My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope

By L. Penelope

Award-winning fantasy & paranormal romance author Leslye Penelope shares perspectives on the writing life, creativity, inspiration, and this week’s best thing.... more

4.9

2828 ratings

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FAQs about My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope:

How many episodes does My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope have?

The podcast currently has 261 episodes available.

My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope episodes:

June 01, 2026The Fire That Forges You
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/AedkGHaBsVI
Book News!
Zahara Preorder Campaign is live! - https://lpenelope.com/preorder
made list of “Books That Feed an Elder Millennial’s 90s Nostalgia” from SheReads magazine - https://shereads.com/books-that-feed-an-elder-millennials-90s-nostalgia/
Angelborn/Angelfall flip book is available! https://shop.lpenelope.com/
Announcements
Mastermind Retreat - September 4-6, near Baltimore, MD - https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
Storybeast - Build Your Author Empire Conference - June 27, online - https://www.storybeastpodcast.com/buildyourauthorempire
Mahogany Books Texture Book Club - June 28, National Harbor, MD
Jane Friedman - Writing from Your Why workshop - July 29, online - https://janefriedman.com/writing-from-your-why-with-leslye-penelope/ - $25 early registration
Fiction Makers Conference - August 22, in-person, Baltimore, MD - https://lpen.co/fictionmakers
From SF to Gaza Book Raffle fundraiser - bit.ly/sfgzraffle

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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
27min
April 27, 2026Knowing What to Keep (and What Not to)
Watch on Youtube
Mentioned:
lpenelope.com — My new website
inkandmagicretreat.com — Apply for the Ink and Magic Mastermind Retreat (Tihs September, outside Baltimore)
Angelborn and Angelfall by Leslye Penelope — now with new covers, PREORDER THE FLIP BOOK NOW FROM MY STORE
Femforce — brand photo shoots in cities around the country (find them on Instagram)
The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik
The Monsters We Defy and Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope — my previous books with magic rooted in African traditions
Gaithersburg Book Festival — May 16, 2026 in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Vellum — Mac app for laying out print books
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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
27min
April 15, 2026Work Life Balance vs. the Reality of a Finite Existence
Watch on Youtube
Mentioned in the podcast:
My new book: The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass: https://lpenelope.com/book/the-inevitable-undoing-of-zahara-douglass/
My author Newsletter : https://lpenelope.com/newsletter/
Landlord’s Lamentation (short interactive fiction): https://lpenelope.com/book/landlords-lamentation/
Notion Social: https://notionsocial.app/
Sunsama (timeboxing app): https://sunsama.com/
Timeboxing article: https://lpenelope.com/2014/04/timeboxing/
Substack post "Notes from Draft 2: Plotting from Character": https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/notes-from-draft-2-plotting-from
One Stop for Writers: https://onestopforwriters.com/about-character-builder
Ink & Magic Writing Retreat: https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
InstaLove University - happening now: https://lpen.co/ilu26
Fiction Makers Conference in Baltimore this August: https://lpen.co/fictionmakers
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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
28min
March 16, 2026What Happens After Agent Feedback (My Revision Process)
Watch on YouTube
Mentioned:
The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass - coming August 11, 2026 - https://lpenelope.com/book/the-inevitable-undoing-of-zahara-douglass/
Instalove University Virtual Conference - running now! - https://lpen.co/ilu26
"Level Up Your Business with Mindset w/ Heather Hildenbrand" - all day workshop 4/11/26 - https://marylandromancewriters.com/mindset-workshop/
Whimsical - https://whimsical.com/
Jule Kucera - https://julekucera.com/
My worldbuilding course - https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/courses/imaginary-worldbuilding
My Father's Shadow film

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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
28min
February 23, 2026Live From VirtuousCon
Watch on YouTube
Ink & Magic Retreat - https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass - coming August 11, 2026
My interview with Beverly Jenkins
VirtuousCon

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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
21min
February 02, 2026 Preparing for Draft 2
Watch on Youtube
Mentioned:
- Build Your Author Funnel LIVE - Sat. Feb 7, 2026
- The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass - releases August 11, 2026
- Scene Study: Before & After - "The Eternal Library"
- Aeon Timeline software
- Locally Crafted in Gaithersburg, MD
- HBCU grads, please take my survey: https://tally.so/r/zx7kJg
- Read for Pixels Event
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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
24min
January 12, 2026New Year, New Challenges
Watch on YouTube
Mentioned:
Ink & Magic Writing Retreat Applications open until Jan 16, 2026 - https://inkandmagicretreat.com/
EVENT: Me and Nicole Glover - January 15, 2026 - 7pm ET online + in-store at East City Bookshop in DC - Register
Read The Starseekers by Nicole Glover
Margie Lawson - https://www.margielawson.com/lawson-writers-academy/
Ray Bradbury Challenge
Writer Kaia Alderson - https://www.kaiaalderson.com/
The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton - https://bookshop.org/a/582/9781934414903
Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson - https://amzn.to/452HDSC
A Black Women's History of the United States - https://bookshop.org/a/582/9780807001998
Story Engine deck - https://storyenginedeck.com/
Plur1bus TV
Better Call Saul
Playing Big by Tara Mohr - https://bookshop.org/a/582/9781592409600
Freedom app - https://freedom.to/
Erykah Badu New Year's Invocation

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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
33min
December 15, 2025Writing 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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
28min
December 01, 2025Novel November: How it Went
Watch on YouTube
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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
34min
November 11, 2025Writing 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: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Music credit:
Say Good Night by Joakim Karud https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud
Creative 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.
...more
28min

FAQs about My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope:

How many episodes does My Imaginary Friends with L. Penelope have?

The podcast currently has 261 episodes available.

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