I teach ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, media strategy, and self-promotion. I’m an author and beverage co-founder who reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens. Come hang!

Social media is not just for doomscrolling and comparing your body, mind, and career to strangers while making billionaires richer. It can also be market research that validates your proof of concept, which can then become published writing.

This month’s issue of Behind the Pitch invites you to use social media as a playground for your ideas, start a conversation, then use that convo to prove to editors that your essay or article is worth publishing. It’s always been hella difficult to get freelance writing work, but it’s even more difficult now. Editors are overworked and underpaid, and their writing staff has likely been laid off, or their freelance roster has been begrudgingly replaced by AI.

Grab a cold bevvie and take a deep dive into my pitching process so you can land some bylines, too.

A few months ago, I posted this on LinkedIn:

The post got a lot of engagement, but more importantly, it sparked an actual conversation. People debated AI use, creativity, voice, and whether LLMs are helping or hurting their writing process.

That’s when I knew there was an essay here. So I posted again to do even more research:

This post really took off, getting nearly 100 likes and 35 comments. I tell my clients and students to pay attention to what gets people talking. Stop chasing vanity metrics or making a desperate attempt to go viral. Use social media to test your creative ideas. Then, you can take that proof of concept to editors to show that you’ve already started a conversation and you want to keep it going on their website.

First, I pitched Literary Hub, where I’ve contributed a few pieces. They passed, but I’m no stranger to rejection. I knew there was a story here, so I pitched publishing queen, . She said yes!

Read the Article Here

Below you’ll find an 8-minute video that walks you through the actual pitch I sent to Jane, along with a template you can use to pitch your own ideas.

Happy Writing!

-Tawny

Read more

There are several ways to get on a podcast or get quoted in the media. Those routes typically fall into two categories: hiring a publicist or being your own publicist. The former is hella pricey, while the latter is hella time-consuming.

Both options require you to get past the cringey feelings that often accompany self-promotion. That’s why I created a 4-week course called Self-Promo Without the Cringe that starts on June 30th. Come hang?

🗞️ Sign Up Here

What You’ll Learn

• Clarify your brand, platform, and your “why me, why now” angle

• Identify the audiences who need your work most

• Write essay and podcast pitches that actually get opened

• Pitch editors, podcast hosts, and media with confidence

• Build authority, visibility, and credibility in your niche

• Grow your platform without oversharing or burning out

• Practice and refine your talking points so you can nail those interviews

This Class Is For You If…

• You have something meaningful to say, but struggle with self-promotion

• You want to get published, booked on podcasts, or quoted in the media

• You know visibility matters, but you don’t know where to start

• You want to learn how I built The Sober Sexpert persona that landed my book deal and what I’d do differently if I started today.

• You’re tired of overthinking every pitch, post, or introduction

• You want to grow your platform in a way that feels sustainable and authentic

🗞️ Sign Up Here

XO,

Tawny

Happy… Father’s Day?? Today’s one of my least favorite days of the year. I’m terrible. How are you?

It’s difficult to describe the invisible wounds of abandonment trauma. I appear healthy and happy from the outside, because I am, but I’m also extremely not. Hallmark Holidays like this one trigger emotional flare-ups that consume my entire being.

I was raised by a single mom, and I often bought her cards for both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Even as a kid, I could see the stress she carried. I also carry emotions that weigh more than I can deadlift. And so do the countless others whose coat of grief feels especially heavy on days like these.

In these moments of insurmountable emotional pain, I turn to art that comforts me. Nourishment from artists whose emotional scars resemble my own inspires me to pick up my own creative tools.

Enter… Daddy Issues Quarterly, a magazine cover series I accidentally created over the last few months to process these flare-ups in a healthy, humorous way.

It’s a fake magazine fueled by real emotions.

“This is the shit I used to drink over!” I proudly said to my therapist after showing her this project. “I now have words to describe how I feel, meds to help me deal with this pain in a healthy way, and a supportive husband to show me what healthy love looks like.” We both laugh-cried, reflecting on our nearly decade-long work together.

Feel free to share Daddy Issues Quarterly with anyone who may dig it.

XO,

Tawny

🎧 P.S. I made a playlist filled with songs about the artists’ relationships with their fathers.

🤘🏽 Tawny Lara is your favorite writing teacher’s favorite writing teacher.

She teaches ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, media strategy, and self-promotion. She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of (parentheses) botanical beverages.

Tawny reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens. Her Substack, Beyond Liquid Courage, is a mix of voicey hot takes and industry insights. Come hang!

Join the Writing Party!

