Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

Was Peony In Love a Chinese Opera? No. The name of the opera was/is The Peony Pavilion.  Peony In Love is the haunting novel by Lisa See. What are the themes in the novel?  arranged marriage; teen depression; teen suicide; Chinese opera; romantic love; mother-daughter relationship; father-daughter relationship; The Three Wives’ Commentary on The Peony Pavilion; the opera The Peony Pavilion; dreams; ghosts; honor; forgiveness; in search of self; self love; self respect; rebellion; starvation.

I heard from colleague Deborah Grossman that:

on Tuesday June 7, 2011, 11:00am Lisa See will be at

Towne Center Books
555 Main Street, Pleasanton, California
925-846-8826

Coffee and Conversation with Lisa See

Judy Wheeler of Towne Center Books says: “Lisa’s newest book Dreams of Joy is set in China during the Great Leap Forward. It is full of adventure, meticulously researched details, and the intriguing characters we met in Shanghai Girls. I loved it and you will too……even if you haven’t read Shanghai Girls.  Lisa’s previous novel, Snowflower and the Secret Fan , has been made into a movie and will be in the theaters July 15, 2011.”

I wish I could be there! I told Deborah Grossman I would blog about Lisa Lee. Peony In Love touched me deeply because the themes connect with the subject matters I write about.

And how appropriate that Deborah Grossman, author of Goldie and Me (book of poetry by Deborah the daughter and Goldie the mother), reminds me that Lisa Lee lives in California too!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

author Teresa LeYung Ryan writes fiction to help mothers and daughters and prescriptive nonfiction to help writers

Author of Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

Coach Teresa, what books are you reading this month?

Two weeks ago I reported to jury duty. Before leaving my house that morning to catch bus and BART, I went to my bookcases to look for volumes of Greek Tragedies (I’ve had those books since college days).

Why did I want to reread translations of Greek Tragedies? To study literary works that engaged me decades ago and have been in my memory since. In Greek Tragedies, oftentimes the villains are the parents, with help from the gods and goddesses. My studying these classics helps me gain  examples of plotline structuring and archetypes for my clients whose manuscripts carry similar themes–what if a family member is the wicked antagonist?

So, I re-read Aeschylus: The Libation Bearers (translated by Richmond Lattimore) and Sophocles: Electra (translated by David Greene), and, I’m re-reading Euripides: Iphigenia in Tauris (translated by Witter Bynner).

Did I get selected as a juror?  That is another story which I will tell later.

Liz Bittner just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible and she lent me her copy.  I am enjoying it immensely.

Writers, I’ve updated my post “Coach Teresa, what should I do before hiring an editor?”

Happy writing and rewriting!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Writing Career Coach; Manuscript Consultant; Author

of Love Made of  Heart; Author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

“Coach Teresa, what should I do before hiring an editor?”

Look at Your Manuscript with an Editor’s Lens

By Teresa LeYung Ryan

Writing Career Coach; Manuscript Consultant; Author

Since writing a story with the intent to engage the reader is so much like meeting a stranger and wanting him/her to be interested in you, you’d want to hook the reader’s attention in the first quarter of your story (starting with the first page, oftentimes with the first line).

I love working with diligent writers who want to transform their manuscripts into page-turners. However, there are things you can do before you give your work to an editor. Let me show you how you can help yourself.

The big four elements to look for in your manuscript:

• Planting hook(s) or story-question(s);
• Grounding the reader with the three Ws (Who? When? Where?);
• Showing (not telling) what the protagonist wants;
• Paying attention to language and rules

Let’s learn from the pros.

Planting Hook or Story-Question:

In The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston hooks us with the first line: “You must not tell anyone,” my mother said, “what I am about to tell you…” Then, Ms. Kingston transitions into her story with: “Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one . . .”

