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Posts Tagged ‘Luisa Adams’

“Coach Teresa, what should I do before hiring an editor?”

Look at Your Manuscript with an Editor’s Lens

By Teresa LeYung Ryan

Writing Career Coach; Manuscript Consultant; Author

Since writing a story with the intent to engage the reader is so much like meeting a stranger and wanting him/her to be interested in you, you’d want to hook the reader’s attention in the first quarter of your story (starting with the first page, oftentimes with the first line).

I love working with diligent writers who want to transform their manuscripts into page-turners. However, there are things you can do before you give your work to an editor. Let me show you how you can help yourself.

The big four elements to look for in your manuscript:

• Planting hook(s) or story-question(s);
• Grounding the reader with the three Ws (Who? When? Where?);
• Showing (not telling) what the protagonist wants;
• Paying attention to language and rules

Let’s learn from the pros.

Planting Hook or Story-Question:

In The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston hooks us with the first line: “You must not tell anyone,” my mother said, “what I am about to tell you…” Then, Ms. Kingston transitions into her story with: “Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one . . .”

Grounding the Reader with the Three Ws:

In Woven of Water, while the story timeline spans from 1957 to 2005, Californian author Luisa Adams brilliantly shows us who she was as a girl (not with a year-by-year narrative, but with a single exquisite chapter). Because she grounded us with “who, when, where,” we eagerly follow as she (the middle-aged woman) takes us into her enchanted world of a “cottage in the forest.”

Showing What the Protagonist Wants:

In The Other Mother, young Carol Schaefer wants to ask questions: “Was there any way to keep my baby? Was there anyone who would help me find a way to do that?”

Elizabeth Gilbert hooks us with “I wish Giovanni would kiss me…” in her memoir Eat, Pray, Love. Simple as that.  She’ll have other desires as her story moves forward, but, right there on page 1, she’s clear about what she wants.

In Love Made of Heart, protagonist Ruby Lin is thinking: What have I done?  I watch the uniformed police officers escort my mother from my apartment.

Paying Attention to Language and Rules:

Read the first five pages of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and you will see how this wordsmith plays with language and rules. (You can “bend” the rules to create flow, but you must not ignore the rules.)

Are you saying: “Coach Teresa, that’s my style–I don’t like to use commas all that much. You might see typos but that’s your job right to correct them? I write like I talk. Okay.”

I say: “Read your manuscript out loud.  Do you really talk like that?  If you hear yourself pausing in a sentence, that’s probably where you’d put a comma. You are a writer; use correct spelling.  Do use vernacular that is indicative of your story-world; however, will your reader hear the differences in speech patterns in your characters OR will they hear just one voice in all the characters?”

Sentences Deserve Your Attention:

Remember Groucho Marx’s line “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas…”? That sentence got a lot of laughs. But, what if you didn’t want to be funny (ambiguous in this case)? Watch out for those misplaced modifiers.

How would you rewrite these poorly constructed sentences?

• He likes to fish near the Farallon Islands and they jump when they’re hungry at dawn or dusk.
• She insists on knowing when I come home and leave, not to be nosy, but for safety reasons.
• Being cautious as not to step on the dog’s tail, the children tip-toed away from him while sleeping.
• My husband still in bed snoring, I have always enjoyed rising before dawn and I eat my toast and drink my green tea on the terrace.

To improve your sentence structuring and other skills, I recommend these books:

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
• Woe is I: Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner

More Advice:

• In all the stories referenced above, the authors present memorable experiences by employing authentic details, unusual story-worlds, and poetic language. You want to do the same for your story.
• Also, the stories have another vital component–all the plotlines have what Martha Alderson, author of Blockbuster Plots, Pure and Simple, calls “Cause and Effect” linked scenes. Another must-read blog: Plot Whisperer
• When you’re writing non-fiction and do not have the luxury of rearranging the sequence of events to create a page-turning plotline, you can engage the reader by using concise expositions to leap over blocks of time in order to focus on the core themes and fast-forward the story. A helpful website: Linda Joy Myer’s http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com
• You the author must show the reader what the protagonist wants, even if the protagonist doesn’t know at first.
• We don’t have to “like” a protagonist, but, we do need to connect with him/her on an emotional level.
• Read my colleague Vicki Weiland’s “Vicki’s Four Questions” © on her blog: http://vickiweiland.wordpress.com/vickis-four-questions-%C2%A9/

In the fiercely competitive arena of the publishing world, how does one stand out in a crowd? Building relationships is one key to success in this business. 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 all hardworking writers realize their dreams.

