Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

Posts Tagged ‘and Media Attention NOW’

Coach Teresa Advises Reading While Rewriting

Dear Writers,

Are you stressed out while rewriting your project?  Breathe. Drink water. Exercise.  And read, read, read.

Whatever genre you’re writing, give your characters new sparks by rereading your favorite book of the same genre.

Study how the author of that favorite book show:

• what the protagonist wants (early in the story)–to connect with Reader
• the authentic details in the setting, circumstances, vernacular
• sensory details
• dialogue and body language that reveals each character’s personality or what he/she wants to show
• hooks, foreshadowing, metaphors
• archetypes help move story forward
• thematic threads

I’m cheering for you!

Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Teresa LeYung-Ryan has helped over 1,000 writers.

As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying the themes and archetypes in their stories.

Her novel Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes.

As author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW, she coaches authors before and after publication. 

http://writingcoachteresa.com Read other posts in her blog.

Coach Teresa here . . . I received an email from Local Hero/San Bruno Patch columnist / Bardi Rosman Koodrin (“The Healing Chronicles”), informing me that Matt Cranford, Fair & Festival Event Manager at the San Mateo County Fair, would like to know how I implemented the writing contest (THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY Sponsored by Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author of  Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW ) earlier this year and what were its achievements.

Well, the magnificent forum was already in place–the San Mateo County Fair.  In October 2010 when Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Literary Director for the Fine Arts Department of San Mateo County Fair, invited me to create and sponsor a writing contest that would carry a theme close to my heart, I said “Yes.”

I had been a judge for other writing contests before; this was a chance to create a category!

Thanks to Bardi and the other sponsors who had participated in the previous year, my being “the new kid on the block” was an easy job in terms of writing the “ad” for my contest.

In my professional life, I wear 3 hats–an author, a manuscript consultant, and a writing career coach.  Under all those hats and behind my fifty-plus years is also a protagonist who lived/is living the immigrant experience.

What do the Immigrant Experience Writing Contest and a Main Character’s / Hero’s Journey Have In Common? They are all stories about a protagonist leaving or having left a familiar place for a strange new world and how she/he is transformed.

So, immediately after receiving the hardcopy and the electronic version of the San Mateo County Fair 2011 catalog, I began publicizing not only my contest but also all the writing contests under the auspices of the San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Department.  Then I linked my role in the contest to my role in other causes as well as the roles of my colleagues who were promoting causes close to their hearts. Immigrants. Literacy. Libraries.  Heroes. Wisdom. Mental Health. Mothers and daughters.

Fast forward . . . after I read all the entries, I asked writing mentor Mary E. Knippel to read and rate them too.  We agreed that while all the entries had distinct voices and compelling themes, one entry was exceptional.

Here’s the excerpt (from the first-place winner “My Chinese-American Experience” by Patricia Tsang) that hooked me:

As with most Chinese families, the patriarch, my paternal grandfather, was responsible for giving Chinese names to his grandchildren.  My eldest brother was named Forever Bright; my second brother was named Forever Clear.  Because my grandfather died before I was born, I was destined to be Forever Nameless . . . .

Patricia Tsang first place winner in 2011 Immigrant Experience Writing Contest sponsored by Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Brava to Patricia Tsang!

What was my reward to sponsor the contest? The creation of THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE writing contest gave me a fresh way to celebrate immigrants and descendants of immigrants.

At this time, I wish to say again “Thank you, English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers Victor Turks, Miriam Queen, Patricia Costello and your wonderful students at City College of San Francisco, for having read Love Made of Heart.” http://www.lovemadeofheart.com/The-Immigrant-Experience.html

Thank you, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Literary Director for the Fine Arts Department!

Thank you, Matt Cranford, Fair & Festival Event Manager!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams!”

Writing Career Coach/Manuscript Consultant

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (print edition & eBook edition)
Author of Love Made of Heart (inspires adult children of mentally ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and find resources for their families)

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan helps fiction and nonfiction writers build their platforms and fanbases before and after publication--photo by MKWL

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Below are the links to my blog posts demonstrating how I broadcast the writing contests and the fair:

June 18, 2011 blog post:

Coach Teresa, how do I build fame as a writer?

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here to say: “Use what you know to build fame. Use your three intertwining circles. Be yourself. Have fun.”

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/coach-teresa-how-do-i-build-fame-as-a-writer/

June 15, 2011 blog post:

What Do Dr. Andy, Poetry, Technology, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, San Mateo County Fair, Oakland Libraries, and Coach Teresa Have In Common?

Promoting literacy, literary arts and underdogs (a.k.a. libraries) . . .