Grounding the Reader with the Three Ws:

In Woven of Water, while the story timeline spans from 1957 to 2005, Californian author Luisa Adams brilliantly shows us who she was as a girl (not with a year-by-year narrative, but with a single exquisite chapter). Because she grounded us with “who, when, where,” we eagerly follow as she (the middle-aged woman) takes us into her enchanted world of a “cottage in the forest.”

Showing What the Protagonist Wants:

In The Other Mother, young Carol Schaefer wants to ask questions: “Was there any way to keep my baby? Was there anyone who would help me find a way to do that?”

Elizabeth Gilbert hooks us with “I wish Giovanni would kiss me…” in her memoir Eat, Pray, Love. Simple as that.  She’ll have other desires as her story moves forward, but, right there on page 1, she’s clear about what she wants.

In Love Made of Heart, protagonist Ruby Lin is thinking: What have I done?  I watch the uniformed police officers escort my mother from my apartment.

Paying Attention to Language and Rules:

Read the first five pages of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and you will see how this wordsmith plays with language and rules. (You can “bend” the rules to create flow, but you must not ignore the rules.)

Are you saying: “Coach Teresa, that’s my style–I don’t like to use commas all that much. You might see typos but that’s your job right to correct them? I write like I talk. Okay.”

I say: “Read your manuscript out loud.  Do you really talk like that?  If you hear yourself pausing in a sentence, that’s probably where you’d put a comma. You are a writer; use correct spelling.  Do use vernacular that is indicative of your story-world; however, will your reader hear the differences in speech patterns in your characters OR will they hear just one voice in all the characters?”

Sentences Deserve Your Attention:

Remember Groucho Marx’s line “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas…”? That sentence got a lot of laughs. But, what if you didn’t want to be funny (ambiguous in this case)? Watch out for those misplaced modifiers.

How would you rewrite these poorly constructed sentences?

• He likes to fish near the Farallon Islands and they jump when they’re hungry at dawn or dusk.
• She insists on knowing when I come home and leave, not to be nosy, but for safety reasons.
• Being cautious as not to step on the dog’s tail, the children tip-toed away from him while sleeping.
• My husband still in bed snoring, I have always enjoyed rising before dawn and I eat my toast and drink my green tea on the terrace.

To improve your sentence structuring and other skills, I recommend these books:

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
• Woe is I: Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner

More Advice:

• In all the stories referenced above, the authors present memorable experiences by employing authentic details, unusual story-worlds, and poetic language. You want to do the same for your story.
• Also, the stories have another vital component–all the plotlines have what Martha Alderson, author of Blockbuster Plots, Pure and Simple, calls “Cause and Effect” linked scenes. Another must-read blog: Plot Whisperer
• When you’re writing non-fiction and do not have the luxury of rearranging the sequence of events to create a page-turning plotline, you can engage the reader by using concise expositions to leap over blocks of time in order to focus on the core themes and fast-forward the story. A helpful website: Linda Joy Myer’s http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com
• You the author must show the reader what the protagonist wants, even if the protagonist doesn’t know at first.
• We don’t have to “like” a protagonist, but, we do need to connect with him/her on an emotional level.
• Read my colleague Vicki Weiland’s “Vicki’s Four Questions” © on her blog: http://vickiweiland.wordpress.com/vickis-four-questions-%C2%A9/

In the fiercely competitive arena of the publishing world, how does one stand out in a crowd? Building relationships is one key to success in this business. Another key is to know how to translate the themes from your life to your writing and articulate those themes as community concerns. I want to see all hardworking writers realize their dreams.

My best wishes to you!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Coach Teresa edits manuscripts for authors who want to attract agents  & publishers  OR  want to be their own publishers. She specializes in contemporary novels, thrillers, children’s & YA novels, memoirs, short stories, and anthologies.

22-Day Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan helps authors identify their themes to hook agents' and publishers' attention.

author of Love Made of  Heart

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

Before I answer that question, I’d like to introduce you to my colleagues who are fine poets / excellent performers of their poetry.  I had asked them to send me links to their articles about mothers.