My best wishes to you!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Coach Teresa edits manuscripts for authors who want to attract agents  & publishers  OR  want to be their own publishers. She specializes in contemporary novels, thrillers, children’s & YA novels, memoirs, short stories, and anthologies.

22-Day Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan helps authors identify their themes to hook agents' and publishers' attention.

author of Love Made of  Heart

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

Before I answer that question, I’d like to introduce you to my colleagues who are fine poets / excellent performers of their poetry.  I had asked them to send me links to their articles about mothers.

By Yolande Barial, a mom of 3, contributor in the anthologies If Women Ruled the World and Oakland’s Neighborhoods :

http://yolandebarial.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/www-examiner-com/

http://www.redroom.com/blog/yolandebarial/happy-mothers-day

http://www.redroom.com/blog/yolandebarial/thanks-mom

http://www.redroom.com/blog/yolandebarial/like-daughterlike-mother

http://www.examiner.com/motherhood-in-stockton/yolande-barial

http://www.tracypress.com/view/full_story/12489710/article-Her-Voice–To-helmet-or-not-to-helment?instance=home_opinion_lead_story

Joan Gelfand’s article “Mother’s Day Without Mom” for the Huffington Post

And, here are authors whose books are about relationships with mothers or mother-figures:

Lynn Scott – A Joyful Encounter: My Mother, My Alzheimer Clients, and Me

Deborah Grossman - Goldie and Me

Luisa Adams - Woven of Water

Lynn Henriksen – Telltale Souls

Linda Joy Myers - Don’t Call Me Mother

Matilda Butler - Rosie’s Daughters

Kate Farrell - Wisdom Has a Voice: Daughters Remember Mothers

(me) Teresa LeYung Ryan - Love Made of Heart

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

Coach Teresa, what did you do on Mother’s Day this year?

Thank you for asking.  The day before Mother’s Day, I had helped dear colleague Mary E. Knippel create multiple videos about her fun Coaxing Creativity workshops:

http://www.youtube.com/maryeknippel#p/a/u/0/xZ2GgqEE3Q4

http://www.youtube.com/maryeknippel#p/a/u/1/JsaPHrUvVfo

Her events are all inspiring. “Simple” and “abundant” best describe what I get from Mary Knippel’s workshops.

The next Day (Mother’s Day) I met artist Chandra Garsson on Hayes Street.

Lunch at La Boulange Cafe & Bakery was delightful, sitting in the corner, with view of the entire cafe and looking out onto Hayes Street. My mom would have liked this place. People eating tasty-looking salads, sandwiches, soups, baked goods; you can see the baked goods and pre-made sandwiches in the counters, all appealing. People reading newspapers and drinking beverages.  High ceiling; a European-feel about the place.

Then Chandra treated me to San Francisco Ballet’s hypnotically beautiful production of The Little Mermaid. The story (tragedy) was written by Hans Christian Andersen.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150573069220430&oid=27923251292&comments
Principal dancer Yuan Yuan Tan says: “on stage … I am dancing without thinking.”

Thank you, Chandra, for giving me a day of bittersweet beauty.

I come home and there’s a Happy Mother’s Day e-card in my inbox from publicity expert Lin Lacombe. The animated card shows a wishing well. I make my wish for my mom–wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, I wish you lots and lots of joy and love.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

author of Love Made of  Heart

Love Made of Heart - get this book for your mom or sister

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

*******

In the summer of 1999, I took 2 three-week leaves-of-absence from my full time day job to plunge into what I knew would be the final rewrite of my novel Love Made of Heart (the story inspired by my mother–a beautiful woman who suffered mental illness all her life).  Three writers (Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson, Susan Canale) read that draft and gave me the most helpful criticism.  I made the improvements.  That summer I queried about 60 agents. By autumn, four agents asked for an exclusive read… I followed protocol.