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/what-does-dr-andy-poetry-technology-bardi-rosman-koodrin-san-mateo-county-fair-oakland-libraries-and-coach-teresa-have-in-common/

June 10, 2011 blog post:

Congratulations to the Writers Who Entered The Immigrant Experience Writing Contest

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/congratulations-to-the-writers-who-entered-the-immigrant-experience-writing-contest/

Dear Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Sue Barizon, Elliotte Mao,

Bardi had invited me to attend the award ceremony on June 11, 2011 (San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts writing contests). I had wanted so much to be there, to thank everyone in the SMCF offices and the writers who entered the contest I sponsored  – “The Immigrant Experience”

A previous commitment prevents me from being there with you on June 11th.

Could you  3 wonderful hearts Bardi, Elliotte, Sue (Sue, I read what you said about Bardi in The Patch) please print the attachment and bring it to the June 11 ceremony and one of you read it for me?

May 12, 2011

Where Do We Find Heroes? They Show Up–Young, Middle-Aged–What They Do–All Inspirational

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/where-do-we-find-heroes-they-show-up-young-or-middle-aged-what-they-do-all-inspirational/

April 8, 2011

Writing Contest, Immigrant Experience, Asian Heritage Street Celebration 2011, Wisdom Has a Voice Anthology, Mothers and Daughters, Mental Health

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan here, looking forward to four related events/projects.

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/writing-contest-immigrant-experience-asian-heritage-street-celebration-2011-wisdom-has-a-voice-anthology-mothers-and-daughters/

April 5, 2011

Our 5^th Annual Local Heroes have been selected and it’s time to celebrate them!

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/5th-annual-local-heroes-have-been-selected-and-its-time-to-celebrate-them/

March 15, 2011

General Rules for 2011 Writing Contests from San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Dept.

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/general-rules-for-2011-writing-contests-from-san-mateo-county-fair-literary-arts-dept/

March 13, 2011

Is There a Writing Contest for Novels, Memoirs, Short Stories that Invites the Theme of the Immigrant Experience?

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/is-there-a-writing-contest-for-novels-memoirs-short-stories-that-invites-the-theme-of-the-immigrant-experience/

What Do Writing Platform Coach Teresa, Cat Mulan Author Margie, Wisdom Voice Kate, and Maxine Hong Kingston Have In Common?

Maxine Hong Kingston’s book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts inspired Teresa LeYung Ryan to write Love Made of Heart; Maxine is also a “main character” in Teresa’s workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

In The Woman Warrior, young Maxine’s role model came from the Ballad of Mulan; Margie Yee Webb’s book is Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life

The first line in The Woman Warrior -  “You must not tell anyone,” my mother said, “what I am about to tell you.”  Kate Farrell’s anthology Wisdom Has a Voice: Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother conveys meaning to this deeply bonded relationship.

On Saturday September 24, 2011, 10:00am – 4:00pm, please stop by and say hello if you are in or near Santa Rosa, CA.

The Sonoma County Book Festival,  Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, CA

Please visit us at our booth

Also,  come by the Redwood Village Stage at the festival:

1:00pm Redwood Writers Vintage Voices

1:45-2:00pm Margie Yee Webb & Teresa LeYung-Ryan

2:00-2:45pm Kate Farrell

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Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: "Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams."

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Maxine Hong Kingston will be on the main stage sometime between 2:30-4:00pm.

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Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Author, Writing Career Coach, Manuscript Consultant.

Teresa’s blog http://writingcoachteresa.com for resources.

Teresa uses Love Made of Heart to inspire adult children of mentally ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and find resources for their families. (the novel is available in libraries, archived in the San Francisco History Center, and used by teachers in college and universities).

She’s also the author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (a workbook to help writers of all genres gain a competitive edge before and after publication. Available as ebook Kindle edition $9.81! Customers of the workbook are saying that it’s useful for anyone who has anything to promote.)

Coach Teresa here.  Recently I received happy news from dear Yolande Barial; she said: “Just to let you know that I am now officially a part of the Tracy Press. Photo and all.  Woo hoo!!!!”

Here’s a recent article from Yolande’s column:

Her Voice:  Invest in teens’ transition sooner rather than later

Yolande Barial's energy reminds me of Oprah's.

Who is Just-A-Mom speaking on purpose about God, children, life and love? Poet / Essayist / Author / Anthology Contributor / Columnist Yolande Barial!

Almost two years ago, Yolande was one of the talented writers who helped me test-market my workbook Build Your Name Beat the Game: Be Happily Published.

