Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

Posts Tagged ‘california writers club’

My first book turned seven on October 1, 2009.  So much has happened since. I wish to publicly thank the following people for helping me bring Love Made of Heart into the world and sending her to wonderful places:

archived in the San Francisco History Center

• Everyone recognized on the acknowledgment page of Love Made of Heart
• My agent Stacey Glick and all her colleagues at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
• Editor John Scognamiglio, president Steven Zacharius, publisher Laurie Perkin, art director Lou Malcangi, sales director Debbie Tobias then, sales director Doug Mendini, author Libba Bray, copy-editor Jacquie Edwards, and Everyone who were at (or associated with) Kensington Publishing Corp. NY (so many talented folks).
• Nancy Suib, Anne Shulenberger and all independent sales reps;
• Folk who are associated with booksellers, libraries, schools, book groups.
• My darling husband, sister & brother-in-law, family members, friends, mentors and colleagues
• Folks related to Women’s National Book Association, California Writers Club, California Reading Association, California School Library Association, San Francisco History Center
• Teachers & students in Advanced Composition/English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• Readers
• Everyone who helped me quietly (the secret angels)

I wish you all a healthful & prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan
http://WritingCoachTeresa.com
http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

As an author and a community member, I use my novel Love Made of Heart to:
• help mothers and daughters speak from the heart
• shed light on stigmas suffered by immigrants
• advocate compassion for mental illness
• help survivors of family violence find their own voices
http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Love Made of Heart is the story of Ruby Lin, a Chinese-immigrant-daughter, and her journey to self-forgiveness.

In a few hours, 2009 will click into 2010. I wish everyone on this planet a safe home, nourishing food, clean water, sunshine, caring neighbors, and joyful hearts, mind, body, and spirit to be caregivers to all living things.

To writers, I wish abundant energy to work, self-confidence, and compassion to self and others.

And that goes for me too.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan
http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Writers can afford to hire me when they form a study-group and split the costs. I can:

• coach you in name-building to attract the right agent or publisher

• guide you in designing and growing your blog (to showcase your expertise and experiences)

• show you computer-navigating shortcuts and how to easily “find stuff” on the World Wide Web
• edit your manuscript, 22 pages at a time so that you can gain tools with each installment

My new guide, Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published, will be released early 2010. http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

EVENTS:

Saturday, January 16, 2010  10:00am-noon
Encourage writer-friends who are in the Belmont, CA area to attend the California Writers Club-SF Peninsula Branch meeting.
Teresa LeYung Ryan to present: “Build Your Name While You Write”
Can you relate to any one of these statements?

* Agents and acquisition editors say publishers prefer to work with authors who are already celebrities or have established platforms (i.e. means to build fan base).  How do I compete?

* I am published. There aren’t enough hours in a day to write, let alone run around and network.

* I believe in my writing and I’m committed to building my career, but, my budget is limited.

Teresa LeYung Ryan says: “You are the expert of your experiences whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction.  When you make your name synonymous with the themes/subject matters/issues in your writing, you’re building your career/platform.  Come to the January 2010 meeting.”  More Info & Registration:  http://cwc-peninsula.org/

February 12 – 14, 2010
The Seventh Annual San Francisco Writers Conference   ‘Building Bridges to Better Tomorrows’
The 2010 Conference will feature nearly 100 agents, authors, editors and book industry professionals in a stellar set of opportunities for writing advancement.   http://sfwriters.org/
Look for Elisa Southard & Teresa LeYung Ryan–they will be presenting “UPPING YOUR PLATFORM: Building Your Visibility Online and Off with Your Talking Tagline”

Saturday, April 24, 2010
No. CA Publishers & Authors Conference – Join industry leaders and fellow publishers & authors for a day of insight, inspiration, and practical information. www.norcalpa.org
Writing-Career Coach & Author Teresa LeYung Ryan will present:

USE WHAT YOU KNOW TO BUILD FAME:
3 Easy Steps for Fiction and Nonfiction Authors

Learn how to:
•    identify advocates, endorsers and fans.
•    gain recognition through your words and your community.
•    build your platform by reaching out, not stressing out.

How do writers thrive in the fiercely competitive industry?  Find out for yourself in this fun interactive session.
Visit: http://WritingCoachTeresa.com Click on “Teresa’s Blog”

New Year’s approaching, new year to give your writing project a new look.