In December that year, Stacey Glick of Dystel Literary Management (now Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) gifted me with these words: “Teresa, you’re a talented writer.  I would like to represent you.”

An agent’s advocacy doesn’t guarantee landing a publisher.  After receiving 22 rejections from all the acquisition editors she pitched to, and another seven months had passed, Stacey had incredible news.  It’s now April 2001, editorial director John Scognamiglio of Kensington Publishing NY had called Stacey Glick; Kensington wanted to make me an offer–to buy the publishing rights of my novel.  Laurie Perkin was the publisher; Debbie Tobias was Sales Director; Lou Malcangi for lovely book cover; Libba Bray (who is now an author of young adult books) for book jacket copy; Jacquie Edwards for copy editing; everyone who helped in the publishing process. I’ll show my “Acknowledgments”  in Love Made of Heart as another blog post.

Fast forward (I had to deliver more rewrites) . . . eighteen months later on October 1, 2002 the hardcover edition of Love Made of Heart made its debut.  I had so many people to thank. And so many presentations to deliver.

In October 2003 the trade paperback edition of  Love Made of Heart was released.

The trade paperback edition has the same striking book cover as the hardcover.  The trade paperback has my Author’s Note to Reader that the hardcover edition doesn’t have.

Author’s Note to Reader

Thank you for letting me share Ruby Lin’s story with you.  Many readers have asked me what the characters in the novel have done for me.  My answer is this: I’ve learned that behind every face is a compelling story.

Please remember me as a writer who says YES! to compassion for mental illness and NO! to domestic violence and child abuse.

Who is Mrs. Nussbaum?  She lives in all our hearts.  Just as we have the “child within,” we also have the “wise elder within.”  May you always embrace your compelling story and allow your Mrs. Nussbaum to embrace you.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

http://www.dystel.com/client-list/#r

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=6274

*********

Since 2007 I’ve been a writing career coach.  Since January 2010 I’ve been known as “22-Day Coach Teresa”   The new edition of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  I created the fun workbook to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts) or to contact me, just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”

What to do before hiring an editor for your manuscript?

My advice for narrative non-fiction writers is the same for fiction writers.

“Look at Your Manuscript with an Editor’s Lens”

by Teresa LeYung Ryan–Developmental Editor/Manuscript Consultant/Writing Career Coach

Since writing a story with the intent to engage the reader is so much like meeting a stranger and wanting him/her to be interested in us, I will focus on “how to make the first quarter of your story a compelling read.”

I love working with diligent writers who want to transform their manuscripts into page-turners. However, there are things you can do before you give your work to an editor. Let me show you how you can help yourself.

Does your manuscript pass these tests?

• Planting hook(s) or story-question(s);
• Grounding the reader with the three Ws and the big C (Who?  When?  Where? Circumstances);
• Showing (not telling) what the protagonist wants;
• Paying attention to language and rules

Let’s learn from the pros.

Planting Hook or Story-Question:

In The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston hooks us with the first line: “You must not tell anyone,” my mother said, “what I am about to tell you…”   Then, Ms. Kingston transitions into her story with:  “Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one . . .”

Grounding the Reader with the Three Ws and the big C:

In Woven of Water, while the story timeline spans from 1957 to 2005, Californian author Luisa Adams brilliantly shows us who she was as a girl (not with a year-by-year narrative, but with a single exquisite chapter).  Because she grounded us with “who, when, where” and the “circumstances” as to why she had left her love affair with water, we eagerly follow as she takes us into her enchanted world of a “cottage in the forest.”  Another device to ground the reader is the employment of sensory details (not long descriptions).  Sensory details put the reader in the scene/story world.  Re-read one of your favorite author’s books. Study from the masters.

Showing What the Protagonist Wants:

In The Other Mother, young Carol Schaefer wants to ask questions:  “Was there any way to keep my baby?  Was there anyone who would help me find a way to do that?”

