My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope

Writing is Hard, Y'all

Watch on YouTube
Mentioned:
Ink & Magic Writing Retreat - https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
The Better Writer Podcast with Olivia Bedford
Preorder my next book: The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass 
 
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Novel November: How it Went

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Mentioned:
My reader newsletter: http://lpenelope.com/newsletter
Black Friday 2025 Writer Bundle Deal - https://lpen.co/vault25
MYSTERY: FICTION'S FAVORITE FORCE by Junot Diaz - https://junot.substack.com/p/mystery
AI scams for writers at Writer Beware
Update on those Flattering AI Book Marketing Scams from Anne R. Allen
The Case of the Disappearing Author and Why You Probably Don’t Want a Six or Seven Figure Deal 
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Writing My Novel's First Draft as a Script

Mentioned:
ProWriting Aid
Novel November
My brother's short film
Writer Duet
Ines Johnson
Ink & Magic podcast
How to Write a Movie in 21 Days by Viki King
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

When Inspiration Strikes

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Mentioned:- The Bliss Wars Special Edition Omnibus- The Obsidian Curse - releases June 12! - Author Website Audit- A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis 
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

10 Lessons From 10 Years of Publishing

Pre-order The Bliss Wars Special Limited Edition Hardcover Omnibus
Pre-order The Obsidian Curse
https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/
 
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author Leslye Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast 
Get the Footnotes newsletter and become an Imaginary Best Friend:  https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show - https://paypal.me/heartspell
Music credit:Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The New Year So Far

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome 
Magic in the Melanin anthology (Hardcover preorder  | Kindle: https://amzn.to/42bbxTZ)
PENN/Faulkner - https://www.penfaulkner.org/
My Craft Book club 
Johnny B Truant "We're Entering the Age of the Iconoclast Writer" 
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Planning for 2025

Watch on YouTube
My decision matrix video
Mentioned:
Novel Revision Workshop 
ClickUp - https://clickup.com/
Todoist - https://todoist.com/
Trello - https://trello.com/
Ink & Magic, episode 38 "Masterminds"
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Drafting Woes (Technology Edition)

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAYHjhD8hk
Mentioned:
Freewrite writing machines
My Freewrite reviews - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33u95y8_hYY&list=PLPWpOldzxmoFtoJMjg6iSUuxU1kDichvn
The device I couldn't remember in the podcast - BYOK (Bring Your Own Keyboard): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/byok/byok-the-ultimate-distraction-free-writing-tool. Now that I've watched the video, I've changed my mind and I'm actually going to get one. LOL, I'm a mess.
 
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

How to Know When You're Ready to Write

Mentioned:
A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis - https://amzn.to/4dbeN3D
Bookfly Design covers 
Ink & Magic podcast - https://www.inkandmagic.net/
My Events - https://lpenelope.com/calendar/
 
The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. Penelope as she shares insights on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week's best thing.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast | Get the Footnotes newsletter & become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show: https://paypal.me/heartspell
Stay in touch with me! Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/SZkVShypKgM
Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive compensation for links to products on this site either directly or indirectly via affiliate links. Heartspell Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Imagining Success with Daniel José Older

Today, I speak with New York Times bestselling author Daniel José Older. Daniel has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, The World Fantasy Award, the Locus, and the Mythopoeic Award among others and is a winner of the International Latino Book Award. He writes novels for teens and adults, as well a monthly comic book series, and is a lead story architect for Star Wars: The High Republic. He and his wife Brittany N. Williams also have a podcast called Inkbottle, where they talk about writing, creativity, and parenting.
Find Daniel online at https://www.danieljoseolder.net/ and read his Substack newsletter at https://danieljosolder.substack.com/.
Subscribe and view show notes at: https://lpenelope.com/podcast
Get the Footnotes newsletter and become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net
Support the show - https://paypal.me/heartspell