The Podcast You Didn’t Know You Needed (Because It Dropped When You Were Hungover)
What Genius Drops a Podcast on January 1st?
Tim and LeeAnna, apparently.
Because when the world is groaning under the weight of last night’s champagne and questionable decisions, what better time to unleash Alchemy—a podcast about life, love, and, naturally, creative writing? This is not a soft launch, folks. It’s five (or ten, Tim doesn't seem too sure, he told me eight last week) episodes right out of the gate, with more promised weekly until they “need a break.” (Bold of them to assume they’ll get one.)
Tim, always ready with a plan, assures us they’ve got 30 more topics waiting in the wings. LeeAnna, meanwhile, contributes the existential whiplash of, “I sometimes have a life. It depends on the week.” A solid partnership if ever there was one.
Gritty Solace or Depressing Inspiration?
According to Tim, Alchemy is about finding joy and solace in the world’s grit. Sure, writers might draw inspiration from these truths—or spiral into existential despair. But hey, that’s art. Their “soft” focus on Young Adult and New Adult writing adds a touch of melodrama, promising listeners the high-stakes decision-making that makes this genre sparkle. Think star-crossed lovers, career-defining internships, or that one time you moved to a new city and found yourself in a cult. (YA really goes places.)
The promise is there: surprising topics, deep reflections, and enough creative nudges to make you finally tackle that novel you’ve been procrastinating on. Or at least jot down some angsty poetry.
The Origin Story: Mice and Microphones
Every great venture starts with a spark of genius—or, in Tim and LeeAnna’s case, a trial run about mice. Yes, you read that right. The first trial podcast was The Mice Are Calling. Based on the adage, “If you think you have mice… you have mice,” Tim claimed this was a solid metaphor for intuition. LeeAnna, playing the role of her own Cassandra, nodded along, claiming she always ignores her strong intuition. (LeeAnna, honey, therapy might help.)
That first episode? Not great. Tim went heavy on mouse jokes, alienating their reviewer, and the duo discovered they’re a bit, well, interrupt-y. They’ve since adopted the kindergarten approach of raising their hands when they want to talk. A system that works about as well as you’d expect.
Democratizing Fiction, One Quip at a Time What is this podcast really about? Helping writers, apparently. From plot-deepening advice to creative prompts and critiques of fledgling stories, Tim and LeeAnna aim to uplift writers who dare to color outside the lines. They even promise to connect readers with unconventional works publishers might otherwise overlook. It’s “democratizing fiction,” as Tim puts it—though one assumes the Founding Fathers didn’t envision a democracy involving this many mouse jokes.
To round it out, they’ve got blogs, prompts, reviews (by their in-house “Snark”), and the pièce de résistance: critiques of the first 600 words of your novel. So, if you’ve ever wanted Tim and LeeAnna to dissect your work while squeezing in puns and philosophical tangents, this is your moment.
Final Thoughts
Effigy Press’ Alchemy might just be what the writing world needs: a chaotic blend of grit, inspiration, and humor. Will it help you finish that novel or simply leave you questioning the nature of podcasts… and the cruel world in which we live? Only time will tell. But hey, at least they gave you something to listen to while nursing your New Year’s hangover.
The Snark
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