Posts Tagged ‘novels’
2020 April 3, 18:30 California time
Hello, Everyone,
Remember when American TV gave us PSAs? Public Service Announcements.
Perhaps if Charley & Humphrey (Mr. Pat McCormick) were on television and social media now, they’d be showing us what societal, moral responsibility is – to protect other people.
Even though I may not get seriously ill from COVID-19 also known as Coronavirus , I can get infected, with few or no symptoms, but then, I can infect another person who would then infect a vulnerable person who will then die. What I learned in biology class decades ago and what I’m learning from Dr. Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) help me do my part.
Be safe! Stay healthy! Be kind!
Scientists Probe How Coronavirus Might Travel Through The Air
How to Protect Yourself & Others
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
How COVID-19 Spreads
Person-to-person spread
Spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects
How easily the virus spreads
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html
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Charley and Humphrey “Think for Yourself”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKowhEtpCbo
and
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/
**
“If Charley & Humphrey (Mr. Pat McCormick) were here to show us”, says Story Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung
Teresa Jade LeYung
- photo by Mary E. Knippel
As a story theme consultant, award-winning writer, and platform-building coach for pre-published and published authors, Teresa Jade LeYung helps her clients identify their core themes and transform their manuscripts into novels, biographies and memoirs. http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog
December 28, 2019; January 25, 26, 2020
By Teresa Jade LeYung
Every year, I sponsor my Immigrant Experience Writing Contest (short stories, essays, monologues) offered through California Writers Club San Francisco Peninsula Branch and The Literary Stage at the San Mateo County Fair https://cwc-peninsula.org/the-literary-stage/. You do not have to live in California in order to enter any of the writing contests. Some contestants will enter an excerpt from a long piece of work (novels, memoirs) without investing time to rewrite the pages so that the piece would engage the reader with a beginning, middle and ending.
As a theme consultant and a writing coach, and a fan of a few television series, I have found another inspiration when teaching my clients how to show archetype-driven plotlines.
One of my favorite characters is Rhoda Morgenstern in the situational comedy (sitcom) RHODA portrayed by Valerie Harper.
One of my favorite episodes is “One Is A Number” (Season 4, Episode 4, written by Charlotte Brown). I love this episode because this is a stand-alone piece. I do not have to know the backgrounds of the characters. The script clearly shows what the main character (protagonist) wants and how she goes about getting it.
Act 1 – we see relationships, the protagonist’s personality and what she wants.
Fellow: “Rhoda, it was really nice of you to invite me to breakfast.”
Rhoda: “Gary, I did not invite you.” (with a smile)
Gary: “Well, then it was nice of you not to kick me out.”
Rhoda’s sister Brenda arrives to tell her why she can’t go out to dinner and the theatre with Rhoda tonight.
Act 2 – we see Protagonist pursuing what she wants.
Rhoda calls friends; they cannot go with her.
She asks her boss; he doesn’t like going to theatres.
She even asks Johnny Venture, the fellow she has been turning down; he cannot because he’s judging a beauty contest tonight.
Act 3 - Protagonist reveals what the real Antagonist is.
In her apartment, Rhoda paces, she picks up the theatre tickets and puts them down again.
She gets on the intercom with Carlton the doorman. She tells him why she doesn’t want to go out alone at nighttime – she fears what people could be thinking of her, how they would judge her.
Archetype: Carlton is the unexpected ally and mentor
Act 4 – Protagonist has overcome Antagonist.
At a restaurant where tea tastes like coffee (Rhoda is escaping from pouring rain), she meets:
- a taxi driver who is eating his spaghetti dinner
- an old woman named Marie who says she is a stewardess on a rocket on the Martian Space Patrol
- the waitress named Bea who says: “What are you doing out on a terrible night like this?”
Rhoda: “Tonight was a big night for me. I was trying to do something alone.”
Bea: “You married?”
Rhoda: “Divorced.”
Bea: “Sounds like you’re already doing something alone.”
Act 5 -Protagonist has been transformed.
In her apartment are her allies – her sister Brenda, Brenda’s boyfriend Benny, Gary, Johnny.
