Shawna Yang Ryan

Shawna Yang Ryan – Editor

Book Coach for literary fiction and creative nonfiction projects. I'm also a published novelist and former Creative Writing professor.

Overview

As a coach, I offer the same care and support I provided to emerging writers during my decade as a creative writing professor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.


I've guided dozens of graduate-level creative prose manuscripts to completion and my students have gone on to publish award-winning books (PEN Hemingway, National Book foundation 5 Under 35, etc). Recognized with faculty awards for teaching and scholarship, I bring a proven track record to our work together. We’ll connect as fellow writers, diving deep into craft, word choice, and the power of language.


As a prize-winning novelist (WATER GHOSTS, GREEN ISLAND), I understand the challenges and rewards of the writing life and can talk you through not only the craft and organizational aspects of book writing, but also the mental and emotional parts of the journey.


Let's collaborate to bring your manuscript to life!

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Cultural & Ethnic Historical Fiction Literary Fiction
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • American Book Award
  • Association for Asian American Studies Award for Best Book in Creative Writing (Prose)
  • Elliot Cades Award for Literature for Emerging Artist from the Hawaiʻi Literary Arts Council
  • Northern California Book Award Finalist
  • UC Davis Maurice Prize
  • Nomination, The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses

Work experience

Self-employed

Aug, 2013 — Present

Drawing on my experiences as a novelist and university creative writing teacher/advisor, I help writers move through the writing process: planning the first stages of a book, accountability support for a writing project, or expert feedback (developmental editing) on a completed prose manuscript,

University of Hawai'i at Mānoa

Aug, 2013 — Dec, 2023 (over 10 years)

As professor and director of the CW Program at UH Mānoa, I helped guide undergrad, MA, and PhD students toward their degrees through teaching and serving as creative dissertation/thesis advisor. As a mentor, I coached more than thirty book-length creative prose manuscripts to completion, providing developmental editing and accountability support.

Portfolio

Brutalities: A Love Story

Steines, Margo

W. W. Norton & Company

Book Coaching
The Language of Mothers

Wright, Rain

Running Wild Press

Book Coaching
Book Coaching
Nuclear Family

Han, Joseph

Counterpoint LLC

Book Coaching

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