Reading Victoria Sweet, M.D.’s new book SLOW MEDICINE The Way to Healing https://www.victoriasweet.com/ and watching/listening to Carole King (“A Conversation with Carole King” – Veteran journalist Mike Barnicle talks to Ms. King about her memoir A NATURAL  WOMAN at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on April 12, 2012) https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/forums/2012-04-12-a-conversation-with-carole-king motivated my completing Part 2 of Author Teresa Jade LeYung’s New Monologue “What The Man In 17-B Wanted”

In my blog post http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/blog-post-3-of-3-papa-makes-decision-while-in-nursing-home-again-by-teresa-jade-leyung/  my father was coping with his circumstances – as a reluctant resident at a nursing home.

This is what happened in November and December 2018.

Remember that piece of paper that I needed to fill out for the nursing home staff? The one about naming a mortuary.  Every resident must fill out that form http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/author-teresa-jade-leyungs-new-monologue-what-the-man-in-17-b-wanted-part-1/

Well, there is another form to deal with – “Notice to Terminate Lease” -  the agreement between my father and the apartment building property management – that a tenant must give up his lease after six months of absence and vacate his apartment.

I waited for a “good” day to show this second document to my father.  Only his signature would be accepted by the property manager.  That day, Papa appeared to be cheerful, the sun was shining. I said to him: “Papa, remember you went to the hospital in July? You’re safe here with nurses and CNAs who care about you. Your Social Security money is paying for you to be here. There is no money to pay for your apartment too. Also, the lease says that you have to give up the apartment by end of December. I will help you. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. You just have to sign this paper.  Okay?”

He signed.  I don’t know what happened after I said “Goodnight” to him. He probably cried when no one was watching.

What I didn’t have the heart to tell him was that every object which represented his life had to go away – to a storage unit , to a recycling center, or to the dump. If not for my brother’s first wife and four other precious friends, I wouldn’t have been strong enough to take on this job.

What irony for a writer – I (narrator) wanted to give my father (protagonist) what he wanted (to be able to return to the place he called “home”) but he was a fall risk and could no longer live alone.  Because he was relying on me to be his advocate, and,  because he didn’t get what he wanted most, he probably viewed me as an obstacle as well.

Like the son in the movie Garbo Speaks (written by Larry Grusin), I was the daughter who was worn out chasing after something that seemed impossible to obtain.

Back to that first piece of paper that I needed to fill out for the nursing home staff.

I need to do the right thing when Papa dies. Mrs. Chu, the oldest resident at the nursing home, is 107! My father is only 85. He has a long way to go.

Does my father want to be buried or cremated? He won’t talk about illness, certainly not about funeral.  I cannot read his mind.

Thanks to Dr. Amy Grace Lam who said to me “Teresa, you will get your answer not by asking your father but by finding the right person to ask your father.”

The right person would be someone who speaks fluent Cantonese and is the archetype to ask such a question.

On the day when all three Cantonese-speaking team members (nurse, social worker, chaplain) showed up at the nursing home to meet my father and me, Amy Grace Lam’s words replayed in my head.

I showed Chaplain Yuen the piece of paper  and told him: “I want to honor my father’s body and need to know what he wants.”

I did not need to explain any further; the chaplain nodded, and took the paper from my hand.

While he was chatting with my father, I stepped aside to talk to the nurse and social worker.

Fifteen minutes later, I hear Chaplain Yuen telling my father that he would visit again.  As though a director was in the room and we were all rehearsing a scene, a CNA comes into the room to distract my father. The chaplain says to me: “Your father wants burial, not cremation.”  The social worker tells me that she’ll get me a list of mortuaries which will include those catering to families of Chinese heritage.

I got what I wanted – the answer to my question. What more can a daughter ask for.

photo by Teresa Jade LeYung 2018 November 20

I wish you, dear Reader, excellent health.