Rhoda comes home. She says: “I had a great time. It was wonderful. It’s great to go out alone, I found out. I mean, you meet terrific people…. You would have loved it….”
Her boss Jack arrives. “You’re not dead.”
Brilliant line. Rhoda is the opposite of dead.
She has realized a new life. She can go out alone and enjoy herself. She has learned to look at people. She wants to share her discovery with her sister and friends.
They want to leave.
Rhoda says: “You had to be there. I love you all, even if you didn’t get it.”
“Brenda, look at me. Have you ever seen your sister in better shape?”
After Rhoda closes the door, she reaches into her bag and pulls out Bea’s hat (souvenir from mentor archetype) and puts it on her head.
I love how sitcom character Rhoda Morgenstern shows beginning, middle, and ending through an archetype-driven plotline! Thank you, Ms. Charlotte Brown!
Cheering for all Writers and Readers!

Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung - photo by Mary E. Knippel, creator of Your Writing Mentor
Dear Writers,
Please share this news with friends who might be interested in my “Immigrant Experience Writing Contest” or any of the writing contests offered through The Literary Stage at the San Mateo County Fair. All entries are due Monday, April 3, 2017, 11:59pm. Please read all rules https://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/2017/literary_17.pdf
Literary Director Bardi Rosman Koodrin says: “The San Francisco Peninsula Writers is the only California Writers Club branch in the state utilizing a weeklong, 18,000 sq. ft. Fine Arts Galleria with a stage and seating for 125. Now entering our 9th year, we’ve conducted over 150 free “events within the event” on our Literary Stage: workshops, panels, author presentations, one-act plays, and interviews, annual author day book sales, poetry readings, musical groups, and individual song and dance performances.”
Please go to https://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/2017/literary_17.pdf
Top half of page 68 of the 2017 Literary Arts Contest Book Information
is description of DIVISION 336
Entry for Literary Arts https://sanmateocountyfair.com/literary-arts
click on
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “I can help you identity your themes – to make rewriting your first draft and building your writer’s platform joyful tasks. Make your name stand for something—to attract target consumers who are likely to buy what you have to sell. Reach out, not stress out. I cheer for you!“
http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/teresa-leyung-ryans-events/
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan who says “Reach out, not stress out!” will present “Where Are YOU & Your THEMES on Your Writer’s Platform- Building Journey?” for:
- California Writers Club-SF Peninsula Branch (March 18, 2017 Redwood City, CA)
- The Writer’s Life Conference sponsored by California Writers Club–Marin Branch (April 2, 2017 at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA)
- SacramentoSuburban Writers Club (July 10, 2017 Fair Oaks, CA)
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 http://www.bookpassage.com in Corte Madera, CA and on Amazon – print edition and Kindle edition!
- Click here for Short, Short Story Writing Contest sponsored by California Writers Club-Sacramento Branch up to 750 words; entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2014 (no online submissions). $10 fee per entry. Cheers to Branch President Margie Yee Webb, sponsors, judges, and all contestants!
- Click here for Writing Contests through Literary Arts Division of the San Mateo County Fair – many genres (including novels, memoirs, short stories, fantasy, science fiction, essays, poetry, children’s, immigrant experience) – open worldwide – $10 per entry - online entries due April 1, 2014 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time. Cheers to Literary Arts Director Bardi Rosman Koodrin, sponsors, judges, all contestants!
- Click here for WriterAdvice Flash Prose Contest entries must be submitted by April 18, 2014 Fiction and creative nonfiction! $15 fee per entry. Cheers to to B. Lynn Goodwin, sponsors, judges, and all contestants!
Check out my blog post “Coach Teresa says: Who or What is the Antagonist in Your Story?“ before you send your manuscripts to agents, acquisition editors, or writing contests.
Remember that a story, even a short one, has a beginning, middle, and end. A “snapshot” of an event is not a story. A story must have a main character, even if that character is the only character.
Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan cheers for Writing Contest Creators, Sponsors, Judges, and Contestants!