By Yolande Barial, a mom of 3, contributor in the anthologies If Women Ruled the World and Oakland’s Neighborhoods :

http://yolandebarial.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/www-examiner-com/

http://www.redroom.com/blog/yolandebarial/happy-mothers-day

http://www.redroom.com/blog/yolandebarial/thanks-mom

http://www.redroom.com/blog/yolandebarial/like-daughterlike-mother

http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial

http://www.tracypress.com/view/full_story/12489710/article-Her-Voice–To-helmet-or-not-to-helment?instance=home_opinion_lead_story

Joan Gelfand’s article “Mother’s Day Without Mom” for the Huffington Post

And, here are authors whose books are about relationships with mothers or mother-figures:

Lynn Scott – A Joyful Encounter: My Mother, My Alzheimer Clients, and Me

Deborah Grossman - Goldie and Me

Luisa Adams - Woven of Water

Lynn Henriksen – Telltale Souls

Linda Joy Myers - Don’t Call Me Mother

Matilda Butler - Rosie’s Daughters

Kate Farrell - Wisdom Has a Voice: Daughters Remember Mothers

(me) Teresa LeYung Ryan - Love Made of Heart

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Coach Teresa, what did you do on Mother’s Day this year?

Thank you for asking.  The day before Mother’s Day, I had helped dear colleague Mary E. Knippel create multiple videos about her fun Coaxing Creativity workshops:

http://www.youtube.com/maryeknippel#p/a/u/0/xZ2GgqEE3Q4

http://www.youtube.com/maryeknippel#p/a/u/1/JsaPHrUvVfo

Her events are all inspiring. “Simple” and “abundant” best describe what I get from Mary Knippel’s workshops.

The next Day (Mother’s Day) I met artist Chandra Garsson on Hayes Street.

Lunch at La Boulange Cafe & Bakery was delightful, sitting in the corner, with view of the entire cafe and looking out onto Hayes Street. My mom would have liked this place. People eating tasty-looking salads, sandwiches, soups, baked goods; you can see the baked goods and pre-made sandwiches in the counters, all appealing. People reading newspapers and drinking beverages.  High ceiling; a European-feel about the place.

Then Chandra treated me to San Francisco Ballet’s hypnotically beautiful production of The Little Mermaid. The story (tragedy) was written by Hans Christian Andersen.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150573069220430&oid=27923251292&comments
Principal dancer Yuan Yuan Tan says: “on stage … I am dancing without thinking.”

Thank you, Chandra, for giving me a day of bittersweet beauty.

I come home and there’s a Happy Mother’s Day e-card in my inbox from publicity expert Lin Lacombe. The animated card shows a wishing well. I make my wish for my mom–wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, I wish you lots and lots of joy and love.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

author of Love Made of  Heart

Love Made of Heart - get this book for your mom or sister

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

*******

“Coach Teresa, why is it important to show up to network? I don’t like mixers or meet-ups.”

screenwriter Terri Bertini, author Birgit Soyka, creativity mentor Mary E. Knippel and writing career coach Teresa LeYung Ryan at WNBA-SF Chapter Meet Up at San Francisco Public Library

June 2, 2011

Here’s my response:  Take care of yourself; take care of your career. I don’t even like the word “network” so I get creative. Speaking of getting creative, tonight was an example of how to network and have fun.

Leon Veal, a WNBA member and outreach coordinator for Project Read San Francisco, calendared meeting space at the San Francisco Public Library main branch for us once a month.  I asked fellow member and Creativity Mentor Mary E. Knippel to co-lead a WNBA Meet Up with me.

Members Birgit Soyka and Janine Kovac RSVPed.

Mary and I showed up early.  I helped Mary re-configure her business card to read: You’ve been thinking about writing your book? Let me (Mary E. Knippel) help you. Mary showed me her Google Voice phone number. I want to create a YouTube channel for WNBA-SF Chapter–I provided the format and Mary came up with great idea–”Let’s create a how-to video tutorial for our members!”  Mary is indeed the Creativity Mentor.

