Teresa Le Yung Ryan Author of Love Made Of Heart
An Interview by B. Lynn Goodwin

Big and Wonderful Dreams

In Teresa LeYung Ryan's Love Made of Heart , Ruby's mother is fleeing from an abusive husband. She holes up in her daughter's apartment until Ruby calls in professional assistance. When the social worker takes her mother away, it unleashes guilt and triggers memories of a dysfunctional past.

Ruby is a successful Chinese-American career woman caught between familial expectations and hope for a full, independent, adult life. Her skill with relationships is built on a rocky foundation, but strengthened by Mrs. Nussbaum, a wise, elderly neighbor.

In Love Made of Heart Ryan deals with the specifics of the Chinese-American culture and the far-reaching impact of dysfunctional families. Her probing style touches the heartstrings. The story starts sadly but actively, builds believably, and is enriched by insights as Ruby faces her demons.

Here Ryan shares her experiences creating, nurturing, and marketing her first novel.

LG: Tell us about yourself. When did you know you were an author? How did you pursue your dream of writing?

TLR: I found my voice in 1990 while reading Maxine Hong Kingston's memoir The Woman Warrior . That weekend, I set out on a new writer's journey.

I thought I would have my book written in a year. . . Five years later I sent the entire manuscript to an agent. (Was I green! I didn't know anything about query letters.) When the "no thank you" letter arrived, I thought there must be a mistake.

I didn't know I wasn't supposed to call the agent, so I did. "Linda, can you tell me why you didn't like my manuscript? I'm the author of the book of short stories, umm, with a common thread . . ." After what seemed like a whole minute of silence, Linda said, "Teresa, I didn't see any common thread in your stories." I swallowed hard, said "thank you," and let depression take over.

Six months later, a member of my critique group said, "Why don't you write Maxine Hong Kingston a letter?" Maxine wrote back! She gave me the name of her agent! I fantasized away . . . I'll send out the manuscript this week, the agent will call next week, fame and fortune the following week. (Are you laughing?) That "no thank you" letter came many weeks later. I let sorrow overtake me.

Did I stop writing? No. I continued my search and after listening to James Frey talk about the power of myth at the Jack London Writer's Conference, I joined the California Writers Club.

LG: How much of your story is true and how much is fictionalized?

TLR: Prior to late 1997 I thought I was writing the "whole truth" but because the stories were so personal, I was really censoring myself (afraid to be judged). Then a new character-purely fictional- gave me permission to tell the truth. Some writers would call this character the muse; I call her Mrs. Nussbaum. (She is the "heart" of the novel.)

After Mrs. Nussbaum came along, protagonist Ruby Lin had someone to tell her story to. What started out as a memoir evolved into a novel. The protagonist that I had created took on her own identity. I began to see "her" as my firstborn. My only concern was to let "her" tell her story.

LG: Do you have any tips about writing an autobiographical novel? about writing a first novel?

TLR: Behind each face is a compelling story. Find your inspiration/voice or let it find you. Know the answer to this question: "What's my point?" Give yourself permission to write-to create-to give birth.

LG: What is the value of writing groups? How did they help you revise, edit and polish?

TLR: If not for the critique group, I might have given up long ago. The members were tireless, even when I brought in the same chapter, meeting after meeting, crafting and polishing.

LG: From conception to publication, how long did it take you to write Love Made of Heart ? What is your writing process?

TLR: I was a full-time secretary while writing Love Made of Heart . Remember it was 1990 when I started? Eight years later, just when I thought I would give birth to the novel, a new writer-friend, Martha Alderson, read part of my manuscript, and said, "Teresa, where's your front story?"

"What's that? I asked. Martha explained: "A plotline. You don't have one." She told me about Christopher Vogler's book, THE WRITER'S JOURNEY, where he uses Joseph Campbell's ideas of the hero's journey.

I must have cried that day. I must have gotten angry too. But the dreamer in me kept going. I learned how to plot. Thank you, Martha. Then from Luisa Adams I learned how to "dig deeper." From Susan Canale, I learned not to bury poignancy "between the lines." Keeping the integrity of my narrator's voice came naturally.

LG: Wonderful answer. How did you find your agent and publisher?

TLR: In the summer of 1999 I sent out 60 query letters to agents. By October, four agents wanted to read the entire manuscript. I gave one agent a 3-week exclusive reading time. She didn't care for the story, so, on to the next agent.

The agent who became "my agent" was the "godmother for my child. Just last year, Stacey told me how she had found me . . . "Teresa, I was looking through the 'slush pile' when I saw your query letter and your first two chapters."

There was yet another cliffhanger when Stacey pitched my novel to 22 publishers and they all said "no thank you." That story will be on my website. The message here: Never give up on yourself. And surround yourself with people who won't give up on you.

LG: How are you helping Kensington market the novel?

TLR: I believe in the magic of networking and synchronicity. I was already committed to work a booth for the Women's National Book Association at the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association tradeshow when my publisher asked me to appear at that event. Timing was perfect. My book came out October 1, 2002; the tradeshow was Oct. 5-6. There I met the sales director at my publisher's; she's an ally now. So are two independent sales representatives. I've been very lucky. But then, I've been working very hard.

Also, prior to October, through the help of friends and mentors, I had already landed gigs at bookstores. "How to get gigs and when to get them" will be on my website as well.

LG: Where can people find copies of your book? What are you working on now?

TLR: Love Made of Heart made her way into the big chains and also many independent bookstores. Your favorite bookstore or library can order any title that's in print. Please support them; thus helping "my little girl" touch lives.

To fellow writers and readers: I wish you big and wonderful dreams. May you materialize all your dearest dreams.

LG: Thank you for sharing your ideas and enthusiasm.

Teresa LeYung Ryan's website is www.lovemadeofheart.com and plotting teacher Martha Alderson's website is www.blockbusterplots.com . Both women are members of the California Writers Club and are often available for speaking engagements.

Her novel continues to earn acclaim. It is on the "Required Reading" list of a Sociology class, and she recently spoke to a class at UC Berkeley about one of the underlying themes of the book-domestic violence. Think of Ryan as a woman who uses story-telling to advocate YES! to compassion for mental illness and NO! to domestic violence/child abuse.

If her novel is not in stock, ask your local bookstore or library to order it. It's in paperback as well as hard bound. Though she writes about specific people, the message in Love Made of Heart is universal and everyone who has ever been a part of a family should read it.