In Eat, Pray, Love, Elisabeth Gilbert says: I wish Giovanni would kiss me.

In Love Made of Heart, my protagonist Ruby Lin prays: Please don’t end up like Grandmother (while witnessing police officers escorting her own mother out of her apartment).

Paying Attention to Language and Rules:

Read the first five pages of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and you will see how this wordsmith plays with language and rules. (You can “bend” the rules to create flow, but you must not ignore them.)

In Bastard Out of Carolina, Dorothy Allison’s protagonist Bone is a girl.  Bone’s voice is convincing in dialogue and in internal monologue. Brilliant use of dialect.

Sentences Deserve Your Attention:

Remember Groucho Marx’s line “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas…”? That sentence got a lot of laughs.  But, what if you didn’t want to be funny (ambiguous in this case)?

How would you rewrite these sentences?  See the misplaced modifiers?

• He likes to fish near the Farallon Islands, they jump when they’re hungry at dawn or dusk. (the islands jump?)
• She insists on knowing when I come home and leave, not to be nosy, but for safety reasons. (who is not nosy?)
• Being cautious as not to step on the dog’s tail, the children tip-toed away from him while sleeping. (who’s sleeping?)

To improve your sentence structure and other skills, I recommend these books:

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
• Woe is I: Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner

More Advice:

• In all the stories I referenced above, the authors present memorable experiences by employing authentic details, unusual story-worlds though real, and poetic language. You want to do the same for your story.
• Also, these stories have another vital component–all the plotlines have what Martha Alderson, author of Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple, calls “Cause and Effect” linked scenes.  Another must-read blog:  http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/search?q=first+quarter
• When you’re writing non-fiction and you do not have the luxury of rearranging the sequence of events to create a page-turning plotline, you can engage the reader by using concise expositions to leap over blocks of time in order to focus on the core themes and fast-forward to the next scene.  A helpful website for memoir writers: http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com
• You the author must show the reader what the protagonist wants, even if the protagonist doesn’t know at first.
• We don’t have to “like” a protagonist, but, we do need to connect with him/her on an emotional level. Perhaps what he/she wants is also what we want.
• Story-telling is a skill learned, practiced, and mastered. May you practice with joy.

In the fiercely competitive arena of the publishing world, how does one stand out in a crowd?  Building relationships is one key to success in this business. 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 all hardworking writers realize their dreams. My best wishes to you!

To read other posts in my blog (about writing contests, publishing opportunities, more tips on platform-building), click on [ Home ] and scroll down  OR key in words in the search box to find specific posts. Example: if you key in the words: poetry anthology 2011 into my blog’s search box and click [search], you will see my post containing info about the  Las Positas College Anthology and other contests for other genres (Thank you, Poet Laureate Deborah Grossman!) To read the entire version of a post, click on the title bar of that post.

To see my website for all my books, go to:  http://writingcoachteresa.com

Reach out, not stress out!

Sincerely,

Build-Your-Writer’s-Platform Coach Teresa

Teresa LeYung Ryan–Developmental Editor/Manuscript Consultant, Writing Career Coach, Author, Publisher

Teresa specializes in editing fiction and narrative non-fiction with themes on the human condition.

She likes spunky protagonists in thrillers, women’s novels, memoirs, and children’s literature.

Love Made of Heart is:
• recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association

• read by students at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, CCSF, and many other colleges and high schools.

• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• archived at the San Francisco History Center

Teresa says: “The more you read, the more your own writing will flow.”  
Please click here for my blog’s home page  http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

My fun workbook is now available through Amazon!

BUILD YOUR WRITER’S PLATFORM & FANBASE IN 22 DAYS: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Writers-Platform-Fanbase/dp/0983010005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297630400&sr=1-1

http://lovemadeofheart.com/BUILD-YOUR-WRITER%27S-PLATFORM-&-FANBASE-IN-22-DAYS.html

What Should I Do Before I Hire an Editor to Review My Manuscript?