Birgit Soyka arrived, looking vibrant.  She and I will be showcasing our books later this month:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 7:00-9:00pm

BookShop West Portal, 80 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 415-564-8080

Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) members celebrate June’s “Rebuild Your Life Month” featuring books by members Birgit Soyka and Teresa LeYung-Ryan. Join us for a fun evening— reception; authors’ presentations; meet the new board and members of the San Francisco Chapter. Please RSVP by emailing  BookShopRSVP@wnba-sfchapter.org

Birgit Soyka (author of To Drink the Wild Air: One Woman’s Quest to Touch the Horizon)

and

Teresa LeYung-Ryan (author of Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mary and I were telling Birgit about using YouTube to promote our work and Birgit was telling us about her wanting to identify her biggest target audience. Would that be readers of spiritual growth, world travels, women’s issues or motorcycle racing?

Then Terri Bertini (screenwriter, producer and director) showed up!  I had met Terri at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration last month.  When Birgit showed her book to Terri and started talking about her motorcycle racing and world travel . . . Terri said she remembers meeting Birgit in Los Angeles fifteen years ago at a race and that it seems like just yesterday. Voila!  Birgit (in her motorcycle gear) is memorable and attracts attention.

I asked Terri if she has a blog and she told us the blog name she is considering. When her blog name is official I will broadcast on my blog.

Birgit is interested in showcasing her book at more venues.  Mary and I will be at the Literary Arts/Fine Arts Department at the San Mateo County Fair on Friday 17, 2011 (please see http://www.lovemadeofheart.com/Teresa-LeYung-Ryan%27s-Events.html for details) but we cannot be at the fair the following day for Bardi Rosman Koodrin’s Author Book Day June 18, 2011, 2:00-4:00pm because Mary is giving a workshop in Half Moon Bay and I had promised to take photos and film her.

Here’s an idea:  I would email Bardi and pitch Birgit. Mary suggested to Birgit that if she gets table space on the 18th to showcase her books that she might also showcase my books.

Aah, helping each other, helping ourselves and having fun at the same time! This is why it is important to show up to network.

Janine Kovac, we missed you. Check out Janine’s blog. See you real soon.

Terri Bertini, thank you for joining us at the library.

Cheering for all hardworking writers!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Hope to see you on June 17, 2011!  at the Literary Arts Dept. Stage at the San Mateo County Fair in California

4:00-6:00pm Mary E. Knippel presents “Coaxing Creativity” workshop

6:30-8:00pm readings by California Writers Club–San Francisco Peninsula Branch members including contributing authors in the anthology Fault Zone: Words from the Edge.

8:00-9:00pm Author Teresa LeYung-Ryan uses Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and gain resources for their families. As Writing Career Coach Teresa, she helps fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge before and after publication with her workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days.

Writing Coach Teresa, what did you say was screenwriting teacher Terrel Seltzer’s mantra?

Terrel Seltzer’s simple and powerful mantra at the beginning of class was this:  “What makes a story?  Someone we care about wants something badly and is having a terrible time getting it.”

Let’s take a closer look at that golden mantra.

“Someone we care about (the protagonist or another character) wants something badly and is having a terrible time getting it.”

No one in our class (at The Writing Salon) cared about the protagonist Miles in the movie Sideways. However, we find out that Miles’s friend Jack cares about him; Miles’s mother cares about him; later, Maya (a kind person) cares about him.  Voila!  Someone we care about . . .

What if we don’t care about the protagonist or the other characters?  Then, we hook with the object of desire.  We want what the protagonist wants.

Terrel Seltzer has been a working screenwriter for twenty-five years, in both the Independent and Hollywood worlds. She has four produced screenplays: Chan Is Missing, Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, How I Got Into College, and One Fine Day staring George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer. Terrel teaches at California College of the Arts and The Writing Salon.  View her resume at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0783559/

If you get a  chance to take a class from Terrel Seltzer, I hope you’ll treat yourselves.

