Dear Lynn Henriksen,

I miss my mom so so much. Your inviting me to guest-blog is a huge gift and I thank you. Today is Labor Day. I salute you, your mom, my mom, and all moms who labor/labored with love and hope for their families.

Sincerely,

Teresa

“What Does Your Protagonist Want?”

By  Teresa LeYung-Ryan, aka “Writing Career Coach & Manuscript Consultant Teresa”

“If you’re writing a novel or memoir, what does your protagonist want?”
“What are your themes and who are your archetypes?”
“If you’re writing a how-to book, what are the issues?”
“Do you want to build your platform to attract agents, publishers, and fans/readers?”

These are the questions I ask when writers hire me as their coach.

For many writers, the first question (“What does your protagonist want?”) is not an easy one to answer. What does your main character want when the story opens? As the story moves forward?

For memoir authors, the protagonist is the Self. You the author lived your story and you know the outcome; now is the chance to engage readers via story-telling techniques and show them what you wanted and how you went about getting (or not getting) what you wanted.

For novel authors, oftentimes the protagonist (or another major character) is modeled after the author; what the protagonist wants is also oftentimes a recurring theme for the author.

In the opening scene of Love Made of Heart (my autobiographical novel about an adult-daughter struggling to understand her mother’s mental illness ), protagonist Ruby Lin asks herself: What have I done? (as she watches police officers escort her mother from her apartment).

Ruby wants her mother to get well; she wants to return to her routines; she wants to forget her past; she wants a wise elder who listens and doesn’t judge. As we get to know Ruby, we find out what her “big wants” are—to find love and forgiveness.

I, Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author of the novel, did not have a maternal grandmother. How I used to fantasize about a kind and wise Grandmama to run to! Writing fiction gave me the luxury to give my protagonist something I never had, so, I created the elderly neighbor Mrs. Nussbaum (embodying the mentor and ally archetypes); she would listen to Ruby and not judge her.

In the introduction of Lynn Scott’s memoir A Joyful Encounter: My Mother, My Alzheimer Clients, and Me, the author reveals: I needed money. I was sixty-seven and living thinly on Social Security… As we read on, we meet the other characters/archetypes and see how they help the author get the “big want” (what money can’t buy) . . .  a spiritual journey to her mother’s love.  Lynn Henriksen’s review of this same book ends with “… Scott’s book made me laugh, cry, and wish I could have my mother back for just a day, even one more hour.”

Aah, to have Mom back for just a day, even one more hour. That is exactly what yours truly wants right now.  I’ve been ill (coping with symptoms from wheat-intolerance) and I yearn for my mom’s hugs and encouraging words: “All will be fine, my darling daughter.” But, I can’t get what I want on a physical level; Mom died over ten years ago of metastasized breast cancer.

My biggest angel is my mom, and, I ask her to help me on a daily basis. “Mom, I want to feel well.”  My muscles and sinuses were hurting; fatigue overwhelmed me; then, when depression moved in . . . I knew that I needed to be an active protagonist. I stopped eating breads and anything made with wheat flour (and that include flaky pie crusts, almond tea cakes, Challah, tortilla that hold a burrito together, Pad Thai, and pasta).

My mastermind colleague Lori Noack reminded me that wheat is in soy sauce (gosh I eat a lot of Chinese food too) and in marinades and salad dressings (yikes).  LN, thank you for your encouraging emails!

Next, I went to see a Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner. Heather Richmond said “Teresa, the foods you’ve been eating are ‘damp.’ To treat the ‘dampness’ so that you’ll feel better, not only am I advising eliminating wheat from your diet, I’m also recommending eliminating soy as in tofu and corn.” No tofu and corn, in addition to no wheat?  Oh my.  Heather had explained that wheat, soy and corn are the top three most genetically-modified foods in this country.

Mrs. Nussbaum’s voice (my inner Wise Self) stepped into my head.  “Making a lifestyle change calls for perseverance. Go easy. Go gentle.  I’m proud of you.”

I tell my clients “Reach out, not stress out, when pursuing your dreams.” I too have been reaching out—by telling my friends about what I want—to feel energetic again. I will need their moral support (to cheer for me when I turn down a slice of bread, a fresh croissant or homemade pizza crust).

At a meeting, Linda Joy Myers, author of 3 books and founder of National Association of Memoir Writers, gave me delicious rice crackers, wild salmon, and green beans when she found out about my wheat intolerance. Thank you, LJM!

Thank you to all my friends and family members who are supportive of my goals!  My sister sent me a gift card for shopping sprees in “organic produce” aisles.  Thank you, Maria!

These books continue to be helpful as I want to live well in spite of food allergies:

• Eating Gluten Free: Delicious Recipes and Essential Advice for Living Well Without Wheat and Other Problematic Grains by Shreve Stockton

• Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine by Patricia Tsang, M.D.

Heather Richmond is recommending I stop eating rice in the next phase of treatment.  Oh oh . . .

I still want hugs from my mom.  I feel them.  Every morning and every night, in my prayers.  And I give hugs back. “Thank you my Main Angel.”

Lynn Henriksen aka The Story Woman, thank you so much for asking me to guest-blog. You’ve given me a lovely gift—a chance to talk about my mom, knowing what the protagonist wants, and how to reach out not stress out!  I cheer for you, your books, blog, and classes!

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 too! Customers of the workbook are saying that it’s useful for anyone who has anything to promote.)

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

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Lynn Henriksen wrote: “Teresa – it was my pleasure placing your guest post on The Story Woman blog! Thank you for an interesting piece and for speaking from your heart as you always do.”

Kate Farrell, Wisdom Has a Voice wrote: “Teresa–What a great post that speaks to how writers think, yearn, and write for themselves, to connect and to share in a way that makes the world a community!”

