children – Page 2 – My Pilgrimage to Publication and Beyond

Onward & Yonward

A cup of coffee in a teal-colored coffee mug, a "cinderella" pumpkin, bright orange with some green, a container of candy corn, and a pumpkin apple candle burning, surrounding a book titled Illustrating Children's Books

I feel better when I’m moving forward. It doesn’t have to be much, even baby steps in what I think is the right direction gives me complete satisfaction. Sitting and waiting I can survive. Not a big problem. But when I have a perceived set-back, no matter how small to someone else, I stumble intoContinueContinue reading “Onward & Yonward”

Death of the Storybook

Jen's vast collection of Little Golden Books, Board Books, and other Story Books, most of which were from Jen's childhood. Divided out semi-organized on black shelves.

Yes, it’s very dark and depressing. And, no. No one told me until now. I completely missed the funeral. There was no kindly written obituary or eulogy. Just a collective decision among the publishing world, I suppose. Apparently, the concept and therefore the genre of Storybook is dead. Extinct. I grew up reading storybooks. TheseContinueContinue reading “Death of the Storybook”

Bad News/Good News/Great Views

Jen riding the Ferris Wheel at the Wheeler District in Oklahoma City with the Devon Tower standing high in the background above the Oklahoma River

I went to bed last night mid anxiety attack. I received a rejection email yesterday in the early evening on this new, very personal picture book manuscript, and there was some feedback that I struggled to understand. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that I actually made sense of her words. Then IContinueContinue reading “Bad News/Good News/Great Views”

Our Pond Runneth Over

The view of Jen's favorite pond from her back yard after a plentiful rain storm. Cotton Wood, Wheeping Willow, and Bald Cyprus trees line the pond's bank.

Thank you, JESUS, for this glorious rain!!! Apparently, there’s even more where this came from! I’ll take it. I’ll take my clothes and hair being completely drenched because of the sudden downpour as I arrived home after errands. Then, there was no power because it’s THAT big of a storm…and I couldn’t open the garageContinueContinue reading “Our Pond Runneth Over”

Season of Hope

Jen's favorite pond, that is short on water due to the hot summer conditions. Jen and her neighbor were trying to add water from a nearby well but really we should have prayed for rain.

When I comes to my Pilgrimage, I’m in a season of waiting. For just over a week I’ve been querying agents again. Averaging maybe two a day, with a very slow trickle of rejections coming through…which fills me with dangerous hope. In the meantime, I’ve been obsessing over our backyard pond. It’s drying up andContinueContinue reading “Season of Hope”

Illustration Experimentation

Water color paintings by Jennifer Anyong including a great blue heron, a turtle, a duck, and a monarch butterfly

Seth Godin is to blame. He gave me the confidence to visually bring life to my picture book. I began reading Godin’s book, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work at the beginning of the summer and my creativity just got away from me! I started with these nice colored pencils I got for my birthday aContinueContinue reading “Illustration Experimentation”

Another Cinderella Story

Jen with her daughter Jemma, at Jemma's 7th birthday tea party

The other day, I snuck away for a much-needed pedicure at my favorite salon, just before I had an important event at my sorority house (Alpha Gamma Delta at University of Central Oklahoma). Knowing I only had about an hour, I asked the gal behind the desk, “Are you very backed up?” She said no.ContinueContinue reading “Another Cinderella Story”

Prelude to an Author

Six year old Jen, in a cowgirl hat, brown cowgirl boots and a comicaly mis-matched flowery vest and black skirt

Hello! My name is Jennifer Mason Anyong, but most people end up calling me Jen. I like that. As for that last name…well, I married a man (Keith) whose father is of Chinese descent but was born in the Philippines. I’m not sure if that makes my husband half Chinese or half Filipino, but heContinueContinue reading “Prelude to an Author”