The question is answered by Teresa LeYung Ryan–Book Doctor/Manuscript Consultant, Career Coach, Author

Nina Amir, creator of Write Nonfiction in November http://writenonfictioninnovember.com/ had invited me to be her guest-blogger in 2008, to help answer that question.  My advice for narrative non-fiction writers is the same for fiction writers.

“How to Look at Your Manuscript with an Editor’s Lens”

Since writing a story with the intent to engage the reader is so much like meeting a stranger and wanting him/her to be interested in you, I will focus on how to make the first quarter of your story a compelling read.

I love working with diligent writers who want to transform their manuscripts into page-turners. However, there are things you can do before you give your work to an editor. Let me show you how you can help yourself.

As an editor, the four biggest mistakes I encounter are manuscripts that are weak in these elements:

• Planting hook(s) or story-question(s);
• Grounding the reader with the three Ws (Who?  When?  Where?);
• Showing (not telling) what the protagonist wants;
• Paying attention to language and rules

Let’s learn from the pros.

Planting Hook or Story-Question:

In The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston hooks us with the first line: “You must not tell anyone,” my mother said, “what I am about to tell you…”   Then, Ms. Kingston transitions into her story with:  “Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one . . .”

Grounding the Reader with the Three Ws:

In Woven of Water, while the story timeline spans from 1957 to 2005, Californian author Luisa Adams brilliantly shows us who she was as a girl (not with a year-by-year narrative, but with a single exquisite chapter).  Because she grounded us with “who, when, where,” we eagerly follow as she takes us into her enchanted world of a “cottage in the forest.”  Another device to ground the reader is the employment of sensory details (not long descriptions).  Sensory details put the reader in the scene/story world.  Re-read one of your favorite author’s books. Study from the masters.

Showing What the Protagonist Wants:

In The Other Mother, young Carol Schaefer wants to ask questions:  “Was there any way to keep my baby?  Was there anyone who would help me find a way to do that?”

Paying Attention to Language and Rules:

Read the first five pages of Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and you will see how this wordsmith plays with language and rules. (You can “bend” the rules to create flow, but you must not ignore them.)

Sentences Deserve Your Attention:

Nina Amir’s post on her blog  http://writenonfictioninnovember.wordpress.com/2007/11/ is a must-read.

Remember Groucho Marx’s line “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas…”? That sentence got a lot of laughs.  But, what if you didn’t want to be funny (ambiguous in this case)?

How would you rewrite these poorly constructed sentences?

• He likes to fish near the Farallon Islands and they jump when they’re hungry at dawn or dusk.
• She insists on knowing when I come home and leave, not to be nosy, but for safety reasons.
• Being cautious as not to step on the dog’s tail, the children tip-toed away from him while sleeping.
• My husband still in bed snoring, I have always enjoyed rising before dawn and I eat my toast and drink my green tea on the terrace.

To improve your sentence structure and other skills, I recommend these books:

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
• Woe is I: Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Conner

More Advice:

• In all four stories (The Woman Warrior, Woven of Water, The Other Mother, Angela’s Ashes), the authors present memorable experiences by employing authentic details, unusual story-worlds though real, and poetic language. You want to do the same for your story.
• Also, these stories have another vital component-all four plotlines have what Martha Alderson, author of Blockbuster Plots, Pure and Simple, calls “Cause and Effect” linked scenes.  Another must-read blog:  http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/search?q=first+quarter
• When you’re writing non-fiction and do not have the luxury of rearranging the sequence of events to create a page-turning plotline, you can engage the reader by using concise expositions to leap over blocks of time in order to focus on the core themes and fast-forward the story. A helpful website: http://www.memoriesandmemoirs.com
• You the author must show the reader what the protagonist wants, even if the protagonist doesn’t know at first.
• We don’t have to “like” a protagonist, but, we do need to connect with him/her on an emotional level.

In the fiercely competitive arena of the publishing world, how does one stand out in a crowd?  Building relationships is one key to success in this business. 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 all hardworking writers realize their dreams. My best wishes to you!