Sincerely,

Cheers to fiction and nonfiction writers!

Happy platform & fanbase building!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Click on book cover to go to Amazon 

Coach Teresa, did you write an article about plotting a writer’s platform for Plot Teacher Martha Alderson?

Martha Alderson, plot teacher, published my article especially written for her: http://www.blockbusterplots.com/resc/teresa.html

Here’s Martha’s introduction:

Teresa LeYung Ryan

I met Teresa more than twelve years ago, before either of us were published. When Teresa’s book, Love Made of Heart, a story about a daughter’s journey to self-forgiveness, was published by Kensington Publishing NY, she gave me credit for teaching her about the difference between front-story and back-story. As she promoted her book, she generously continued to give me credit and, in so doing, helped launch my plot teaching career. I’ve been grateful for her help ever since.

Now, Teresa has crafted a book for writers interested in building a platform for themselves. Early in our careers, the need for a fiction writer to have a “platform” was not great. Today, it’s imperative for all writers to establish a platform for themselves. In her new book, Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase in 22 Days Teresa gives easy to follow steps. I asked her to share some of her thoughts and ideas on building a writer’s platform.

Know Where Your Protagonist Is Going, Plot Your Story; Know Where Your Career is Heading, Plot Your Platform

From Plot Master Martha Alderson you have learned how to plot your story. Now, you might be asking “What is a platform?” and “Why do I need to plot one?”

On page 1 of my workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days, the definition of platform: “Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers who are likely to buy what you have to sell.”

Celebrity authors and best-selling authors have platforms. Authors who want to attract agents and publishers need platforms; authors who want to be their own publishers need them too.

Martha says: “Plot is what happens to the protagonist because of the dramatic action . . . . when the dramatic action changes him/her at depth over time, the story becomes thematically significant.”

The operative words are “at depth” and “over time.”

Just as your protagonist is transformed, so can your platform.

Years ago, when my publisher (who had found me through my agent) offered me a contract, I had 18 months to “think about my platform” (it would take 18 months for my book to go through the channels– from the day I sign the contract to the day when my book would be in bookstores—18 luxurious months to make my name stand for something).

Today, most authors will never experience that luxury. Why? Because even when an author lands an agent, the author’s manuscript or book proposal is often rejected by publishers if the author cannot show that he/she has a fanbase/platform.

You might be saying “I don’t need publishers. I’m going to self-publish.”

I say “Wonderful! Whether you want to sell rights to a publisher or be your own publisher, “invest” in yourself. Grow your fanbase now. Plot your platform. Know where your career is heading the way you know where your protagonist is going. And please… reach out, not stress out.

3 Tips to Get Started–Make Your Name Audible, Visible, Memorable:

1) When you introduce yourself at parties, meetings, conferences . . . enunciate your full name; the person you’re chatting with could be a future fan
Show your full name on name badges and sign-in sheets. If you have a pen name, and you want people to remember you by that name, use your pseudonym. Your phone’s outgoing message—announce your full name.

2) What does your name look like in your email address? Is it something obscure like “cba94111” cba94111@gmail.com ? You’re professional, make your email address professional. Here is mine: “Teresa LeYung Ryan” Teresa@LoveMadeOfHeart.com

3) What does your signature block look like? Show your full name. Also, if you like adding quotes in your signature block . . . instead of quoting other people, quote yourself. Show email recipients (even family members and friend) something memorable.
Examples:

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan, author/writing career coach
http://WritingCoachTeresa.com
“I use my workbook to help writers gain a competitive edge. A platform is not something you stand on. It’s something you stand for!”

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan,
http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com
“I use my novel Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and to gain resources for their families.”

Thank you, Writing Coach Teresa!

This is a sample of the ideas Teresa has to share with you in her new book, on her blog, and on her website. She, along with Elisa Southard — author of Break Through the Noise, has presented every year at the San Francisco Writers Conference to prepare writers for their pitch sessions with agents and publishers. She has helpful information for writers serious about their writing careers.