Ask me, Writing Coach Teresa, to edit 22 pages at a time.
Gain tools from my coaching with each installment of your manuscript. Affordable too.

Learn how to use  archetypes, themes/universal messages, metaphors, hooks, foreshadows, pivotal plot points, seamless transitions, and poignancy to make your story a page-turner.
I like to edit fiction and narrative non-fiction with strong and quirky protagonists, memoirs, young adult fiction, and short stories.

Visit http://WritingCoachTeresa.com home page to find out what it means when an agent or editor tells a writer that his/her story is episodic.

Writing Coach & Manuscript Consultant Teresa LeYung Ryan who helps writers 22 pages at a time.

California Writers’ Club–SF Peninsula Branch Presents
“Build Your Name While You Write”
with Writing-Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

January 16, 2010, 10am to noon
Belmont Library, 1110 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Belmont, CA
Cost: $15  CWC members;  $18 non-members

Reservations are advised:
Call 650-615-8331 to leave a message or email Chris Wachlin at <reservations@sfpeninsulawriters.com> with your name and the meeting date.

More info & PayPal available on:  http://cwc-peninsula.org

Can you relate to any one of these statements?

* Agents and acquisition editors say publishers prefer to work with authors who are already celebrities or have established platforms (i.e. means to build fan base).  How do I compete?

* I am published. There aren’t enough hours in a day to write, let alone run around and network.

* I believe in my writing and I’m committed to building my career, but, my budget is limited.

Optional exercises before January 16:  http://cwc-peninsula.org/

On January 16, 2010 Teresa will debut her guide Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published

Teresa LeYung Ryan’s bio:  http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

What a fun party!  California Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch members celebrated the holidays with 5 literary agents from the Bay Area. President Tory Hartmann and the planning committee provided a lovely environment, delicious Hors d’oeuvre, and delightful energy.

CWC SF Peninsula Branch President Tory Hartmann with 5 dynamic literary agents

I saw one member whom I hadn’t seen in 5 or more years–Bob Davis.  And Angela Berquist! She got one novel (An Unlikely Apprentice) and one non-fiction (The Grail Reclaimed: A New View of an Old Symbol) published!

Joyce Robins (Aunt Lydia’s Trousseau: 28 Stories of a Toronto Girlhood 1923-1938) is published!

Margaret Davis received her advance reading copy of her novel (Straight Down the Middle) from her publisher–so exciting!

Seated: Ruth Silnes & Diane Warner; Standing: Bob Davis, Mary Knippel, Valerie Lee, Teresa LeYung Ryan, Margaret Davis

Joyce Robins shows off her new book Aunt Lydia's Trousseau, Teresa LeYung Ryan cheers for her

I love to see friends happily published!

This is the writers’ club that launched my career in 1997.

Old and new members have a special place in my heart.

Michael Betts & his wife author Angela Berquist

Margaret Davis receives her advance reading copy from publisher for proofing

CWC members having fun at Dec 12 2009 party

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

September 27, 2009

Speech for Salinas Libraries Centennial Celebrations and Read-In Reunion

Kathy Richman translates Teresa LeYung Ryan's speech into Spanish

Greetings.  I am Teresa LeYung Ryan, the author of Love Made of Heart.  The title of my book describes the Chinese character for “love.”  Inside the character “love” is the word “heart.”

It is a story about an immigrant-mother’s love and sacrifices; it’s about her daughter who ultimately finds self-forgiveness.

Today I’m here to wish Salinas Public Libraries a happy birthday and another hundred years of “open doors for open minds!”   The California Writers Club is also celebrating their centennial birthday this year!   I give a shout, out to all the branches of CWC!

To honor today’s celebrations, I have written a letter to my mom, who died of metastasized breast cancer in 2000.

Dear MaMa,
Guess where I am today?  In Salinas, California, the birthplace of your mother.

4 years ago, Lyle and I packed our tent and sleeping bags to join library advocates at the 24-Hour Emergency Read-In.

Kathy Richman helped me read a mother-daughter scene from my novel.  The reading was fun, so was camping out, but, we all knew what would happen if our beloved libraries were going to be shut down.

It is 4 years late.  The Salinas libraries are thriving because of community love and support.  Three weeks ago, when I opened Patti Fashing’s email about a re-union, I ran to check my calendar.

So, this time, instead of packing sleeping bags, Lyle packed a canopy.  We carpooled with Patrick Camacho of Save-the-Libraries.

