“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with multi-award winner P. Djèlí Clark about the publishing industry, shifting ideas of success, and something all Gen-Xers should…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/umqeMohkOC0 Mentioned: ARC Giveaway - https://lpenelope.com/2024/03/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep-arc-giveaway/ Daughter of the Merciful Deep - preorder Publishers Weekly starred review Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell Plot vs. Character by Jeff Gerke Sav…

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with legendary romance author Beverly Jenkins about the power of representation, her unique relationship with her readers, and why…

Watch on YouTube Mentioned: Imaginary Worldbuilding course Zcal Meeting Scheduler - https://zcal.co/ My interview on the Wish I’d Known podcast Washington Post mention! https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/02/11/romantasy-explainer-maas-yarros/ - Gift article link: https://wapo.st/3uJ2YkN https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ Grammar refresher …

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with award-winning SFF author Mary Robinette Kowal about the meaning of success and how it evolves over time. She discusses the mo…

Watch on YouTube Mentioned: How to Revise Your Novel workshop Imaginary Worldbuilding course - https://lpen.co/worlds Story Seed workbook - https://lpen.co/storyseed Enneagrams - https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram/types Pro Writing Aid's romance week - https://lpen.co/romanceweek All the Sinners Bleed by SA Cosby - (Amazon), (Bookshop) The My I…

Watch in YouTube: https://youtu.be/DeIidsoalEY - Footnotes newsletter - https://myimaginaryfriends.net/footnotes - Savage City is on sale! - https://books2read.com/savagecity - Preordder Daughter of the Merciful Deep - https://lpenelope.com/book/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep/ Mentioned: - Bookbub - ebook deals - Scribecount - track book sales - FaR…

Pre-order Daughter of the Merciful Deep – coming June 4, 2024 Pre-order Brutal Fortress – get it from me March 1 and everywhere March 15! Mentioned: Bridgerton Tea photos - https://www.instagram.com/p/C2GS35brisd/ Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/ FaRoFeb (Fantasy Romance February) - https://farofeb.com/ Scapple - https://www.literatureandlatte.co…

Watch on Youtube! - Become an Imaginary Best Friend: https://myimaginaryfriends.net/footnotes - Revision Workshop: Monday, January 24, 2024 at 7pm ET - Imaginary Worldbuilding cohort - https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/courses/imaginary-worldbuilding - Pre-order Daughter of the Merciful Deep - coming June 4, 2024 - Pre-order Brutal Fortress - ge…

Watch in YouTube Mentioned: My other podcast! Ink and Magic Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh Pre-order my new book, Daughter of the Merciful Deep My upcoming revision course – https://myimaginaryfriends.net/revision Final Imaginary Worldbuilding course cohort in January – https://lpen.co/worlds My author newsletter: https://lpenelope.com/newsl…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AMZyTkoOz_s Mentioned: Writers Craft 5.0 bundle deal! Ink and Magic podcast episode 1 is out now! https://inkandmagic.net Pre-order Daughter of the Merciful Deep - https://lpenelope.com/book/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep/ My upcoming revision course - https://myimaginaryfriends.net/revision Imaginary Worldbuilding…

Watch on YouTube Mentioned: The Faceless Mage by Kenley Davidson My author newsletter: https://lpenelope.com/newsletter/ The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, 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 …

Watch on YouTube Mentioned: Footnotes newsletter 1:1 Writer Mentorship with me My new podcast! Ink and Magic Jane Friedman The Hot Sheet newsletter My Preptober video playlist & live write-in info My novel revision course waiting list My Nanowrimo novel inspiration cover The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen The Very Secret Society of I…

Get on the Footnotes newsletter Watch on YouTube Preptober & NaNoWriMo write-ins, Mondays & Wednesdays, 7pm ET. Get reminder emails: https://myimaginaryfriends.net/nano Mentioned: Tara McMullin "The Work You Were Born to Do" (paywall) - https://www.whatworks.fyi/p/the-work-you-were-born-to-do Nalini Singh interview on Fated Mates podcast - https://…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8OGi3Voyeaw Become an Imaginary Best Friend! https://myimaginaryfriends.net/footnotes Plan your NaNoWriMo novel in Preptober with me - https://myimaginaryfriends.net/nano Writing schedule calculator - https://thrivingscribes.com/publishing-timeline/ "There are no problems, only puzzles" - https://www.youtube.com/p…