Thank you so much, Plot Teacher Martha!

If you’d like to read Martha’s interview of me as a novelist, go here: http://blockbusterplots.com/resc/ryan.html

Did you know that you can pre-order Martha’s new book via Amazon? (will be shipped October 2011 or sooner) The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

Cheers to fiction and nonfiction writers!

Happy platform & fanbase building!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

paperback edition of workbook  http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Writers-Platform-Fanbase/dp/0983010005/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306181835&sr=1-1

Kindle ebook edition  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005J9ZEIA/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

To submit your comment to any post in my blog, click on the blue header (title bar) of the post and fill in the boxes; then be sure to click “submit comment” otherwise your comment will be lost and you’d have to fill in boxes again. I’d like to hear from you.

Coach Teresa, how do I continue promoting myself after an event or a book signing or a reading?

Here’s my answer:

You’ve spent weeks, maybe even months, publicizing your event.  You deliver the event (and I hope you had fun), then you, the audience, everyone involved in coordination . . .  you all go home or on to another event. Have you forgotten something? That something is “follow up” work.  Who did you talk to at the event?  What did you promise? Below is an example – how to follow up. Angela Pang and her coworkers at AsianWeek work extremely hard each year orchestrating the Asian Heritage Street Celebration.  This is my Email to her; I cc’ed my booth partners Margie Yee Webb and Patricia Tsang, M.D.

May 22, 2011

Dear Angela,

If you need quotes from us for post-event newsletter . . . here goes;  also, 3 photos attached.

Who were the authors at this year’s AHSC? Margie Yee Webb (Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life), Teresa LeYung Ryan (Love Made of Heart; Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days), and Patricia Tsang, M.D. (Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine).  Margie Yee Webb says: “California Writers Club is proud to once again be part of the Asian Heritage Street Celebration to encourage everyone to write their stories.  We are also pleased to support schools through donations to the School Raffle Program.” Teresa LeYung Ryan says: “I thank Margie and Asian-Week Foundation for re-connecting me to the Asian-American community. My third year at AHSC, I had so much fun with my friends.”  Patricia Tsang, M.D. says: “A street fair with food, culture, art, literature, martial arts, health science, and more. What can be more enticing to an Asian?  The celebration gave me a chance to reconnect with my roots as well as share information about my book.”

Angela, thanks again for making our experience enjoyable!   Margie & Pat, I’ll email you more photos later 

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan  on facebook!

Check out Teresa’s YouTube videos http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

http://writingcoachteresa.com

You notice how I embedded our URLs in our names? (so that if Angela or AsianWeek e-newsletter readers want to read more about us and California Writers Club. . . they’d be taken to our websites).  By the way, my two booth partners and I are also members of Women’s National Book Association -San Francisco Chapter.

Coach Teresa here has a lot of follow-up emails to send and photos to resize and rename. To see a partial list of people I met at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration, please go to my May 22, 2011 post . Thanks.

Have fun building your writer’s platform!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan (click on my name to get to my YouTube videos)

***

Click on book cover to go to Amazon

To submit your comment to any post in my blog, click on the blue header (title bar) of the post and fill in the boxes; then be sure to click “submit comment” otherwise your comment will be lost and you’d have to fill in boxes again. I’d like to hear from you.

Coach Teresa, what happened at Asian Heritage Street Celebration?

Everyday is an adventure for us writers.  The AHSC street fair (on Larkin Street between Grove St. and Ellis St.) was yesterday May 21, 2011, 11:00am-6:00pm

Margie Yee Webb and I rendezvoused a bit after 8:00am at our booth to set up; we were assigned booth F-18 (the 300 block of Larkin St., just yards away from the Asian Art Museum).

Margie is a pro at staging–she brought strings of colorful paper lanterns, red table clothes, a pot of silk irises, California Writers Club literature, and her vibrant display of her gift book Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life.

I brought the blow-ups of our book covers; Margie had clips.