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I’m reading my clients’ manuscripts – I love quirky protagonists and compelling themes.

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I’m still reading Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible. Ms. Kingsolver is a brilliant storyteller – 5 points of view (Orleanna Price, wife of evangelical Baptist minister Nathan Price; 4 daughters Rachel, Leah, Adah, Ruth May) – one family’s experience when they arrive in Belgian Congo in 1959.  Who is Methuselah?

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I started reading Dr. Patricia Tsang’s Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine. What is Qi? Such helpful information and explanations.

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Michael Moore’s film Capitalism: a Love Story

What is a “dead peasant” life insurance policy?

Who said: ” . . . fight fight fight for the basic things in life.”

How did President Franklin Roosevelt end his speech (Second Bill of Rights)?

Episodes of Columbo–I’ll blog about the themes later.

Episodes of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.–I’ll blog about the themes later.

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I’m writing editorial memos for my clients; assignments, tailored to their needs; blog posts; and my next workbook for writers.

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Sincerely,

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

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

Coach Teresa is the author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days and Love Made of Heart.

In May at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration, I had shared a booth with authors Margie Yee Webb and Dr. Patricia Tsang. Our neighboring exhibitors were the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Today while putting away my files, I found their promotional material. Seeing those souvenirs inspired me to tell  you about a new book Practice Aloha: Secrets to Living Life Hawaiian Style — Stories, Recipes and Lyrics from Hawai’i's Favorite Folks, compiled & edited by Barbara Santos & Mark Ellman

How do you practice Aloha? Go to the Practice Aloha website and share your story.

Two other books that go well with Practice Aloha:

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

Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa

Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan helps writers & authors build their platforms and fanbases and polish their manuscripts by identifying their themes and archetypes.  Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW Coach Teresa says: “Reach out not stress out when pursuing your dreams!”

Novelist Teresa LeYung-Ryan 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.

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

Teresa LeYung-Ryan on facebook!

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)

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Click on book cover to go to Amazon

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

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

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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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Saturday, May 21, 2011, 11:00am – 6:00pm Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC), organized by the AsianWeek Foundation

Two years ago author Margie Yee Webb helped me reconnect with the Asian-American community by inviting me to exhibit my book Love Made of Heart at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC). Thank you, Margie!

This year 2011 Margie Yee Webb (author of Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings), Lloyd Lofthouse (author of My Splendid Concubine), Patricia Tsang, M.D. (author of Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine) and yours truly Teresa LeYung Ryan (author of Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days) will share a booth.  Please stop by the California Writers Club booth and say hello if you’re going to the Asian Heritage Street Celebration on Larkin Street (between Grove St. and Ellis St.), San Francisco–close to BART Civic Center station.

Free Admission to Asian Art Museum Courtesy of Target – Throughout the day during the Asian Heritage Street Celebration May 21, 2011, Admission to the special exhibit “Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance” is $5.

How does protagonist Ruby Lin want to help her mother?

Teresa LeYung Ryan uses her novel Love Made of Heart (Kensington Publishing Corp NY 2002, 2003) to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and to gain resources for their families.

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

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Thanks to Bardi Rosman Koodrin’s encouragement, I’m sponsoring a writing contest through the San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Dept.

DIVISION 342 – THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY Writing Contest
Sponsored by Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of  Love Made of Heart (the story that inspires daughters and mothers to speak from their hearts)

Contest entries must be received by 7:00 pm, Friday, April 29, 2011 or postmarked by April 25^th, 2011

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/competitive-exhibits/departments/literary-arts

After you go to above link, look at left side of the webpage and click on [ Entry Book Pages ] for general rules.

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/guide_book/creative_arts.pdf

Scroll down to page 66 for details of  THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY writing contest.

http://lovemadeofheart.com

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Wisdom Has a Voice: Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother

This groundbreaking anthology, to be released October 2011, will include 25 true and compelling stories about mothers (or mother figures) that express the wisdom shared or learned from a particular experience with each woman.   http://wisdomhasavoice.com

Editor-in-Chief Kate Farrell has asked me, Teresa LeYung Ryan, to write advance praise; the other two members of the editorial team are JC Miller and Ana Manwaring; they are only weeks away from completing final edits. I so look forward to reading stories written by women representing each continent. Kate, I’m honored.

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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Saturday, May 21, 2011 Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC), organized by the AsianWeek Foundation

Two years ago author Margie Yee Webb helped me reconnect with the Asian-American community by inviting me to exhibit my book Love Made of Heart at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC). Thank you, Margie!

This year, Margie Yee Webb (author of Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings), Lloyd Lofthouse (author of My Splendid Concubine), Patricia Tsang, M.D. (author of Optimal Healing: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine) and yours truly Teresa LeYung Ryan (author of Love Made of Heart and Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days) will share a booth.  Please stop by the California Writers Club booth and say hello if you’re going to the Asian Heritage Street Celebration

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May is National Mental Health Month in the United States of America.

Thank you to mental health professionals and advocates and organizations including National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI, Stamp Out Stigma (founded by Carmen Lee), and BringChange2Mind (created by Glenn Close, the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation CABF, Fountain House, and Garen and Shari Staglin of International Mental Health Research Organization IMHRO.

BringChange2Mind Walks with NAMI BringChange2Mind is forming NAMIWalks teams across the country, and a portion of the funds they raise will benefit their mission to combat the stigma associated with mental illness via a national communications campaign.

Twelve million children and adolescents suffer from diagnosable mental health disorders.

1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind.   The video  BC2M Nami Walks 2010 is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it2S0ja2GlU

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“My beautiful mom suffered mental illness and its stigmas all her life. I celebrate National Mental Health Month, Mother’s Day, and all mental health advocates.  Mom, I celebrate you!”

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

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