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/XI92ZBNSvDg NINC (Novelists, Inc.) Maryland Romance Writers - https://marylandromancewriters.com/ Capclave - https://www.capclave.org/ Imaginary Worldbuilding course - https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/courses/imaginary-worldbuilding Preptober 2023 - prep your NaNoWriMo with me - https://myimaginaryfriends.net/…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HWjjXkRIO_o Yale Romance Conference - https://romancefictionconference.yale.edu/ Love Between the Covers documentary - https://www.lovebetweenthecovers.com/ RWA implosion in detail - https://claireryanauthor.com/blog/2019/12/27/the-implosion-of-the-rwa/ The Black Romance Podcast - https://blackromancepodcast.libsy…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z2wDPB6W9q0 "Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it." - Eckhart Tolle via InspiringQuotes.com The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer My interview on the Black Writer Therapy podcast - The Write Women Book Festival Novelists, Inc. (NINC) The Muse Writers Center workshops: Building a …

Watch on YouTube Become an Imaginary Best Friend to support the show! Mentioned: InkersCon Authortube Writing Conference ApollyCon - https://jenniferlarmentrout.com/apollycon/ Imaginarium Book Festival "Advice I would give to baby author me" by Angelina M. Lopez https://snazzymaps.com/ - custom Google Maps https://www.wellspent.so/ - App to stop mi…

Developing story ideas, novel playlists, and mapping Watch on Youtube Mentioned: - Imaginarium Book Festival - The Story Seed Mini-course - Footnotes newsletter - Scribblemaps - "It's Our World, AI Just "Lives" In It" by Tara McMullin - Circle of Control graphic - Fast X - InkersCon The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, behind the scenes lo…

Watch on Youtube Mentioned: Sistah Scifi bookstore Afrofuturism exhibit at NMAAHC Our group at the exhibit Ytasha Womack Plottr software (affiliate link) GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon C.S. Lakin courses Scene Turning Points article Story by Robert McKee The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne Genres of writing Susan Dennard "How to Level…

Watch on Youtube Mentioned: Savage City on sale for $.99 (limited time) Calendar I use for my writing calendar My Resources Page https://todoist.com/ The Story Seed Workbook Mini-course Imaginary Worldbuilding: Creating Fictional Worlds for Writers Save the Cat Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes ChatGPT Whimsical OneStopForWriters.com Michael Hauge c…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-plK0hBFKig Mentioned: Beastly Kingdom is here! Apollycon Draft 2 Digital Scribecount for book sales tracking Imaginarium Book Festival - May 20-21, 2023, Washington, DC Imaginary Worldbuilding Course Autonomous Creative with Jessica Abel "Why it’s so hard for writers to ask for money for their work" by Mason Curr…

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/eg1ZHOp1yf4 Mentioned: Ram's Promo Stacker ChatGPT Sudowrite "What's Your North Star?" post "Hi Ren" music video A reaction video compilation Sarra Cannon's HB90 Method The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing…

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/LQB3as3Z8RM Mentioned: ProWriting Aid software Scrivener Shayna Small audiobook narrator Street Faërie by Cree Summer (Spotify link) Author Author bad copies of Monsters photo 1 | photo 2 My essay “When Fantasy & STEM Collide" on the Fantasy Cafe Jane Friedman The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, behind t…

Watch on YouTube Mentioned: Center for Black Literature Sheree Renee Thomas Jewell Parker Rhodes My interview on the “New Books in Science Fiction Podcast” The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantasy and paranormal romance author L. …

Chapter Titles | Character Descriptions | Surprising yet inevitable revelations Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BZkHDIsCzk0 Imaginary Worldbuilding: Creating Fictional Worlds for Writers https://myimaginaryfriends.net/iw Mentioned: Fated Mates podcast Beastly Kingdom preorder Preorder campaign ARC request Fairy Plot Mother Becca Mysoor Center fo…