Teresa LeYung-Ryan aka 22-Day Coach Teresa helps clients identify their themes and archetypes; she is the author of:
Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (workbook for all genres)
Love Made of Heart: a Mother’s Mental Illness Forges Forgiveness in Daughter Ruby (novel used in college courses)
“Talking to My Dead Mom” monologues
Creator of The Immigrant Experience Writing Contest
Coach Teresa’s website http://writingcoachTeresa.com
To subscribe to Coach Teresa’s Blog , please click here.
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https://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/2012/52-70%20FINE%20ARTS%20GALLERIA%202012%20FINAL.pdf
Sponsored by Teresa LeYung-Ryan — author of Love Made of Heart: an immigrant daughter’s journey to self-forgiveness (the book is used in college composition classes); author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW; as editor/story consultant, Coach Teresa helps her clients polish their manuscripts by identifying themes and archetypes; read Coach Teresa’s blog at http://writingcoachteresa.com
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B. Lynn Goodwin’s WRITER ADVICE – 7th Annual Flash Prose Contest. Short Fiction/Memoir, 750 words max. First Prize: $200, Deadline: April 18, 2012. Guidelines www.writeradvice.com
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Cheering for all writers!
Sincerely,
Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams!”
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,
Coach Teresa here . . . to encourage you to ask your protagonist “Who are you?” and show up (with your writing instruments) so that she/he can answer your question over time.
Over time–You create the magical bond between you and your characters.
Whether the story is being presented as fiction or nonfiction . . . Ask yourself: “What incident shook my world (or someone I care about‘s world) and I must tell the story.”
With memoirs, the author and Protagonist are YOU. You ask yourself: “What happened to me?” “How do I tell my story to hook Reader?” My answer is this: “You as Protagonist–stay in story-world. Move about in your story as though you do not know the ending. ‘Grow’ with yourself in story-world. No interjecting commentary from the author that would take us out of story-world. Let us see your story unfold as it happened. After all, you experienced the story in real life; to give us editorial comments as the “experienced one” will usually give the effect that an actor is stepping in front of the camera to interrupt (while the story is being played out in Reader’s mind’s eyes).
With novels, you created the protagonist. Perhaps he/she was modeled after yourself; even if that weren’t the case, you the author get under his/her skin. Because you are writing fiction, you have the luxury of changing the sequence of events and the specifics of the events. Novel authors also must not interrupt the story with editorial comments that aren’t apropos for the plot point.
“What incident shook my world (or someone I care about‘s world) and I must tell the story.” In my novel Love Made of Heart, something happened to Protagonist Ruby Lin’s mother. When Ruby finds out what has shaken her mother’s world, her own world also get jolted.
I’m reading Mary Jo McConahay’s memoir Maya Roads: One Woman’s Journey Among the People of the Rainforest and being hooked by her prologue. The author was fascinated by an exhibit in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. So fascinated that she went back to the museum the next day to look at the representations of the indigenous Lacandón people, descendants of the ancient Maya. “I must go there,” she told her sister.
I’m on page 7 of Mary Jo’s book–she has just met Moises Morales, an archaeoastronomer (one who studies ancient beliefs about the sky). I’m intrigued.
Coach Teresa Says To Ask My Protagonist: “Who Are You?”
Happy writing! Happy reading and researching! Happy rewriting!
If you need a story-consultant/editor, please review my webpage by clicking on this link.
Sincerely,
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan
“Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dearest dreams!”
http://writingcoachteresa.com
author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days
Coach Teresa, How do I fix my children’s story? Agent says it’s too episodic.
In my previous blog post about how to remedy an episodic storyline . . . here’s an argument from one of my clients who writes children’s books . . .
“But kids aren’t that sophisticated, are they? Shouldn’t stories for that age group be episodic?”
Coach Teresa here . . . Kids know what a good story is, especially if they’ve read the timeless classics (to name a few: The Hobbit; The Wind In the Willows; Charlotte’s Web; The Phantom Tollbooth; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. What are other memorable children’s books? Wordsworth the Poet by Frances Kakugawa is a contemporary favorite of mine )
Also, keep in mind that a children’s story has to hook adults (agents, acquisition editors, publishers, booksellers, reviewers, shoppers). How do you hook adult-readers, even if you choose to be your own publisher?
