Teresa LeYung Ryan

Posts Tagged ‘Elisa Southard’

Hello, Everyone,

I have exciting news.  Today I registered my own publishing company – GraceArt Publishing.  I thank my dear mastermind buddies who have encouraged me these past two years to re-invent myself again.  Thank you, author Luisa Adams, for coming up with “GraceArt.”  Thank you, plot consultant, author & publisher Martha Alderson, for trail-blazing.

I’m proud to be a publisher. I can better support bookstores, booksellers, schools, libraries, and the entire book community now.

Since January 2010 I have been updating my 22-minutes for 22 days workbook to help authors build their names/platforms to attract agents, acquisition editors and publishers. Printing and shipping my workbook have been time-consuming and costly.  After reading The Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit! Start a Own Home-Based Publishing Company and Publish Your Non-Fiction Book with CreateSpace and Amazon, I have decided to use the CreateSpace program for my workbook.

Now I am not only the author but also the publisher and owner of the ISBN (the book’s I.D. number); Amazon will print-on-demand, produce the e-book version of my workbook, distribute, and fulfill orders.  As the publisher, I will continue to promote my book; also I can update it as often as I want.

So, I have changed the title of my workbook from Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published to:  Build My Writer’s Name and Platform: Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention. I like “Build Your Name, Beat the Game ” though (love the rhyme–thank you Elisa Southard); I can use it as my workshop title.

May the force be with you, Writers & Publishers!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

“Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.” http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Writers, Go & Enjoy a Day in Wine Country at Redwood Writers 2010 Conference

Saturday, October 30th, 7:30 am – 6:30 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdmhXqDaYTA

Redwood Writers, a branch of the California Writers Club, is producing its second annual writing conference, set in the beautiful city of Santa Rosa, CA.

Pre-conference Poetry Evening, Friday, October 29th

Flamingo Hotel and Resort, 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, CA

Theme:  Celebration of the Written Word

This one-day conference will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting.

Saturday Conference – All Day – October 30, 2010 7:30 am to 6:30 pm

7:30 – 8:15 am – Check-in

8:30 – 9:15 am – Morning Keynote Address by Elisa Southard

9:30 – 4:15 pm – Twelve Sessions available (including “Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published” with Writing Career Coach & Author Teresa LeYung Ryan at 9:30-10:30am)

12:30 – 1:15 pm – Luncheon Keynote Address by Sheldon Siegel

Recognition: Winners of the Prose contest

5:00 – 6:30 pm – Networking Session, hosted by your CWC – Redwood Branch Board

If you would like to enter the conference contests, go to http://redwoodwriters.org/redwood-conference/ then click on Poetry Contest and Prose Contest pages for fees and entry forms to be sent snail mail. The poetry contest is open to the public. The prose contest is open to conference registrants only.  All contest entries and fees must be sent via snail mail to: P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Special thanks go to Marlene Cullen, Tricia McWhorter, Elizabeth Beechwood, Kate Farrell, and Redwood Writers  http://redwoodwriters.org/redwood-conference/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for my blog http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

cast members Jessica Watkins & Teresa LeYung Ryan in The Vagina Monologues 2010 April 12

post performance–Caitlin in front & Leslie, Amira, Teresa LeYung Ryan, Lakshmi Kerner,Mary Knippel, and friend

Email from Director Kathryn G. McCarty of April 21, 2010 with a link to the YouTube video (photos by Ellen Gailing http://ellengailingphotography.com, “U.N.I.T.Y.” by Queen Latifah and “This One’s For the Girls” by Martina McBride  added):

Kathy said:  “This is also on my facebook page, you can link to it there.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIs8H2u6lW0 What beautiful women!    And men.      Thank you for sharing your talent and energy!   Everyone did such a great job!!”

Kathryn G. McCarty
kgmccarty.com

Upcoming Theatre Projects…Info coming at galateanplayers.com

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES by Eve Ensler performed on April 12, 2010, at Craneway Pavillion, Richmond , CA–a fundraiser for  Community Violence Solutions http://www.cvsolutions.org/

V-Day Until the Violence Stops is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.

author Elisa Southard & director Kathryn McCarty & actress Teresa LeYung Ryan at Vagina Monologues

Thank you to all the writers, musicians, artists of all genres throughout history who have spoken out against violence of any type.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://www.lovemadeofheart.com/Advocacy-For-Women-Resources.html