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/islz3nUEQ3E Imaginary Worldbuilding: Creating Fictional Worlds for Writers Mahogany Books Black Women in Fantasy replay Beastly Kingdom preorder My author newsletter The Cupid Mixup - AI narration via Apple Books Marie Poulin website The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, behind the scenes look at the journ…

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/6APXzkMzbZM Imaginary Worldbuilding Course Mentioned: Mahogany Books, DC - Black Women in Fantasy - March 18, 2023 Huberman Lab podcast - "How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance" Story Forge cards The Story Engine cards My Story Engine Spread: photo 1 | photo 2 Tara McMullin - Ca…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yaI7qniSa5w Sponsor: Imaginary Worldbuilding: Creating Fictional Worlds for Writers Course Mentioned: "Leslye Penelope Imbues Black Broadway With Literal Magic" — Washington City Paper Author Cerece Rennie Murphy Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover Character Arc Progression Worksheet - https://onestopforwriters.com/ab…

View on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5bp2YTm-Vew Mentioned: - My course: Imaginary Worldbuilding is open! - Join my affiliate program - Audie audiobook awards - The Monsters We Defy audiobook - Devotions by Mary Oliver - Maryland Romance Writers - Becca Syme & Better Faster Academy - Tár film - Picard on Paramount + - Bel-Air on Peacock - Black Men Re…

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dlzR5Ykwv4s Mentioned: - Indie Author Forum 2/25/23 - 50% off promo code: FRIEND - https://indieauthorforum.com - VirtuousCon 2/25-2/26 - https://virtuouscon.com - Mahogany Books DC: Black Women in Fantasy Event, March 18, 2023 - https://lpen.co/march18 - Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society - https://filipinol…

Youtube: https://youtu.be/tMVYEUekqvk Mentioned: - Booklife Indie Author Forum - February 25, 2023 - 50% off with code FRIEND. I'm the opening keynote speaker. - Fairy Plot-Mother - https://www.fairyplotmother.me/ - "Lift Every Voice & Sing" - Melba Moore & Friends version - Lit Service Podcast - "Prewriting 101: Everything You Need to Write Before…

Youtube: https://youtu.be/PU3IGUhMVzM Mentioned: - The Monsters We Defy 6 month book birthday spoiler chat - Feb 9, 2023, 8pm ET: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw3UlayiJV4 - Preorder Beastly Kingdom (The Bliss Wars, Book 2) - Thinkific course software - Whimsical software - Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody - Whimsical Save the Cat tem…

Youtube: https://youtu.be/tFjcTkxgctA Mentioned: - Nerds, Erbs, and Words podcast (coming soon) https://twitter.com/nerdserbswords - Adrian Gibson - TBRCon - https://fanfiaddict.com/tbrcon2023/ - SFFAddicts podcast - https://fanfiaddict.com/category/sff-addicts-podcast/ - Bookfly Design - https://www.bookflydesign.com/ - Indie Author Forum, Feb. 25…

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Cib9iRjYGwk Mentioned: - Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen - https://onestopforwriters.com - TBRCon at the FanFiAddict YouTube Channel - The Last of Us - HBO - Missing movie The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. J…

Youtube: https://youtu.be/53Aw84jqh3A Mentioned: - Limited discounted beta slots for my worldbuilding course: https://myimaginaryfriends.net/beta/ - Mind mapping software: Whimsical and Miro - https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/ - The Menu film - Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen - Erin Roberts on SMART goals for magic system - Rule of Thirds v…

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Qn63oWp-OUM Sponsor: Bright Bird Press - Use code: Imaginary15 for 15% off! https://brightbirdpress.com/discount/Imaginary15 Mentioned: - Will My Resolutions Really Work? (Quitcast 423) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWrfgklFs_Q - K.M. Weiland Year Review - https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/new-year/ - The Top…

Mentioned: - Download my Worldbuilding Checklist - https://myimaginaryfriends.net - Erin Bowman workshop "Fundamentals of Design" - https://embowman.com/workshops/fundamentals-of-design/ - The Release Ratio: How to Make Use of Everything You Know - https://moretothat.com/release-ratio/ - “How Writing Your Synopsis Can Fix Your Book” by Allison K Wi…

