn, author of The Siren Dialogues http://LisaMeltzerPenn.com

Margaret Davis, author of Straight Down the Middle – surrogate parents http://MargaretDavisBooks.com

Martin Shane Dowd (Martin, always a joy to see you!)

Mary E. Knippel helps busy women rediscover their creative-selves http://openuptoyourcreativity.com

Mary Hanna, author of You May Already Be a Wiener! and columnist – Second Half is a running commentary on everyday life for Baby Boomers and those who love them. http://maryhanna.com/ (Mary, thanks for telling me about tags revealed or in cloud!)

Ollie (what is your last name?)

Patricia Costello writes crime fiction, with an American female protagonist in Latin America. (Patricia, thanks for asking questions.)

Riley Costello (Thanks for attending with Patricia!)

Ruth Silnes says: “Education through art.” 2 books http://RuthSilnes.com

Tia Creighton, female social satirist http://tia-creighton.livejournal.com

Tory Hartmann, a cool leader, engaging story-teller, writes about Catholic humor http://ToryHartmann.com

Valerie Lee, author of The Jade Rubies – about slave girls (Wow, Valerie!) http://ValerieLeeWorks.com

Virginia W. Thomson, author of history, Bible, Judgment Day

Everyone who was there yesterday . . . I’ll add your name if you submit a comment to this post. Let the world know you were there yesterday.

I was visiting my Cyberspace Coach Linda Lee’s website http://askmepc-webdesign.com/ and came across photos of her at WordCamp 2009 San Francisco with buddy Rebecca Martin of Dear Jane http://www.dearjane.info/ and Matthew Mullenweg who is the founding developer of WordPress. On the “About Matthew Mullenweg” page http://ma.tt/about/ Matt says: “Wordpress, the blogging software that runs much of this site and millions of other sites around the world. The website says WordPress is ‘a state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform’ but more importantly WordPress is a part of who I am. Like eating, breathing, music, I can’t not work on WordPress. The project touches a lot of people, something I’ve recently begun to appreciate. I consider myself very lucky to be able to work on something I love so much.”
Today is his birthday. Happy Birthday, Matt! Thanks for developing such a useful program http://wordpress.com–especially for my clients, my colleagues, and me–writers who need a place to build our platforms (our names/fan base) while we write our books.

Back to Linda Lee http://askmepc-webdesign.com/. Special cheers to Linda Lee who “prodded” me to blog over 2 years ago. It wasn’t until November 2008 when her advice finally sunk in; I guess yours truly needed to hear something 7 times over a year. That same month Martha Alderson asked me to comment https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=31672110&postID=6520769433476476003 and share my expertise about building a platform/promoting novels; then Nina Amir  http://writenonfictioninnovember.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/how-to-make-your-manuscript-compelling/ asked me to be a guest-blogger on “How to Make Your Manuscript Compelling” and so I wrote “How to Look at Your Manuscript with an Editor’s Lens”

Nowadays, I look forward to blogging–sharing my observations with writers who want to build their names and have fun doing it.  Thanks, Coach Linda!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

This post is dedicated to the writers who have completed the work in the guide Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published.  My heart feels light and joy for you. I celebrate you.  I invite you to sign in the “Build Your Name Hall of Fame” with your acceptance speech [ click on the title of this post and scroll down to get the comment boxes ] by:

1. Introducing yourself with your new mission statement.
2. Telling us the top 3 exercises from the guide that were most useful to you.
3. Giving us a glimpse into your hopes and dreams for your illustrious writing career.

After you sign in the Hall of Fame, do your writer-friends a favor; tell them about the guide and how they can build their names too.  You’re on your way to other endeavors, and, because you’ve developed a new wonderful habit, every project you touch will benefit from your new energy.

I am available for individual coaching and group coaching. To E-mail me, key in WritingcoachTeresa then @, then Gmail.com In the subject line–show your full name and purpose of your e-mail.

May your work be read by many and preserved in libraries!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

“Make your name synonymous with the themes/subject matters/issues you write about.”

I’ve been hearing about Smart Cookies on the radio, so, I Googled “Smart Cookies”

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/money/debt/slideshow1_ss_showus

Oprah.com webpage says: [Last year, 24-year-old Katie Dunsworth decided it was time for her and her friends to stop spending, start saving and get richer. Katie saw Oprah's Debt Diet show and decided to take action. The show motivated Katie and four friends to start a money group and get smart about their spending, saving and investing. They call themselves the Smart Cookies. As a team, the women set up weekly meetings, confess their debt, make a plan to "pay it down" and start investing. "Really the one thing that came across is we need to be held accountable," Katie says.]

In my professional life, I belong to a smart group too. Smart woman Linda Lee and I, Writing-Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan, invited 5 colleagues and formed a master-mind group.  Each woman had specific goals, different interests, but we had one thing in common–we were all writers. At our first meeting on March 29, 2008, we set up rules, goals and commitments, and pledged to support each member of the group as well as the group as a whole. 7 women.  7 colleagues.  We called ourselves the Savvy Seven and met once a month.

Linda Lee, founder of Smart Women Stupid Computers http://smartwomenstupidcomputers.com/ and AskMePc  http://askmepc.com/

Teresa LeYung Ryan, Writing-Career Coach Teresa http://writingcoachteresa.com http://writingcoachteresawordpress.com http://www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com/

Mary E. Knippel, Creativity Mentor http://openuptoyourcreativity.com/

Martha Alderson, International Plot Consultant  http://blockbusterplots.com/

Luisa Adams, award-winning writer, author of Woven of Water http://www.rp-author.com/Adams/

Lori Noack, founder of Lori Noack Arts Management. She’d be a super executive director for any organization.

Rebecca Martin, founder of Dear Jane, a Career Advisement Company http://www.dearjane.info/

Each member of Savvy Seven has accomplished her goals & commitments; each one is pursuing new dreams.  March 2010 will be our second anniversary.

My first book turned seven on October 1, 2009.  So much has happened since. I wish to publicly thank the following people for helping me bring Love Made of Heart into the world and sending her to wonderful places:

archived in the San Francisco History Center

• Everyone recognized on the acknowledgment page of Love Made of Heart
• My agent Stacey Glick and all her colleagues at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
• Editor John Scognamiglio, president Steven Zacharius, publisher Laurie Perkin, art director Lou Malcangi, sales director Debbie Tobias then, sales director Doug Mendini, author Libba Bray, copy-editor Jacquie Edwards, and Everyone who were at (or associated with) Kensington Publishing Corp. NY (so many talented folks).
• Nancy Suib, Anne Schulenberger and all independent sales reps;
• Folk who are associated with booksellers, libraries, schools, book groups.
• My darling husband, sister & brother-in-law, family members, friends, mentors and colleagues
• Folks related to Women’s National Book Association, California Writers Club, California Reading Association, California School Library Association, San Francisco History Center
• Teachers & students in Advanced Composition/English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• Readers
• Everyone who helped me quietly (the secret angels)

I wish you all a healthful & prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan
http://WritingCoachTeresa.com
http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

As an author and a community member, I use my novel Love Made of Heart to:
• help mothers and daughters speak from the heart
• shed light on stigmas suffered by immigrants
• advocate compassion for mental illness
• help survivors of family violence find their own voices
http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Love Made of Heart is the story of Ruby Lin, a Chinese-immigrant-daughter, and her journey to self-forgiveness.