AHSC volunteers were friendly and helpful. Special thanks to Angela Pang of AsianWeek Foundation.

Patricia Tsang, M.D. was the third member of our booth.  Dr. Tsang’s book is Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine

The public couldn’t wait until 11:00am; they started browsing around 10:00am.

Here’s a partial list of delightful people I talked to:

Harvey of Eastwind Books of Berkeley told me he carries my novel Love Made of Heart and asked me to deliver a presentation at his store. I’d love to do that, and, also present my workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days.

Beverly Lee wants to invite me, Margie and Patricia to her authors series at On Lok Senior Center.

Gemma Nemenzo invited us to exhibit our books at the Filipino American International Book Festival this year.

Mary Moreno gifted me a copy of Tao I: The Way of All Life (Soul Power series) by Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha.

Margie Yee Webb’s sister Pearl introduced me to Jeff Adachi, director of the  film You Don’t Know Jack: the Jack Soo Story.

Lucian Dang, ESL teacher, invited me to be a guest speaker on his online class.

Margie’s sisters Pearl, Linda, Anna, Betty, and her nieces and nephews came to cheer for us. Patricia’s former patients were delighted to see retired Dr. Tsang at the street fair.

Dear friend Jonathan came by with his bicycle and baked goods!

Mona!  What a surprise.  Inge Horton, fellow member of  Women’s National Book Association, showed up — what a treat!

Fred Glynn came by to show me his book Authors of the Bible .   Fred said he was on the Internet looking for information on Claudia Boutote of Harper One . . .  because I had “tagged” Claudia in my May 6, 2011 blog post, Fred found me through my blog !   My clients (if you’re reading this), are you smiling?  Don’t I always encourage you to spend time “tagging” on cyberspace?  Help your fans find you.

Elliotte Mao !!!  Elliotte trekked all the way from the mid-Peninsula.  CWC-SF Peninsula branch guest speaker was Scott James (aka Kemble Scott) and I would have been at that meeting if the street fair was another day.

More magic.  James Scott (not Scott James) and his partner Richard came by our booth.  James Scott illustrates architecture.  He demonstrated this talent for Margie, Patricia and me to see.

Writing Career Coach Teresa encourages illustrator James Scott to pursue grants

*********

*********

Renel!  The KISS 98.1 booth was directly across from our booth.  Here I am — a Renel fan.

*****

Did Coach Teresa have fun?   Yes!  Being with colleagues, seeing friends, meeting folks who like to read and share the joy of reading, celebrating Asian American heritage, eating a Thai lunch, seeing the red dragon . . .

Writing Career Coach Teresa says: "Reach out not stress out"

“Building your writer’s platform ought to be fun!”

I’m cheering for you!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa

Click on book cover to go to Amazon

Kim Randolph helps her clients promote their E-waste businesses so Coach Teresa dubs Kim "E-waste Liaison"

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Writing Career Coach Teresa, where will you be at Asian Heritage Street Celebration (street fair) in San Francisco?

It’s going to be so much fun!   Saturday May 21, 2011, 11:00am – 6:00pm

Look for me (author and writing career coach Teresa LeYung Ryan) and my colleagues on Larkin Street, Booth F-18 (on the 300 block of Larkin St., between McAllister St. & Golden Gate Ave. ), the block north of Asian Art Museum, same side of the street.

Margie Yee Webb has orchestrated our California Writers Club booth.  I went to Copy Edge (the folks are nice there) on University Ave. in Berkeley to get blow-ups of our book covers.  Dr. Patricia Tsang will join us this year.  Lloyd Lofthouse might be there again this year. Look for Booth F-18 with our beautiful book covers and the California Writers Club “sail on” logo.   See you at Booth F-18 !

I wish I could bring the street fair to my friend Diane . . .

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Build Your Writer's Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

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Love Made of Heart - get this book for your mom or sister

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California Writers Club - supportive colleagues

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Cat Mulan's Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life

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Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine

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