Sponsor: YOU CAN HIDE by Rebecca Zanetti - "Last Week I Gave Up" - https://nikesh.substack.com/p/last-week-i-gave-up - Last week's newsletter - https://preview.mailerlite.com/x0r3p5u1f0/2098860738008320578/b4j7/ - Strengths for Writers - https://betterfasteracademy.com/sfw101/ - Wednesday on Netflix - Book Lovers by Emily Henry - https://bookshop.o…

Yet another writing retreat, and celebrating the wins! Sponsor: YOU CAN HIDE by Rebecca Zanetti Mentioned: - My signed paperback sale with coupon code: WINTER22 - https://shop.lpenelope.com - Apollycon 2022 preorder link - Devon House Jamaica - https://www.devonhouseja.com/ - DeepStash app - https://deepstash.com/ - Measure the gain instead of the …

Mentioned: - One Stop for Writers - Conflict Thesaurus - https://onestopforwriters.com/ - Michael Hauge’s 6 Stage Plot Structure (Character Journey) - https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/08/the-six-stages-of-your-heros-character-arc/ - Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell – https://amzn.to/35eBwLu - The Story Grid Foolscap Method…

Mentioned: - Jane Friedman Electric Speed newsletter - https://janefriedman.ac-page.com/jf-espeed-30 - Opal HD web camera - https://opalcamera.com/ - Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody – https://amzn.to/3xf7TFV - Whimsical - online whiteboard software - https://whimsical.com/ - My Save The Cat Whimsical template - https://lpen.co/stc-whim…

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/e9wAyW2mtw4 Mentioned: - Black Panther Wakanda Forever - My course survey - https://lpen.co/coursesurvey - HoSaS ebook giveaway - https://lpen.co/hosas - until Nov 20 - What I Wish Every Author Knew About Productivity (Quitcast 418) - https://youtu.be/Eh085bQ5p4k - The Conflict Box - https://bob-mayer.medium.com/w…

Mentioned: - My Course Survey - https://lpen.co/coursesurvey - SFF Addicts - Heists and Capers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhyKtaEU-9s & https://linktr.ee/SFFAddicts - Kindlepreneur course software review - https://kindlepreneur.com/thinkific-vs-teachable/ - Author Roni Loren - https://roniloren.com/ - Daily Writing Tips - https://www.dailywri…

Mentioned: - Atlanta episode "The Goof Who Sat by the Door" - Book Exploder with George Saunders - https://bookexploder.com/episodes/george-saunders - Black Adam - Vampire Academy on Peacock The My Imaginary Friends podcast is a weekly, behind the scenes look at the journey of a working author navigating traditional and self-publishing. Join fantas…

Mentioned: - Highlights Foundation Retreats - https://thebarnatboydsmills.com/highlights-foundation-workshops-retreats/ - Becca Syme - https://betterfasteracademy.com/ - Erin Bowman: Enjoyability over all else - https://erinbowman.substack.com/p/enjoyability-over-all-else - Stephanie Perkins: Love lists - http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2…

Mentioned: - The Soul of Good Character Design - https://youtu.be/SM3IQFgP-d8 - The "Done" Planner: Combating the Dark Side of the Traditional To Do List - https://roniloren.com/blog/2018/9/17/the-done-planner-combating-the-dark-side-of-the-traditional-to-do-list - NPR Codeswitch "Black reality in a world of fantasy" - https://www.npr.org/2022/10/1…

Mentioned: - Capclave - https://www.capclave.org/capclave/capclave22/ - Freewrite Alpha - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/freewrite-alpha-distraction-free-writing-anywhere#/ - My Freewrite reviews on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPWpOldzxmoFtoJMjg6iSUuxU1kDichvn - Kindle Scribe - https://amzn.to/3CeFBzc - Remarkable - https:/…

Sponsor: A Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese Beharrie https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781420153408/a-ghost-in-shining-armor/ Mentioned: - Inkarnate map software - https://inkarnate.com/ - Whimsical - https://whimsical.com/ - Miro - https://miro.com/ - EdrawMax - https://www.edrawsoft.com/edraw-max/ - Author Naomi Novik - https://www.naominovik.com…