***

I still can’t believe I was in the cast of The Vagina Monologues, the award-winning play that is performed in colleges & universities across the United States.  I thank Eve Ensler for interviewing the 200+ women; I thank the women who told their stories to Ms. Ensler; I thank everyone who supports spreading awareness about and putting an end to the atrocities against women and girls in every culture on this planet. I got onto the Internet to find articles about Ms. Ensler and the play, so, I keyed in the words: The Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler in Google search and found:
http://www.ted.com/talks/eve_ensler_on_happiness_in_body_and_soul.html

Eve Ensler spoke eloquently on TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) in 2004.  In 20 precious minutes, Eve talked about how The Vagina Monologues came to be; Marsha Lopez in Afghanistan; Esther Chavez in Juarez, Mexico; Agnes In Kenya, help stop female genital mutilation; her belief in Mr. Alligator who would come to her rescue when she was a girl; 1 in 3 women are beatened or raped; Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg; purpose & intent; date-rape, drugs; Vagina Warriors; when we give what we want the most.

author Elisa Southard with Vagina Monologues cast member Teresa LeYung Ryan & creativity coach Mary Knippel photo by Ellen Gailing

I am so honored that I got to speak some lines from the play. For the past 8 years I’ve been working on my second novel, the story of a first-time published author who is afraid to talk about human-trafficking. I got my chance to speak out with Ms. Ensler’s script.

The performance was a benefit for Community Violence Solutions http://www.cvsolutions.org/. Caring attitude from Director Kathy McCarty, her production team, and members in the cast (women of all ages and diverse cultures from the community); audience was gracious; folks from Community Violence Solutions showed dedication.

I learned to listen for the lines assigned to a fellow actress so that I could speak mine in a seamless fashion.  I learned to get into my body while listening to all the lines; creating a circle of energy was most important.

Thank you, community spirits, for stepping out to say: “Stop the violence.  Stop the suffering.”

Thank you, Elisa Southard http://breakthroughthenoise.com/, for talking to Director Kathy http://galateanplayers.com/ when she announced her desire to direct the play again.

Thank you, Mary Knippel http://openuptoyourcreativity.com/, for getting me there on time on performance day, for getting me home after a long day.

Thank  you, Pat Phillips, Lakshmi Kerner, Amira, Leslie, Debbie, all of Lakshmi’s friends, Joey, Joey’s sisters, Michaela, Mike (sorry I didn’t get a chance to say thanks in person).  Thank you to all my friends, my sis & bro-in-law, my hubby for sending good thoughts.

I’ve met remarkable women in this production; hope to connect with them this year. I reconnected with Cynthia Peterson of CVS; what a joy. Where is our colleague and poet Shirley Phelps?

Ellen Gailing http://ellengailingphotography.com/ took vibrant photos; I’ll post more as I receive them.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

I, Teresa LeYung Ryan, use my novel Love Made of Heart to:

• shed light on the secret agonies suffered by immigrant women, men and children.
• inspire understanding of mental illness/traumas of the mind.
• help survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

Love Made of Heart, the story that sheds light on the stigmas & secret agonies suffered by a mentally-ill immigrant moth

http://LoveMadeofHeart.com/

April is National Poetry Month
April is School Library Media Month
April is Informed Woman Month
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month

Wednesday April 7, 2010 Richmond, CA

I went to my second rehearsal tonight of The Vagina Monologues.

I have lines in these 2 sections of the play:

“I Was There In the Room” The  lines are beautifully poetic.
Vanessa, Vicki, Natalie, Michelle, Martha and I had a good time saying our lines.

“A teenage Girl’s Guide to Surviving Sex Slavery” I can’t describe to you what this passage is; you have to see the show–Monday April 12, 2010, 7:30pm

Teresa LeYung Ryan rehearsing with fellow actresses "I Was There In The Room" in The Vagina Monologues

Director Kathryn G. McCarty said:  “A cast member asked me to include a few words on why I am doing this show.  Back in November, I stood with fellow teachers and friends at the Candlelight Vigil for the victim of the Gang Rape in Richmond (a student of mine).    A few weeks later, a fellow teacher told me he heard another young woman at our school say ‘I don’t know what the big deal is about rape.  It happens to everyone.’

“Everyone?  Did I hear this clearly?   I wondered what I could do.  After some thought, I spoke with several friends & decided  The Vagina Monologues was a show that needed to be done.

“We really need help getting the word out about the show, which is a benefit for Community Violence Solutions, a rape crisis center.  We would really like to reach young people who might not go to such events – but who will learn from this show.  Thanks for your help!”

Director Kathy McCarty is so good with us newbies. We’re all working hard rehearsing, spreading the word about April 12th, and making new friends.