You see, MaMa, public libraries have a special place in my heart.  Remember when I used to tell you?: “I won’t be home after school, I’m going to the library.”

Well, that’s where I really went.  I wrote all my book reports there. Even though I could have brought home the books and read them in our apartment, I chose to read and write in my quiet and safe place. The library was my sanctuary.

All those years, I never thanked you and Father for the great sacrifices you both made—packing up your lives, leaving Hong Kong, so that your 3 children would get an education.

Here in the U.S.A. we the children gained the power of reading and writing while you struggled with a new language in a new world.

I thank you now, for having the wisdom to let me spend many hours at my quiet and safe place. Those days I was a scared little girl and felt that I had nothing to say.  But how I loved writing book reports.

These days I am speaking out for libraries—at city council meetings; through letters to editors; through emails; on my blog and other blogs.

Also, I am using the gift of reading and writing to honor immigrant-stories; to advocate compassion for mental illness; to help survivors of family violence find their own voices; to encourage parents and grown-children to speak from the heart.

Today I celebrate libraries, librarians, patrons, and everyone involved in organizing this lovely party. I celebrate California Writers Club.  I celebrate you, MaMa. You are all love made of heart.

Everyday I’m reminded of this truth: No one is “self made.” No writer is an island. In the fiercely competitive book industry, a writer needs a circle of colleagues, friends and loved ones to survive and thrive.

Case in point:
On Sept. 19, 2009, I was one of the exhibitors at the Sonoma County Book Festival in Santa Rosa, CA.

Teresa LeYung Ryan, Amy Gorman, Kate Farrell, Rita Lakin, Pat Windom, Marcia Canton having fun together at Sonoma County Book Festival

“Sonoma County Book Festival was a testament of positive attitude and team effort.  Shyne, Kate Farrell, Marcia Canton, Rita Lakin, Amy Gorman and I chipped in to buy two 10’x10’ booths.  We had to bring our own tables, chairs, and canopies though. Linda L. lent us her canopy; we dusted off our card tables and folding chairs.

“My sister Maria helped me design a lovely poster.  My hubby Lyle found a second canopy through Craigslist, packed a cooler for us, and schlepped a carload to the festival. (Shyne, we missed you.)  Pat Windom and Marcia’s hubby Joe sat at the booths while the five of us got stage time (Thank you, Kate Farrell and Linda Loveland Reid!). B. Lynn Goodwin was our
neighboring exhibitor.  So many other folks to thank–calendar editors; CWC & WNBA colleagues; Marlene Cullen’s writers’ forum; book festival organizers and volunteers (led by Nadja); readers who stepped out to support the event.  Networking, meeting fans, being out in the community. Glad we were together, having fun.” Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart and writing-career coach http://www.WritingCoachTeresa.com

“Calling ourselves the Fab Five, our group talked books all day to a
constant stream of eager readers interested in literature and in meeting
authors. The Fair was splendidly organized and the spirit warm and
inviting. Thanks for offering this day to the community.”  Amy Gorman,
author of Aging Artfully: 12 Profiles of Visual and Performing Artists
85-105 http://www.agingartfully.com

“What an opportunity the SoCo Book Festival was for me and my young adult
novel, Girl in the Mirror ! I sold books; gave out postcards; networked
with teachers and librarians in the community; and spoke to some teenage
girls. There is no substitute for speaking directly to your audience
(sorry, Twitter).”  Kate Farrell, author of Girl in the Mirror
http://www.girlinthemirror.info Workshop Leader http://www.wisdomhasavoice.com

“And what an interesting, intelligent, talented group of women we are,
including dear Pat Windom who will make it Fab Six (and others who might
beg to join us) for next year’s appearance. I bet Booths 75-76 had more
fun than anybody.” Rita Lakin, author of the Gladdy Gold mystery series
http://ritalakin.com

“Can’t stop thanking you for a special day!” Marcia Canton, Ph.D., author
of Mentoring in Higher Education: Best Practices http://www.cantonassociates.com

August 23, 2009

Authors Teresa LeYung Ryan, Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson at Peninsula Festival-San Mateo County Fair

What did I do today?

Got ready for a gig at the San Mateo County Fair/Peninsula Festival (with buddies/authors Luisa Adams and Martha Alderson):

Packed poster of my novel Love Made of Heart; 18 copies of the book; book stands for my book and my buddies’ books; color programs; camera; recorder; show-and-tell material.