Do you know a writer who wants to go to a writers’ conference but can’t afford it? Encourage her/him to ask family and friends to chip in (what better Christmas gift or birthday gift!).

For non-fiction authors: Writing for Change Conference http://www.sfwritingforchange.org/

For both fiction and non-fiction authors:  San Francisco Writers Conference http://sfwriters.org

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Book Doctor/Manuscript Consultant, Career Coach, Author, Publisher

Coach Teresa edits manuscripts for authors who want to attract agents  & publishers  OR  want to be their own publishers. She specializes in contemporary novels, thrillers, children’s & YA novels, memoirs, short stories, and anthologies. She likes spunky protagonists.

Love Made of Heart is:
• recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association

• read by students at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, CCSF, and many other colleges and high schools.

• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• archived at the San Francisco History Center

GraceArt Publishing is the publisher of Build My Name, Beat the Game: 22 Days to Identify & Develop My Writer’s Platform to Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention.

Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”  

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/

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

Artist Who Is a Writer Who Expresses Profound Beauty

http://flyingpaintproductions.blogspot.com/

Chandra Garsson’s artwork has been shown both nationally and internationally. Her paintings and sculptures have been featured at the Bedroom Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic, Berlin, Germany, Manukan City, New Zealand, and Art Forum Gallery in Singapore. Closer to home, her art has been seen over the years at Morphos Gallery, Olga Dollar Gallery, Fobbo Gallery, in San Francisco, and more recently at Expressions Gallery, in Berkeley. The Union Gallery featured Chandra’s work in a solo exhibition at San Jose State University. Her art has also been exhibited at the Oakland Museum Sculpture court, The Jewish Museum in San Francisco, and The Triton Museum in Santa Clara, California. Chandra’s artwork and writing also features prominently in Bittersweet Legacy, Creative responses to the Holocaust, an anthology edited by Cynthia Brody, forwarded by Michael Berenbaum, University Press of America. Her book, Insomnia (Awakening), was published by Meridian PressWorks in conjunction with a major retrospective exhibition of the same title at ProArts Gallery in Oakland, California in 2004. www.darksecretlove.com/chandra www.vspcity.com/insomnia

The photo above shows colleagues Mary E. Knippel, Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson, Lori Noack, Linda Lee, Rebecca Martin and me with the magnificent bookcase painted by Chandra Garsson.  The face of the Asian woman and side panels are Chandra’s interpretation of my novel Love Made of Heart. Thank you, Chandra, for turning an unfinished piece of furniture into exquisite treasure.

Sincerely,

Teresa

Teresa LeYung Ryan uses her novel Love Made of Heart to:

• celebrate immigrants
• inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer
• help survivors of family violence find their own voices

http://www.lovemadeofheart.com/

Last year on a panel at the San Mateo County Fair/Peninsula Festival,  I had so much fun with buddies Martha Alderson and Luisa Adams and moderator Tory Hartmann.  This year buddy Margaret Davis asked if I would like to be on a panel with her. So, two months ago,  when Bardi Rosman Koodrin at San Mateo County Fair asked me if I wanted to present again, I said “yes!” She’s a joy to work with.

How to Prepare for a Presentation as a Panelist

Margaret Davis did a load of work identifying California Writers Club members who have published novels, and would be available on Saturday June 19, 2010 at 2:00pm to be on the panel at the San Mateo County Fair/Peninsula Festival. The four panelists:  Margaret Davis, Jon Cory, Judith Marshall, Teresa LeYung Ryan.

Margaret came up with a fabulous title and description for our talk:

“SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A NOVEL”
Four Bay Area novelists discuss their experiences and offer tips for aspiring fiction writers.

Margaret also asked us for our bios and photos and she emailed the compilation to Bardi.

Geri Spieler graciously said “Yes” to being our moderator and asked each panelist to provide questions and topics that we would like to cover.  Here are Geri’s questions and the answers I emailed to her:

Geri:  I’ll introduce you so please send me no more than three sentences about you and your work.