See you at the Craneway Pavillion, 1414 Harbour Way South, in the Marina district of Richmond, CA, convenient to the 580 freeway.   www.craneway.com

Tickets at:  http://galateanplayers.com “Family Vagina Warrior Discount”  The $30.00  online discounted ticket is available April 7 – April 10.  If you can’t make it to the show, there is also the “Each One, Reach One” ticket, where you can donate $20 to help sponsor someone else’s coming to the show.  $25 for students & seniors. Or https://www.goldstar.com/ for $20 tickets & $5 fee.

Thanks, Elisa Southard, for cheering me on; this newbie likes being an actress.

authors Teresa LeYung Ryan & Elisa Southard in Pittsburg, CA commemorating Denim Day 2005

Thursday, April 8, 2010 third rehearsal. Tonight I remembered 90% of my lines.  I had fun. I was deeply moved by the other gals’ deliveries of their lines.

http://www.goldstar.com/events/richmond-ca/the-vagina-monologues.html

“On April 12, 2010, 7:30pm Women from throughout the East Bay unite to perform Eve Ensler’s award-winning play The Vagina Monologues as a benefit for Community Violence Solutions. V-Day is a global movement and series of consciousness-raising events geared toward ending violence against girls and women worldwide. The Vagina Monologues is based on more than 200 interviews with women. The monologues help give voice to experiences and feelings not traditionally exposed in public.”

Directed by   Kathryn G. McCarty   a benefit for Community Violence Solutions

In an interview:  “Somehow the Craneway Pavillion seems an appropriate venue,” said Clay David, who is helping to produce The Vagina Monologues. The venue is in the Rosie the Riveter National Park, he explained. “The V-Day Movement possesses a very ‘We Can Do It’ grassroots effort. It’s a movement that started small, in colleges throughout the country, and it’s done magnificent work.”

http://galateanplayers.com/THEVAGINAMONOLOGUES.html
Further information about V-Day:   http://www.vday.org

Teresa LeYung Ryan rehearsing lines in "A Teenage Girl's Guide to Surviving Sex Slavery" in The Vagina Monologues

Sincerely,

Teresa

I, Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart, help survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

www.LoveMadeOfHeart.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/

My friend and colleague Elisa Southard and I met on Wednesday to outline our presentation for the San Francisco Writers Conference in February.

Conference registrants have described us as “The Elisa & Teresa Show” because we do skits to demonstrate our points, and, our sessions are always interactive.“Writing-Career Coach Teresa & Talking-Tagline Coach Elisa Southard love helping authors hook attention from agents and publishers.”

This year, SFWC creators Elizabeth Pomada & Michael Larsen want us to present: UPPING YOUR PLATFORM: Building Your Visibility Online and Off with YOUR Talking Tagline.
Fun! As a pre-conference exercise, I ask registrants to Google our names and see what our talking-taglines are.

Elisa Southard IS the Talking-Tagline Queen and the author of  Break Through the Noise: 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message.

She’s my coach when I need to hook attention. She even dreamed up the main part of the title of my new guide !  Build Your Name, Beat the Game.  What a gift!  Thank you, Elisa!

Elisa’s working on a new book herself. Meanwhile I’d like to remind all writers (and anyone who has a service to provide) to visit her website.  http://breakthroughthenoise.com/

Elisa is often quoted as saying, “Don’t kill a marketing moment, execute it.”

Happy New Year, Elisa!  And Happy Writing your new book!

Coach Teresa & Coach Elisa

Sincerely,

Teresa

Talk about writers collaborating and having fun… Barbara Whittaker, GM of The Axe & Palm Café, Stanford University, created a literary series and invited yours truly Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart, to kick-off the new program on November 12, 2009. Dear friend Elisa Southard, author of Break Through the Noise: 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message, showed up to take photos and video. What a delightful evening.  My hubby was there to record and cheer.

Teresa LeYung Ryan shows Chinese word for "love" and Barbara Whittaker holds Teresa's novel Love Made of Heart

Stanford students Natalia, Chana Rose, Zach with Teresa LeYung Ryan (middle) and Barbara Whittaker (right)

Lyle Ryan & Teresa LeYung Ryan

Stanford students Natalia Birgisson, Chana Rose Rabinovitz and Zach O’Keeffe read scenes with me. These young people made a deep impression on me.

David, thank you for setting up P/A system; Anthony, thank you for tranforming space; Scott (Barbara’s hubby), thank you for helping with sound-check. Friends who couldn’t attend, thank you for sweet  emails and voicemails.