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

If you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Teresa Jade LeYung - photo by Sharon Leong 2019 May 10

As a story theme consultant, award-winning writer, and platform-building coach for pre-published and published authors, Writing Coach TERESA JADE LEYUNG empowers her clients to identify their core themes in their manuscripts and career mapping.
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

TERESA JADE LEYUNG (formerly Teresa LeYung-Ryan) is the author of:

Love Made Of Heart

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

Talking to My Dead Mom monologues

An Evening of Poetry
Friday – April 27,2012 – 6:15 to 9:30 pm
Flamingo Hotel – Empire Room, 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, CA 95405    707-523-4745   dinner included
Register: http://redwoodwriters.org/conference/poetrynight/

AL YOUNG-Evening Keynote Speaker

From 2005 through 2008, Al Young served as poet laureate of California. Other honors include NEA, Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellowships, the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, and most recently, the 2011 Thomas Wolfe Award. Widely translated, Al Young’s many books include poetry, fiction, essays, anthologies and musical memoirs.

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

Petaluma native, Bill Vartnaw is Sonoma County Poet Laureate, 2012-2013.

Bill has a master’s degree in poetics from New College of California. He has been writing seriously for over 35 years. Bill is the author of Concern: for Angels and Suburbs of my Childhood. He is also founder of Taurean Horn Press and has published 14 books. He has spent his life in the service of poetry, often helping his fellow poets behind the scenes of the Petaluma Poetry Walk.

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

Juanita Martin is the 1st Poet Laureate, Fairfield, CA 2010-2012. She is an award-winning poet, freelance writer and performance artist. Her poetry appears in journals such as Blue Collar Review, Some Literary Review and Rattlesnake Review.

She’s an active member of Ina Coolbrith Circle, Redwood Writers and Marin Poetry Center.

Juanita at 50, won the honor scroll award in the 2011 National Senior Poet Laureate competition. Juanita is currently working on a book of poetry called The Lighthouse Beckons.

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

Redwood Writers NEXT STEP 2012 Conference, Saturday, April 28 , 2012,  8:00 am – 5:30 pm
at Santa Rosa Junior College, Bertolini Student Union, 311 Elliot St., Santa Rosa, CA

Sandy Baker (2012 Conference Chair), Linda Loveland Reid (president of Redwood Branch of California Writers Club), and all the officers and board members deserve big thanks!

Keynote speaker is David Corbett on “Beyond the Book: Writing Opportunities in a Multi-Platform Era.”

“Leap into Tomorrow’s Publishing” Luncheon Panel: Laurie McLean, Mark Coker, Charlotte Cook and Joel Friedlander;  Linda McCabe, Moderator

Looks like 20 fabulous presenters will be teaching at this conference that offers 4 tracks:  Craft; Genre; Publishing; Marketing.

To register:  http://redwoodwriters.org/conference/registration/

Craft Track:

9:30 – 10:30 am David Corbett “The Next Step: Finding the Character Behind the Character”

11:00 – 12:00 pm Geri Spieler “Fact Finding for Fiction Writers: Easy Research Techniques to Pump Up your Novel”

1:45 – 2:45 pm Arlene Miller “Grammar: Don’t Skip this Important Step”

3:15 – 4:15 pm Catherine Brady “Revealing Character through Dialogue”

Genre Track:

9:30 – 10:30 am Christorpher Gortner  “Historical Fiction: Stepping Back in Time”

11:00 – 12:00 pm Deborah Grabien  “Jumping into Mystery with Character”

1:45 – 2:45 pm Jody Gerrmann  “Give Your Young Adult Fiction Zap and Zing!”

3:15 – 4:15 pm Abby Bogomolny “Poetry: The Oldest Literature”

Publishing Track:

9:30 – 10:30 am Verna Dreisbach “Fabulous Fiction”

11:00 – 12:00 pm Pete Masterson “Indie Publishing How-To”

1:45 – 2:45 pm Laurie McLean & Verna Dreisbach “Undercover Agents”

3:15 – 4:15 pm Panel: ebooks  “Leap into the Future” Robert Digitale, Scott James, Mark Coker, & Rob Loughran (Kate Farrell, Moderator)

Marketing Track:

9:30 – 10:30 am Frances Caballo  “I’m on Facebook! (Now What?)”

11:00 – 12:00 pm Joel Friedlander  “Author Blogging 101”

1:45 – 2:45 pm Lee Stein  “Getting Found: Using Google (and other tools) to Promote Your Book and Yourself”

3:15 – 4:15 pm Jeane Slone and Suzanne Lang  “Local Steps in Promoting Your Book”

Cheering for all writers and readers!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams!”

http://writingcoachteresa.com

As editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying their themes, universal archetypes, front-story and back-story.

