Alchemy... from Effigy Press

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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 alwa...

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” - be...

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 ...

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 prom...

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 tal...

This week on Alchemy… socks vanish into another dimension, jean jackets are judged, and Tim presents 9 rules for meeting people that sound suspiciously like a list of personal grievances. LeeAnna insists you smile, Tim insists you don’t talk loudly on your cellphone, and together they explore what really happens when two human animals meet for the first time—and how writers can use that awkward magic to make their stories sparkle. ...

Welcome to the Alchemy’s podcast, where Tim and LeeAnna dive deep into the “weirdness beneath our skin”—because, honestly, who doesn’t love a good rabbit hole? LeeAnna kicks things off with a chicken-herding dog persecuted in Cuba, Tim responds bravely with a hamster April First prank, LeeAnna reveals her ‘mutant redhead’ powers, and we take a detour into alchemical madness, because why not? We’re talking homunculi, the somatotopic...

Jump into Alchemy’s 25th episode, where we’re tackling aliens, existential dread, and... hamster funerals? From the mind-bending “Xir” aliens (designed by The Snark) to snack-obsessed invaders and animatronic space creatures, Tim and LeeAnna take you on a wild, wild journey that will make you question everything—including your pet burial rituals. Buckle up—it’s weird, it’s deep, and it’s sometimes inappropriately hilarious. Don’t m...

In this bizarre part 1 of “Take Me to Your Writer”, Tim and LeeAnna take you on a wild ride through alien design, existential dread, and… dead hamsters? That’s right—what starts as a conversation about building truly terrifying extraterrestrials quickly morphs into a tangent-filled exploration of hamster deaths, claustrophobia, and the kind of fears that make you wonder if we’re really ready to meet aliens at all. Tim promises neve...

Join Tim and LeeAnna for Alchemy... Today it’s time for a Demon Smackdown! We’re tackling the toughest enemies of the human spirit—inner demons, the bad and evil people who try to manipulate and harm, and even those spiritual demons lurking in the shadows. Today our podcasters discuss how humans fight back against these forces—whether they’re rooted in our own minds or lurking in the supernatural world around us. Can we reclaim con...

Demons aren't just fiery, horned creatures from hell—they’re life lessons in disguise. In this episode of Alchemy, LeeAnna and Tim dive deep into the concept of moral dread, where our darkest impulses—greed, lust, sloth, envy—aren't just fears, but cautionary tales lurking in our own human nature. We’ll explore how demons can be a mirror, reflecting our worst traits and offering a sharp reminder of what happens when we let them tak...

Today, Tim & LeeAnna dig deep into the messy, chaotic world of people cracking under pressure—because let’s face it, life’s a pressure cooker, and sometimes the lid just pops. It’s the high-stakes world of war, disaster, and every moment that feels like your last nerve is being plucked like a harp string. Can you handle the heat?

Of course, as with all our podcasts, we’ve spared you the soul-crushing ads for that ‘revolutionary...

Join Tim and LeeAnna for Alchemy... today, our podcasters venture into Teen Angst, and the wild world of teenagers – those magnificent creatures navigating the perilous terrain of high snakes and life’s oh-so-difficult choices. Because, really, what’s a teen’s life without a few near-death experiences in the form of social media drama, questionable fashion choices, and the unrelenting pressure to know what you want to do with your ...

Join Tim and LeeAnna for Alchemy... Today, our podcasters tackle the overhyped meet-cute—and then dive into its far more entertaining cousin, the meet-ugly. Writers, get ready to throw your tired old tropes out the window. Non-writers, stick around anyway—it’s going to get weird, and you’ll probably learn something without even trying.

Of course, as with all our podcasts, we’ve spared you the anxiety-fueled ads for home security sy...

Join Tim and LeeAnna for Alchemy. Today, our podcasters talk about how to make characters that are both compelling and objectively good folks. Writers, get ready to think outside the box. Non-writers, stay tuned anyway—for a battle between good and evil.

Of course, as with all our podcasts, we’ve spared you the joy of ads for those ‘sure-fire ways to make money’ that are definitely not at all suspect and totally legit. You’re welco...