Ate hearty breakfast of last night’s leftovers.  Exchanged “Have a fun day!” with my hubby.

Loaded the trunk of my car; off to Luisa’s house so that she, Martha and I can take one car to the festival.

I had told Tory Hartmann, president of California Writers Club-Peninsula Branch (the one who got CWC this gig), that we would arrive by 12:30 (for 1:00 show time). The line of vehicles to the parking lot was longer than a thousand-page novel, and, it was now 12:26.  Don’t panic.  With Luisa’s calmness and Martha’s encouragement, I got into another lane that zipped us to the  entrance.

Show biz. Always be on time. Alexandra King, Co-Director for the stage, recognized us (from our photos) as we rushed into the Expo Hall.  Literary Arts Director of the Peninsula Festival Bardi Rosman Koodrin warmly greeted us.  A joy to work with professionals.

Fellow CWC member Christopher Wachlin (he had presented on Tuesday) was there, and, he said “yes” to taking photos of us 3 on stage. Thank you, Chris!

Tory Hartmann, who had presented on Tuesday as well, moderated our panel.
Questions she asked:

1.  “How did you (Teresa LeYung Ryan, Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson) meet each other?”

2.  “What advice do you have for anyone who wants to write for a readership?”

3.  “What does your writing-life look like?

Teresa, Martha, Luisa answering questions from Tory

Answer to #1  The 1997 and 1998 Jack London Writers Conference brought Luisa and Martha into my life; we’ve been buddies since, being each other’s safety net in this fiercely competitive arena called the publishing world.

Answer to #2  Writing is lonesome work. Go out and be with other writers, exchange ideas and leads, find mentors, learned from those who have accomplished what you are pursuing. Where do you find these people?  Writers’ organizations.  Writers’ Conferences.

More info on California Writers Club— www.calwriters.org

http://www.cwc-peninsula.org

More info on Jack London Writers Conference— http://jacklondonwritersconference.org

Answer to #3  My writing life (today) is preparing for the gig, showing up, having fun.

After we 3 did our job, we supported the festival’s food vendors and ate 4-H’s baked goods. Asked kind strangers to take photos of us in front of roller coaster and giant slide. What a colorful scene!

Back to the stage area to take photos of our colleague Geri Spieler. More photos with Tory, Bardi, and Alexandra. Also part of the writer’ life–show up in the community and have proofs of your showing up.

Back to Luisa’s, said goodbyes.  Came home, swapped “How-was-your-day?” with my hubby, emailed the photos to everyone (at event) who might want to use them for their portfolios, websites, blogs.

After I post this blog, I’ll work on my new book:  YOUR PUBLISHING JOURNEY: BUILD YOUR FAME WHILE WRITING

Geri Spieler, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Tory Hartmann and colleagues at 2009 Peninsula Festival

Teresa Jade LeYung
http://www.WritingCoachTeresa.com

Career Coach for Writers

and

Manuscript Consultant

• polish your manuscript by identifying the themes and archetypes;
• market yourself to agents and publishers;
• map out your career.

Teresa edits women’s fiction, mainstream fiction, memoirs, children’s and young adults’ fiction, and short stories.

Some comments from her clients:

“Teresa is not only a lovely writer and a wonderful person, but also an enthusiastic, inspiring, and thorough mentor. Her far-reaching knowledge, networking expertise, and organization ensure that an aspiring writer will have the strongest foundation possible to launch him/herself on a successful career.” Pat Windom

“Teresa, . .because of you, the story has grown. You make me dig deeper and it brings more life to the story.“ E. Hartshorn

“Teresa, . . . I even see myself succeeding and being put into print and making money with my writing ability.I am so grateful to you.” D.Warner

Teresa LeYung Ryan is:

• Member-at-Large at Women’s National Book Association-SF Chapter;
• Past Co-Chair of Group Mentoring at California Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch;
• Past President of California Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch;
• a 2004 recipient of the Jack London Award for her services to California Writers Club;
• Speaker and instructor.
  

Teresa LeYung Ryan uses her mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart to advocate compassion for mental illness and to help survivors of family violence find their own voices.

In Love Made of Heart, protagonist Ruby Lin is forced to look into her past when her mother shuts down her own painful world.The story explores the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, the choices we make when our hearts are broken, and the choices we make when our hearts are healed.

• archived at the San Francisco History Center;
• recommended by the California School Library Association;
• recommended by the California Reading Association;
• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes.

www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com