She said: “Coach Teresa, my brain has been on fire since our meeting. There is so much I want to do with my blog and the ideas keep on coming. Thank you!” Yolande Barial, a sensually spiritual writer who knows that with God all things are possible! A contributing author in If Women Ruled the World and Oakland’s Neighborhoods

August is “Happiness Happens Month” and Yolande’s birth-month.  Happy birthday/birthmonth wishes to my friend who has been a voice-of-wisdom “Don’t let anyone’s gossiping taint your relationship with anyone else.”

A thousand blessings to Yolande!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan, writing career coach, manuscript consultant, and

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

Coach Teresa’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

International plot consultant Martha Alderson reflects on the development of plot and structure for writers to achieve maximum reader connection and enjoyment. Home of: INTERNATIONAL PLOT WRITING MONTH: December AKA PostNaNoPlot Perfection

Martha Alderson’s blog post: 17 August 2011

Backstory versus Front Story

Watch your delivery of backstory ~ the story of what, in the past, made the character who they are today (in story time).

Dear Plot Whisperer Martha,

Your advice “Not telling everything makes the reader curious. Curiosity draws the reader deeper into the story world.” is golden.

When I edit my hard-working clients’ manuscripts, I see their desire to ‘inform’ (especially in the first quarter of the story);  and I give them this analogy: “Engaging the reader within the first 5 pages is so much like hooking attention on a first date, the next five pages on a second date, and so on, and so on. Intrigue the reader, not overwhelm her/him.”

Martha, I am so excited that your new book will be available in October! Lucky us writers and manuscript consultants!

Cheers to you!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Coach Teresa’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

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

To submit your comment to any post (article) in my blog, click on the blue header (title bar) of the post and fill in the boxes (you don’t need to fill in your website address if you don’t have a website); then be sure to click “submit comment” otherwise I won’t get to see your comment. I’d like to hear from you.

Coach Teresa, How Do Writers & Authors Rebuild Their Lives?

June 28, 2011 was a delightful display of authors rebuilding their lives.

Birgit Soyka and I (Teresa LeYung Ryan) were the featured authors at our Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter event at BookShop West Portal in San Francisco.

Birgit Soyka and Teresa LeYung Ryan celebrate Rebuild Your Life Month at BookShop West Portal - photo by Teresa's sister Maria

Birgit Soyka rebuilt her life, leaving Germany and coming to California. Motorcycle racing there and motorcycle racing here – two different worlds. Read her book To Drink the Wild Air.

I, Teresa LeYung-Ryan, rebuilt my career after Love Made of Heart was published by Kensington Publishing Corp. New York.  I discovered that I had an eye as an editor–helping other writers identify the themes and archetypes in their stories, so, I became a manuscript consultant.  Then when my clients reported that agents and publishers passed them by because they (the writers) didn’t have platforms and fanbases, I became a writing career coach for them.  And, I published Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Neal Sofman, the owner of BookShop West Portal, had to rebuild his business. Remember A Clean Well Lighted Place for Books? Those bookstores were owned by Neal.  To survive hard times, he had to close those stores.  Closure of one dream, invitation to another dream. BookShop West Portal in San Francisco is thriving.

Neal Sofman & BookShop West Portal get support from WNBA's Teresa LeYung Ryan & Birgit Soyka--photo by Leigh Anne Lindsey

I thank everyone who stepped out on rainy June 28, 2011 to support BookShop West Portal, WNBA, Birgit Soyka and yours truly Teresa LeYung-Ryan. May everyone who wants to rebuild her/his life do it joyfully.

Thank you to Neal, Kevin, Loretta, Jose, Jess at BookShop West Portal, Leigh Anne Lindsey, Birgit, Birgit’s friends, my sister and my friends Jonathan, Paula, Michelle Tapia, Miss Lauren Jung, bookstore loyalists and everyone there that evening.

And, remember, “Reach out, not stress out, when building or rebuilding your platform and fanbase!”

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan (who helps writers build their platforms and fanbases) celebrates "Rebuild Your Life Month" at BookShop West Portal photo by Maria

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Lauren Jung and Michelle Tapia read scene from Love Made of Heart photo by Teresa LeYung-Ryan's sister Maria

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Maria and Jonathan support BookShop West Portal

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Paula, Michelle, Lauren, Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Jonathan support BookShop West Portal photo by Maria

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authors & publishers Leigh Anne Lindsey & Teresa LeYung Ryan cheer for Women's National Book Assn & BookShop West Portal

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Neal Sofman & BookShop West Portal praised by Author & Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan photo by Maria

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Manuscript Consultant

Writing Career Coach

author of Love Made of Heart

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

Dear Birgit,

I had so much fun celebrating “Rebuild Your Life Month” with you, my friends and yours at BookShop West Portal! I too blogged http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/coach-teresa-how-do-writers-authors-rebuild-their-lives/ See you and Jacqueline on Thursday July 7, 2011 at San Francisco Public Library-main branch, Stong Conference Room 6:00-7:30pm for WNBA meet-up!

