Writer's Prompts | Love Unscripted | Not Your Troy, Not Your Heaven

You know the type. They're always glowing in golden hour, quoting Rumi, and casually sipping matcha on a mountaintop while fundraising for dolphins or promoting their latest NFT. You don’t just follow them – you worship them. You believe that if they ever noticed you, really saw you, your life would suddenly become art, sponsored content, and soulmate-level poetry.

Then... they reply to your comment. Or they DM you. Or you meet them at some overpriced "wellness" event. And the illusion? It crumbles faster than Troy under Greek feet. Turns out your muse is emotionally vacant, low-key arrogant, weirdly obsessed with their abs, or, God forbid, deeply boring. Like Yeats with Maud Gonne, you’re left loving the idea of them – not the messy, disappointing mortal they turned out to be.

The Prompt:

Write a short story, scene, or monologue from the point of view of someone caught in this mythic heartbreak. Their “Troy” could be a social media influencer, a tech bro, a runway model, a social justice icon, or even a vegan dogfluencer’s owner – someone they adored from afar.

The tone can be tragic, hilarious, cringe, or all three.

They slowly – or suddenly – realize: this isn’t love. It’s projection. And their personal Troy? Not worth the fire.

Ground Rules:

Keep it 600 words or less. Send it to us at Effigy Press – we might just read it aloud (with theatrical sobs and everything) on the podcast! Bonus points for literary allusions, public embarrassment, and tragic over-investment in someone's curated online persona.

Quick Wrap:

Love may be blind, but projection is deaf, dumb, and follows back everyone with a six-pack and a lighting ring. Now go write. And remember: not every god is worth the worship.