• Author Teresa LeYung Ryan wears two hats.  As a novelist, she uses her book Love Made of Heart to shed light on secret agonies suffered by mothers and daughters in domestic violence.  As a writing career coach and creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published, Teresa helps writers identify their mission statements to attract agents, publishers and fans.

Geri:  Send me two questions regarding writing craft.

• Teresa, in interviews you’ve revealed that the themes and subject matters in Love Made of Heart are autobiographical.  Did you start out writing a memoir or a novel?
• Teresa, would you share one trade secret about story-telling?

Geri:  Please communicate with the other three panelists if you don’t already know each other. I know Margaret Davis and Judith Marshall; I will study Jon Cory’s website.

Geri:  Please tell me anything particularly unique about you that pertains to your writing

• “I am the only Teresa LeYung Ryan (my middle name LeYung was created to honor my mom), but, my protagonists represent the many women, children and men who survived similar experiences that I have.  I was a witness to domestic violence–a girl who felt helpless, ashamed, angry, guilty and voiceless. Decades later, I found a way to help the child-in-my-heart. Through the characters in Love Made of Heart, I encourage survivors of violence and witnesses to violence to find and fortify their own voices through writing.”  Teresa LeYung Ryan   http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Panelists:

Margaret Davis (Straight Down the Middle) is a sociologist who is also the author of Families in a Working World and A Practical Guide to Organization Design.  Her second novel, Katie Carlisle, will be available soon. www.margaretdavisbooks.com

Jon Cory (A Plague of Scoundrels).  Retirement enabled him to return to creative writing after a career in business.  His debut novel received the 2009 Independent Publishers’ Silver Medal Award for popular fiction.  www.joncory.com

Judith Marshall (Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever) is the owner of Kelso Books, a publishing house.  Husbands has been optioned for the screen and her second novel, Staying Afloat, will be available soon. www.judithmarshall.net

Teresa LeYung Ryan used her novel Love Made of Heart to shed light on secret agonies sufferered by mothers and daughters in domestic violence.  She is also a writing career coach and creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published. http://writingcoachteresa.com

Moderator:  Geri Spieler, author of Taking Aim at the President http://www.gerispieler.com/

https://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/ 650 574-3247  for ticket info. Parking lot is on Saratoga, 1 block before the street dead-ends at Delaware (south side of fairgrounds).

Stage is located in the Fine Arts Dept, which is in the Fiesta Building on the San Mateo Event Center fairgrounds. https://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/fair-info/fairgrounds-map Vendors have the center block of space, we are in our own separate 2 large room type space and the stage is midpoint. (the technology dept is on other side of vendors).

So, after I attend the Saturday June 19, 2010, 10:00am-noon  California Writers Club  meeting with fellow members for our last meeting before the summer http://www.cwc-peninsula.org ,  Margaret Davis and I will head out to the San Mateo County Fair, Fiesta Hall, Fine Arts stage to meet up with Judie, Jon, Geri and Bardi.  Hope to see you there!  2:00-3:00pm June 19, 2010

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Dear pal Martha Alderson (the international plot consultant) and her husband Bob invited us to their home for a barbecue, so, another dear pal Marie Elena (the metaphysical consultant) and I, with our husbands, carpooled to Santa Cruz.  The 6 of us headed for The Hook, and it was a great day to do that—sunny, cool and breezy.  Surfers were out.  I called up our buddy Luisa Adams (who, with her husband, would have been with us too if she weren’t at her Enchanted Lake).

On the return trip from The Hook,  Martha wanted to walk on the beach.  Sure.  We drove all this way, let’s get onto sand.  Hmm… we had to maneuver around boulders.  I slipped on kelp and my right knee landed on something coarse. I thought  Oh now you’ve done it— it’s going to hurt  like crazy later, so, I turned back toward higher ground.  That’s when the tide rolled in and soaked my right pant leg. “Never turn your back to the ocean,” Martha advised. What a wonderful metaphor!

As we continued walking back to the house,  I thought about how Marisa (my friend who died last week) would have loved being in the water.  Here’s to you, Mountain Lake Turtle!  When we arrived at the house, I took out the Neosporin (I always have it in my bag).  Imagine my surprise when I rolled up my right pant to see that my knee was neither bloody nor bruised.  I applied some ointment anyway.  Maybe Marisa was thinking of me too.