Stanford students & The Axe & Palm Cafe staff are memorable characters.

The heroes & heroines at The Axe & Palm Cafe with Teresa and Barbara, photo by Elisa

Everyone at Stanford who contributed their time and energy also deserve praise.

QUESTIONS that I answered:

• Is Love Made of Heart autobiographical?
• Where do you get your ideas for stories?
• What other genres do you write?
• What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
• You write about sobering subject matters; what do you do for fun?

A portion of the proceeds from book sales was donated to Save-the-Libraries.

Thank you, Barbara Whittaker, for further promoting literacy and sharing your brainchild with us!

Stanford student Mitchell Holt represented Marketing Dept. with authors Teresa LeYung Ryan & Elisa Southard

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan says:

“Thank you so much for attending my presentation at the BAIPA conference. One hour was not enough for the resources I wanted to give all of you.”

“How does one person stand out in any industry? Building relationships is one key to success. For you, the writer, 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 you realize your dreams.”

1. YOU ARE AN EXPERT/AUTHORITY OF YOUR EXPERIENCES. You, the story-teller, have the power to entertain, enlighten, and heal the world (one reader at a time). How do you attract the readers? By knowing what the themes are in your stories and making your name synonymous with those themes/messages. [for examples . . . read on.]

2. YOU ARE BIGGER THAN YOUR BOOK. “Reach out, not stress out” to: build your platform/brand; market/promote yourself; gain recognition through your circles of influence. Your book is an accessory of you. When people connect with “what you have to say” on an emotional level, they will most likely be talking about you with their circles of influence.

SOME EASY AND FUN WAYS TO MAKE 1 AND 2 WORK TOGETHER:

* I will write book reviews for my favorite authors and sign my reviews with my full name and blog or website address.

* I will learn how to create a compelling plotline by identifying the themes in my story. See how published authors drive their thesis statements, and then examine your project. Study from the books you’d read again and again. [ Martha Alderson is Teresa's plotting coach www.BlockBusterPlots.com There are 3 plotlines, according to Martha: Action / Emotional / Thematic Significance ]

Examples [What are the themes in Teresa's novel Love Made of Heart ?]:

* struggles and courage of an immigrant family.

* mental illness and the burden of stigmas.

* family-violence is terrorism at home.

* forgiveness in others and in self.

* I will thank people who have inspired me, supported my goals, mentored me, believed in me, AND, I will tell them about the status of my writing project. Be concise. Then once or twice a year I will give them an update.

* When I meet people, I will introduce myself with my full name, and, if I’m asked “What do you do?” I will respond with a talking-tagline [Elisa Southard is Teresa's talking-tagline coach www.breakthroughthenoise.com ]

Examples [How does Teresa build her platform? Articulating the themes in her novel by adding Elisa's "talking-tagline action verbs"? ]:

* Through my stories, I give voice to the struggles and courage of immigrant families.
* Through my writing, I advocate compassion for mental illness and help dissolve the stigmas.
* Through my book, I help survivors of family-violence find their own voices.
* Through my book Love Made of Heart, I show that “forgiveness in others” begins with self-forgiveness.

[See how Teresa crafts each statement to focus on one theme at a time? If she's talking to someone who has introduced him/herself as an outreach coordinator at Community Violence Solutions, which theme would Teresa focus on?]

* I will go where published authors go, learn from them, foster relationships, and share my findings with colleagues. [Check Teresa's calendar-of events at www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com ] Teresa believes in “Pay it forward” as in Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novel Pay In Forward. When someone does something nice for Teresa, she does something nice for three other people.

* I will attend community / library / bookstore events and blog about the experience.

* I will post a question on my blog and invite my friends to post comments. I will also ask my friends to forward my request to their friends. Make the task easy for people; give them step-by-step instructions; test the procedure yourself before asking someone else to post comments. Learn more ways to build fame through blogging [ http://askmepc-webdesign.com Linda Lee is Teresa's cyberspace coach.]

* I will identify the organizations that advocate my messages/themes and post my comments on their blogs and also post those same comments on my own blog.

* I will Google my own name and see “who am I” today in the cyberspace world; then every month (as I continue to take action building my platform), I will see the great progress I’ve made.

* I will help my writer-friends by telling them about the April 16, 2009 event where they can dine with and learn more about identifying the themes in their writing from Teresa LeYung Ryan and other published authors at the “WNBA Authors Showcase” Go to: www.wnba-sfchapter.org for more info.

Cheering for all hard-working writers!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan who says:

“Reach out, not stress out.”