Cheers from Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan Loves Stories About Words

Tuesday night, my sister and I dined at Squat & Gobble Cafe & Crepery before going to my gig with fellow Women’s National Book Association member Birgit Soyka at BookShop West Portal.

At first I thought the eatery was called Squab & Gobble, but, the name is Squat & Gobble. Why “Squat” ?  Chickens squat. People squat.  Squatting is done with the lower half of our body. Why “Gobble” ? Gobbling is done with our mouths.

What’s the lore behind the phrase squat and gobble?

Here’s a story about the Chinese word for “heart”:   The word “heart” is inside the words “grace,” “forgiveness,” “perseverance,” “compassion.” The word “heart” is inside the word “love” thus love made of heart.

What was our gig? http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/how-do-authors-teresa-leyung-ryan-and-birgit-soyka-celebrate-rebuild-your-life-month-in-june/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Manuscript Consultant

author of Love Made of Heart

Writing Career Coach

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

Coach Teresa, how do I build fame as a writer?

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here to say: “Use what you know to build fame. Use your three intertwining circles. Be yourself. Have fun.”

Contact me if you would like to invite me to your writers’ club.  My email address is on my website:  Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

I had so much fun yesterday with California Writers Club–San Francisco Peninsula branch members at the San Mateo County Fair.

Mary Knippel, Teresa LeYung Ryan, Martin Shane Dowd (far right in photo) and California Writers Club Fault Zone anthology contributing authors Ann Foster, Darlene Frank, Tory Hartmann, Lisa Meltzer Penn editor, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Christopher Wachlin

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Congratulations to the Writers Who Entered The Immigrant Experience Writing Contest!

DIVISION 342 – THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY
Sponsored by Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author of  Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

Patricia Tsang first place winner in 2011 Immigrant Experience Writing Contest created and sponsored by Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

First place winner:  “My Chinese American Experience” by Patricia Tsang

Second place winner: “Dancing Among the Tombstones” by Ellen Six

Third place winner: “Culture Shock” by Lucy Murray

Honorable Mention: “Message Deleted” by Evie Groch

Honorable Mention: “Caught in the Current” by Uldis Zebergs

Honorable Mention: “The Luck of the Irish” by Martha Traynor

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Thank you, Boris Koodrin, Fine Arts Director at the San Mateo County Fair!

Thank you a thousand times, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Literary Arts Director, for your big-hearted spirit and courage!

“Reach out, not stress out, when building your fame!”

Sincerely,

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

author of Love Made of Heart

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

Do Antagonists Have To Be People?

Coach Teresa here to answer the question with a question.  Colleague Mary E. Knippel and her husband rented the new movie The King’s Speech (starring Colin Firth) and I watched it with them.

Who can tell me what/who is the most frightening antagonist to the protagonist (main character) in this story?

Mary’s husband says: “The microphone!”  What do you think?  What does the microphone represent?

Sincerely,

Cheers from Writing Coach Teresa!

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW Available through Amazon.com   Check out the reviews!   Coach Teresa created the fun workbook to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!   After you order Coach Teresa’s workbook, email her to receive an exclusive bonus on platform-building. Teresa’s email address is on her website WritingCoachTeresa.com

How do I publish an anthology?

Colleagues at California Writers Club (CWC) have done it, again and again–organized “calls for submission”, created guidelines for the selection process, found editors, identified endorsers, lined up experts for book covers, layout, index, publishers, marketing and distribution channels (all with the help of their platforms fanbases).

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The CWC SF/Peninsula branch anthology Fault Zone: Words from the Edge is on sale at Kepler’s Books and Magazines in Menlo Park, both in-store and online. The cost is $7.00.

To purchase online: http://www.keplers.com/local-authors

To purchase in-store: Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Speaking of CWC San Francisco Peninsula branch–they meet at Belmont Library  . . . on May 21st, 2011, 10:00am–noon Scott James (a.k.a. Kemble Scott) will be speaking at that fabulous branch (yours truly is a member and past president).

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CWC Redwood branch has 4 anthologies, about to publish their fifth. Their meetings are in Santa Rosa, CA.

Take a look at their wonderful anthologies too.

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Kate Farrell is editor-in-chief for Wisdom Has a Voice: Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother

I’m about to read excerpts from the anthology before writing my advance praise.  Also,  I’m a fan of Kate Farrell’s literary works. Take a look at her young-adult novel Girl In the Mirror

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Cheers from

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan http://writingcoachTeresa.com

To find out what a writer’s platform is and how to build yours and your fanbase, get Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (paperback) $22.00 through Amazon.com