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

Love Made of Heart is used in college composition classes. Thank you, Teachers & Students!

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.

I wish You

a warm and safe home

nutritious foods everyday

ease of movement

work that makes your heart sing

true friends

worry-free thoughts

hopes and lovely dreams

joy and light for Self

a dancing spirit

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachTeresa.com

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

Teresa is author of Love Made of Heart

Coach Teresa edits manuscripts (contemporary novels; thrillers; children’s novels; memoirs; short stories; anthologies) for authors who want to attract agents  & publishers  OR  want to be their own publishers.

I started a new format for my blog posts on November 16, 2011. Once a month, I will write a post to include 3 sections.

As 22-day Platform-Building Coach– Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days:

Write Your Story Now! PLAYshop with Mary E. Knippel

Are you frustrated trying to find just exactly the right words
- for your blog posts?
-for that end-of-the-year letter to family or customers?
-to update your profile on your website or social media site?

Come and explore how you can overcome your writing challenges and have fun at the same time!

Nov. 19, 2011   9 a.m. -4 p.m. Free Event
$20 holds your seat (refunded at the door)
Workshop in Half Moon Bay, CA

Coach Teresa here…  I love to study the dialogue in movies.  Oftentimes I turn on “English subtitles” so that I can “see” the words.   Such a simple technique to help me be a better editor for my clients and a better writer of my own stories.

Two of my favorite movies?   Bagdad Cafe aka Out of Rosenheim (written and produced by Eleonore and Percy Adlon; screenplay co-writer Christopher Doherty; stars: Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder and Jack Palance) and The Apartment (written by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond; stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Jack Kruschen, Edie Adams)

Listen and look for metaphors, foreshadowing, and thematic significance in the dialogue.

Of course the acting, directing, music, set design, costumes, filming, editing are superb too in both movies.

In Bagdad Cafe “Calling You” sung by Jevetta Steele (words and music by Bob Telson) is beautifully haunting.

In The Apartment, even the theme-tunes for the major characters follow plot points.

I’ll be blogging more about themes and archetypes in these two movies.

I love helping writers identify themes and archetypes in their manuscripts and make their names synonymous with the subject matters/issues they write about to a attract agents, editors, publishers, readers, and media attention before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams!

Happy writing!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Please visit my website http://writingcoachteresa.com

If you wish to email me, I’m writingcoachTeresa at gmail.com

Author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (print edition $12.96  & eBook edition $9.81)

and the novel Love Made of Heart (inspires adult children of mentally ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and find resources for their families)

“Yes!” says Writing-Career-Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan.  Read on…

AAR is the Association of Authors’ Representatives.
http://www.aaronline.org/
Authors looking for agents can search in the AAR database by choosing genre/categories:
After you identify the agents who specialize in your genre, go to the agents’ websites and follow submission guidelines. It’s okay to
query more than one agent at a time.
Querying = asking an agent if he/she would like to read part or all of your manuscript.

When an agent asks to read your entire manuscript (“ms”) and you want this agent to do that, then you give this agent an exclusive reading time, typically 2 or 3 weeks. You cannot give exclusive reading time to more than one agent at a time since an agent would be investing her/his time in reading your entire ms. You do NOT send your entire ms. to someone who has not asked to see it.

Also, look at Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents – (available at libraries and bookstores)

Reach out, not stress out.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

I am Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan who teaches my clients (writers, artists) how to reach out, not stress out, before and after publication — identify themes in their intellectual properties and create scripts for pitches, query letters, press releases, talking-points, one-minute videos, photo slideshows, and the all-mighty blog. Please visit http://WritingCoachTeresa.com  and http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com/blog for resources.

The workbook:
Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW – available at http://www.laurelbookstore.com in Oakland, CA and on Amazon – print edition and Kindle edition!

If you’d like to email me . . .   WritingCoachTeresa  then @, then Gmail.com

• What email subject line will attract my attention?  Tell me where you’ve met me (which conference? which workshop? which community event?) or tell me who referred you.

•  In the body of your email, please include your full name and your URL (website or blog address) so that I can see what you’re already doing to build your writer’s platform and fanbase. I like concise and gracious emails. Thank you so much.