I had a lovely time, eating, listening to everyone’s stories and my husband’s ukulele, taking a few photos, enjoying the blue sky.

8 hours later, I’m home. After tidying up my kitchen, I see in my in-box an email from Judith Marshall, telling me that her interview is on http://www.theauthorsshow.com/ Good going, Judie!  Articulate and candid.

I see on the schedule that Margaret Davis will be on the show on June 2^nd.

24-May   Judith Marshall    Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever – novel
2-Jun       Margaret Davis     Straight Down The Middle -  novel

Happy New Week, Everyone!

Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan

Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published is the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook. http://WritingCoachTeresa.com
I am so happy to announce the opening of the Love Made of Heart online store where you’ll find gift items for yourselves, women, children, moms and babies, friends and pets.  http://lovemadeofheart.com/Love-Made-of-Heart-Online-Store-&-Gift-Shop.html

Kim McMillon’s “Writers’ Sanctuary” Blog Talk Radio Show Helps Writers Everywhere

Writers’ Sanctuary is sponsored by the Moe Green Poetry Hour

On Tuesday, March 16th 2010 , in celebration of Women’s History Month, Writers’ Sanctuary presents visionary author Mary Cox Garner; award-winning author Luisa Adams; author and writing career coach Teresa LeYung Ryan; and international plot consultant Martha Alderson. This program is aimed at people that have a love of words, a book in their head, and are seeking methods of putting their ideas on paper, and developing a story with the potential to become a publish book.

I had fun today!

Kim McMillon creates interesting programs for the literary community.  Her latest creation is “Writers’ Sanctuary” a blog talk radio show. Today she interviewed:

Mary Cox Garner, author of The Hidden Souls of Words:  Keys to Transformation Through the Power of Words http://www.hiddensoulsofwords.com/ In 1995, Mary Cox Garner established a foundation, HOPE, INC., which continues to address both the material and spiritual needs of children and their care givers. She lives with her husband in Washington, D.C., and has three grown sons.

Luisa Adams, author of Woven of Water http://rp-author.com/Adams/ Luisa Adams is an award winning writer, educator, workshop leader, and Licensed Brain Gym® Consultant. She is the mother of five, grandmother of eight, and resides with her husband, Dave, in San Mateo, California when not living by the enchanted lake.

Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com/ As  community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan uses her novel to shed light on stigmas suffered by women, men, and children who have mental illness/traumas to the mind.  She speaks out for those who cannot speak for themselves. [ On the show today, I focused on what I had learned from writing Love Made of Heart, why I need to speak openly about mental illness and the toxic stigmas, Glenn Close’s mission and http://www.bringchange2mind.org/]

Martha Alderson, M.A. is an international plot consultant for writers. Her clients include best-selling authors, New York editors, and Hollywood movie directors. She can help you, too.  http://www.blockbusterplots.com http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/ Plot tools that Martha has created include: Blockbuster Plots – Pure and Simple;  The Seven Essential Elements of Scene;  Scene Tracker Kit; DVDs for many genres; and free monthly Plot Tips eZine: http://www.blockbusterplots.com/contact.html

To listen to “Writers’ Sanctuary” blog talk radio show hosted by Kim McMillon, click on: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onword/2010/03/16/writers-sanctuary-hosted-by-kim-mcmillon Mary Cox Garner, Luisa Adams, Teresa LeYung Ryan, Martha Alderson shared insights and posed questions; the show was aired on March 16, 2010 11:30am-1:30pm and is now archived.

Teresa LeYung Ryan is also known as Writing Career Coach Teresa. She is the creator of Build Your Name, Beat the Game: Be Happily Published (a 22 minutes for 22 days workbook for writers to build their platforms before and after publication). Coach Teresa says: “You are THE expert of your experiences. Whether you’re a fiction or non-fiction author, make your name synonymous with the themes / subject matters / issues in your writing.”  http://WritingCoachTeresa.com