Alchemy... from Effigy Press

Love Unscripted | The Tragedy of the Incels (part 1)

Ever wondered how deep resentment and unrequited love can spiral into a self-destructive cult of bitterness? Join Tim and LeeAnna as they dive into the fascinating, cringeworthy world of incels – the involuntary celibates who somehow think blaming women for their lack of romantic success is a viable strategy. In this first part of a two-parter, our podcasters explore the tangled mess of low self-esteem, entitlement, and, yes, a shocking lack of empathy. Plus, we get real about why “Chads” are the villains in their minds (spoiler: it’s not actually about the abs). Tune in to hear our deep dive into the psychology of resentment, the dangers of online echo chambers, and how this tragic worldview might just fuel a few writers' nightmares.
Next week, we’ll be back with Part 2 – because this saga of digital doom is far from over. You might want to stock up on popcorn... or some emotional armor.
A reminder: this podcast is ad-free, brought to you by Pure Emotional Armor—now available in convenient spray form! No more buffering between thoughts, no annoying sponsorships, just Tim and LeeAnna sharing the raw, uncomfortable truths. So, grab your bottle of this powerful spray (maybe just metaphorically for now) and get ready for another dose of real talk. Because when you listen to Alchemy we don’t just break down barriers, we build emotional fortresses. You’re welcome.
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Love Unscripted | Love’s Corner Case

Tithonus | Love and the Curse of Immortality
What happens when love doesn’t just survive the test of time - but is cursed by it? In our latest episode of Alchemy, Tim and LeeAnna dive into the tragic myth of Tithonus, where immortality isn’t the gift it seems to be. Immortal, but “forever aging”? Sounds like a nightmare, right? Tithonus got his wish to never die, but what he didn’t get was “eternal youth” - leaving him to watch his immortal lover, Eos, grow younger while he crumbles into a wrinkled mess of despair. Talk about a bad deal.
Tim and LeeAnna – and Alfred, Lord Tennyson – talk about what it means when love’s beauty fades, when immortality isn’t just a dream, but a “living hell”. We’ll also hit on how some relationships can evolve into a painfully unfixable mess. So grab a tissue (you’ll need it) and tune in to the podcast that proves eternal love can really suck.
Alchemy is ad-free, but this episode is brought to you by... Eos, the goddess of the dawn, with her brand-new line of “fashion forward alarm clocks”! Tired of waking up to the same old annoying beep? “Eos’s clocks” are designed to wake you up gently, with the “whispered promise” that you too will “never grow old”. Just know that we can’t be held responsible for the existential dread you might feel when you realize you’re stuck in a Tithonus-type situation.
 
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Love Unscripted | Fix It or Forget It

Is your relationship more "Fix It" or "Forget It?" Well, Tim and LeeAnna are back to help you navigate the emotional minefield of love, with a heavy dose of snark and some seriously practical advice. Whether you’re a writer looking to add some depth to your fictional couples or just a human who’s had one too many “whataboutism” blow-ups, this episode is for you! We’re talking “bids for connection” – the little gestures (like saying “Did you see that cute dog?”) that could make or break your relationship - and “repair attempts” – the sometimes clumsy, awkward ways we try to save a fight before it escalates into the full-on "I’m sleeping on the couch" territory. Don’t miss Tim’s dark warning (he does love a little chaos) or LeeAnna’s more realistic take on the emotional rollercoaster. From cheesy jokes to strategic silences, we’ve got everything you need to write real, messy, and totally human relationships. Tune in to hear how bids and repairing can actually work... or fail miserably. Either way, it’s real, it’s raw, and it’s definitely not perfect. And don’t forget – fixing it is way more interesting than pretending it’s all fine.
This episode is technically sponsored by the fine folks who crafted LeeAnna’s cheeseburger - the one she brought into the studio like it was the most important thing in the world, breaking podcast tradition and definitely making some people hungry. (It’s also sponsored by her profound disregard for a protein focused diet - she's eating the meat, but can’t miss out on half the bun because, hey, that's where the mustard is!)
 
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Love Unscripted | Riding The Four Horsemen

Ever wonder what happens when love goes off the rails? Join Tim and LeeAnna as they break down the Four Horsemen of relationships: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling. Spoiler: It’s not pretty. From jabs of criticism to emotional retreat, we’ve got your guide to the worst relationship habits - and how to write them without setting your characters on fire (well, not immediately). Get ready for some brutal truth and a one very angry (fictional) couple. Don’t miss it. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, you’ll never look at a “Facebook couple” the same way again.
As usual, Alchemy is ad-free... but this episode has been sponsored by Good Relationships Riding Stables! Want to trot through your relationship issues? Get in the saddle and take a lesson in communication, courtesy of the fine folks at Stable Relationships - where we teach you how to avoid riding straight into criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. Come for the riding lessons, stay for the relationship survival tips. Because if you can handle a horse, you can probably handle your partner’s worst behaviors... right? Well, maybe!
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Love Unscripted | Love in Full Color: The Emotional Landscape