Answer: Create memorable characters and follow screenwriting teacher Terrel Seltzer’s advice: “Someone we care about wants something badly and is having a terrible time getting it.”
Here’s my post from May 26, 2011 about Terrel
I encourage you to set the stage. Give the reader sensory details—not only sight and hearing but also taste, smell and touch.
To create a story with thematic significance, let your metaphors / similes / inferences move your story forward or provide clues.
Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams!”
Want to attract agents & publishers? Want to be your own publisher?
Email: writingcoachTeresa at gmail.com
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan loves to edit:
- novels & memoirs with feisty protagonists and universal messages;
- children’s novels that help young readers understand their feelings and build self-confidence
Coach Teresa, what does it mean when an agent says my story is episodic?
Authors of novels, memoirs, children’s novels–this advice is for you.
Episodic = This happens, then this happens, then that happens… An episodic story is not compelling because there’s no connection between character growth and action plotline.
The answer: Show the transformation of your protagonist(s) . . . not because “things happen to her/him” but because her/his choices/behavior lead her/him to the next step, to the next step, as she/he goes after what she/he wants.
Examine every scene. Ask yourself this question: What does your protagonist want in this scene? What is she/he afraid of? Who/What is the antagonist in this scene?
As Plot Whisperer Martha Alderson says: “When the dramatic action changes the character at depth over time, the story becomes thematically significant.”
Re-read your favorite book that has a similar premise as yours.
Cheering for writers!
Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams!”
Want to attract agents & publishers? Want to be your own publisher?
Email: writingcoachTeresa at gmail.com
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan
specializes in: novels / children’s novels / memoirs
Coach Teresa, I’m concerned about my manuscript and someone stealing the work.
Coach Teresa here . . . my clients email me their manuscripts–their work being transmitted on cyberspace. This is why I ask all my clients to submit their manuscripts (mss.) in the same format that agents & publishers want them in–your name and book title in the header on every page.
The following information is from http://copyright.gov/
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “What Works Are Protected.”
How is a copyright different from a patent or a trademark?
Copyright protects original works of authorship, while a patent protects inventions or discoveries. Ideas and discoveries are not protected by the copyright law, although the way in which they are expressed may be. A trademark protects words, phrases, symbols, or designs identifying the source of the goods or services of one party and distinguishing them from those of others.
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.
Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”
Mail yourself the entire ms. (U.S.mail) but don’t open the envelope when you get it back–the postal mark/date and the unopened envelope serve as evidence. Note: You must register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office before you bring a lawsuit for copyright infringement.
My trademark attorney is Robert Pimm. He is also a copyright attorney.
Cheering for writers!
Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams!”
Want to attract agents & publishers? Want to be your own publisher?
- Get your manuscript professionally edited
- Build your writer’s platform NOW
918-6222 ( 510 area code )
Email: writingcoachTeresa at gmail.com
Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan
specializes in: novels / children’s novels / memoirs
Coach Teresa, what happened when you hosted Plot Whisperer Martha Alderson on your blog?
Martha Alderson is one of the seven members of our mastermind group; my previous post included two other members–Job Seeker’s Writing Mentor Mary E. Knippel and Employment Counselor Rebecca Martin.
Hosting an author who is on blog tour (even when the author is beloved Martha Alderson) requires a series of publicity outreach, special invitations, and, of course being present on the day of author-arrival to my blog.
22 writers showed up for Plot Whisperer Martha Alderson! Please read their wonderful questions about story plotlines and the Plot Whisperer’s helpful answers to authors of novels, memoirs, creative nonfiction.
Each writer who participated was eligible for the drawing. The winner would get a copy of The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master. I had each participant’s name on a piece of paper, and all the entries went into a red bag. After a few shakes . . . one entry was pulled out. The winner is Janet Kerr in Canada! Congratulations, Janet! Thank you, Everyone, for making my blog a fun place for The Plot Whisperer.
Coach Teresa here to say that Martha’s new book The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master has motivated me to the point that I’m writing my second novel on public transit. Last night I even missed my stop because I was engrossed reading Martha’s “Some Final Thoughts” in her book. I am on fire writing and dreaming my next novel. Thank you, Plot Whisperer Martha Alderson!
Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung-Ryan
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)