This week on Alchemy, Tim and LeeAnna crack open the hood of modern romance to show us what love looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders… or stalling dramatically on the freeway of emotional dysfunction. There’s uncooperative metaphors, romantic pedicures, and more dramatic readings than a middle school production of 'Twilight’ – plus quite a lot of awkward giggling. Buckle up, folks. The emotional carburetor’s getting clogged and the relationship GPS might just reroute you to Heartbreak City.
As always, Alchemy is proudly ad-free. However, coming soon from Acme Emotional Motors™: The Self-Correcting Marriage App. Just $19.99/month. Warning: Does not work on exes.
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Love Unscripted | Love’s Quiet Desperation… Prufrock’s Struggle with Desire

Welcome to the Alchemy’s podcast, where Tim and LeeAnna take on The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock - the ultimate guide to how not to face your feelings (or do much of anything, really). Along the way: dead Popes, risqué Bible passages, a prophecy about the death of podcasting, and one balding, peach-fearing romantic in freefall. Come for the poetry, stay for the existential dread - and maybe bring a drink. You’ll need it.
As always, Alchemy is proudly ad-free - unless you count today’s generous sponsor, the Acme Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone Company: 'The product nobody asked for, sustaining itself one sad, sticky revolution at a time.' Thanks for nothing, Acme."
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Love Unscripted | The Love Archipelago

In this episode of Alchemy, Tim and LeeAnna set sail through the Love Archipelago, exploring the rocky islands of human emotion. First stop: “Desire and Disappointment” - where we chase love but find out we’re way better at the chase than the actual thing. Then, onto “Love as an Existential Completeness” - the soulmate myth that feels more like a trap than true connection. Finally, “Love as Animals Wandering Through the World” - because sometimes love is just about finding a mate to share a Netflix account with. If you’re ready to question everything about love, relationships, and whether we’re all just stumbling through life, this episode is for you. Spoiler: no one’s escaping the wreckage.
Listen up—this podcast is ad-free. That’s right, no cheesy cruise ads telling you to book your next overpriced vacation to "picturesque Dutch villages," where you’ll spend a week crammed in with 1,000 other cruise passengers who somehow all think they’re part of an exclusive club. No thanks. Instead, we’re offering you pure, unfiltered content. No sponsors, no distractions, just the kind of insightful chaos you’re here for. You’re welcome.
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Welcome to Club Confusion… Contradictions and the Human Condition

Let’s face it: Life is a constant mess of contradictions. Freedom feels great… until it leaves you with a heap of regret. Love makes you feel like you’re on top of the world… right before it takes you down a peg (or ten). In our latest Alchemy Podcast episode, Tim and LeeAnna dive headfirst into some of the most mind-boggling human paradoxes: freedom vs. control, love’s highest highs and lowest lows, and all the emotional chaos in between. Get ready for a wild ride of snark, bad decisions, and surprisingly insightful moments (we promise, they’re in there somewhere).
Here’s a paradox for you: the less we try to sell you, the more you’ll want to stick around. Weird, right? No annoying ads. No cheesy pitches. Just raw, unfiltered Alchemy. We don’t need to shove stuff down your throat to keep you hooked. Because, let’s face it, who needs more ads in their life? So, enjoy the chaos, the contradictions, and the endless contradictions. It’s the least we could do, considering we’re not trying to sell you anything. Except maybe our weird, wild perspectives on life.
The Paradox of Love: A Historical Exploration of Western Philosophical Perspectives on Love, Exclusion, and Liberatory Potential. By David Berman. 
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Panic Mode: Activated

In this Alchemy Short n’ Sweet episode, Tim and LeeAnna delve into the joy of a crisis made so much worse by the person who panics – do they want to be center of attention, or is it their emotional fragility, or (better yet) both? Writers, sharpen your pencils. Non-writers, stay tuned anyway—and relive your own crises in safety.
Of course, as with all our podcasts, we’ve spared you the temptation of ads for pizza delivery that promises to be ‘just what you need’—until you realize you’ve spent half your paycheck on a pizza that could’ve been made in the time it took for them to find your address. You’re welcome—because we care about your wallet (and your waistline). And if one of those ads sneaks through, I swear we didn’t endorse it. Just blame it on the algorithm’s cravings.
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A  

Small Talk, Big Deal

Welcome to the Alchemy’s podcast, where Tim and LeeAnna dive into small talk: Because sometimes “Nice weather, huh?” is just foreplay for a breakdown. So, small talk—the supposedly pointless filler that’s actually a prehistoric survival ritual in disguise. Along the way, there are missing spoons, tragic muffin chats, and the science behind why your brain syncs with strangers before plotting its escape. Writers, listen up: small talk isn’t fluff—it’s strategy. And for the rest of us? It might just keep us from getting punched in a lift. Alchemy: Where even your coffee shop hellos come with emotional damage.
Because nothing kills the emotional tension of a scene like being interrupted to hear about socks that “feel like a hug” or a mattress made from recycled optimism. We don’t do ads—and we don’t do those sneaky sponsorships you only realize were ads three days later... in the shower😉. We do strange, beautiful, and occasionally uncomfortable human truths. You’re welcome.
Read The Snark’s review of this podcast here.Writers’ prompts for this podcast are here.Submission page for Effigy Press here.Effigy Press here.
Intro music: brighter days by Oliver Massa - License code: S4QNBRVN0S5MTNW4https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/brighter-daysOutro music: nightdrive by mood-maze - License code: OGGKCMVJLUMOBW5Phttps://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/nightdrive. Or, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZsJWoGZ9A