Writing Room Vibes:

Stop waiting for inspiration and create conditions that inspire you to write that blog post or book proposal or newsletter or novel—and make some friends along the way.

Here’s the deets:

🗓️ Tuesdays + Thursdays in July + August
🕰️ 12–1 PM EST (Zoom)
🏷️ $300 total (13 sessions, ~$23/session, same price as your fancy salad!)
💻 Private Group Chat to keep the momentum going between sessions

What each session is like:

• 12:00–12:20 → Guided prompts + warm-up sprints (no blank page panic)

• 12:20–12:50 → Focused writing time (you + your work, no distractions)

• 12:50–1:00 → Community time + Q&A (a place to talk to other writers about the reality/stresses/joys of being a writer)

• Camera-off, mic-muted option is always available. It’s your time!

Sign Up Here

This is for you if:

• You beat yourself up about not writing enough

• You keep saying “I need to write more,” but… don’t

• You have ideas, drafts, or a book in your head, collecting dust

• You crave structure without someone hovering over you

• You want creative energy without forced sharing

What you’ll leave with:

• Pages! Actual pages! That you wrote!

• A consistent writing habit

• New ideas you didn’t have before you logged on

• A creative community of like-minded peers

Hang with me twice a week for 6 weeks?

$300 for the entire 6 weeks (13 sessions, ~$23/session)
$400 for the full 6 weeks + 1 hour Zoom call with me

Spots are limited because I actually want this to feel like a writer’s room, not a webinar.

Sign Up Here

XO,

Tawny

🤘🏽 Tawny Lara is your favorite writing teacher’s favorite writing teacher.

She teaches ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, media strategy, and self-promotion. She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of (parentheses) botanical beverages.

Tawny reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens. Her Substack, Beyond Liquid Courage, is a mix of voicey hot takes and industry insights.

Hiiiii! How’s your spring-summer going? I just saw Slayyyter in concert, so I’m healed of all ailments. Yay!

As the above photo shows, I have some summer writing classes coming up, and I’d love to see you there. We need your voice now more than ever. Even if you think your writing doesn’t matter and that nobody cares… these classes are for you. Let’s sharpen your writing voice, one word at a time.

Below is a bulleted list of each offering, followed by an in-depth look at each course.

xo,

Tawny

Summer Classes

• Self-Promo Without the Cringe (4 Week Course, Beginning June 30th)

• July + August Writing Group (Tues/Thursdays 12-1 EST)

• Just F*%#ing Write: Get Words Out of Your Head and Onto the Page (Saturday July 11th 1-3pm EST)

• How to Hire an Assistant (on demand)

Summer Classes

Self-Promo Without the Cringe (4 Week Course, Beginning June 30th)

Week 1: Platform + Persona - Identify what makes you, you by exploring your “why me, why now.” Learn my experience creating “The Sober Sexpert” persona that landed my book deal and hear what I’d do differently today. You’ll also learn how to set boundaries while honing a public persona so you can prioritize your privacy.

Week 2: Find Your Target Audience(s) - Writing prompts that help you identify your target audience(s). Then, you’ll learn how to pitch the gatekeepers (editors, reporters, podcast hosts, etc…) who publish the content your target audience consumes. Getting eyes and ears on your expertise is essential for platform building.

Week 3: Essay + Podcast Pitches - Learn how to pitch yourself on podcasts and pitch your writing ideas to editors. I share examples of pitches that got me in Men’s Health, Playboy, LitHub, Dan Savage, NPR, and more. Students will practice writing their own pitches and receive feedback.

Week 4: Press Pitches - While week 3 is all about collecting bylines, week 4 covers “alerting the press” about your expertise. Learn the basics of a press release and personalized media pitch. Students will write their own media pitches and receive feedback.

Just F*%#ing Write: Get Words Out of Your Head + On the Page (Sat, July 11th 1-3pm EST)

• Writing Time: I’ll guide you through a series of writing prompts to get the creative juices flowing. There’s also space to read selected writings aloud and get feedback

• Take Your Writing Practice on a Date: When is the last time you romanced yourself, let alone your writing? This seminar includes my tips for setting up a writing space that makes you actually want to sit still and write.

• Q&A: The last 15 minutes of class is wide open for you to ask me anything about publishing, freelancing, pitching, book proposals, book marketing, entrepreneurship, newsletters, and more.

July + Aug Writing Group (Tues/Thurs 12-1 EST)

• 12:00–12:20 → Guided prompts + warm-up sprints (no blank page panic)

• 12:20–12:50 → Focused writing time (you + your work, no distractions)

• 12:50–1:00 → Community time + Q&A (a place to talk to other writers about the reality/stresses/joys of being a writer)

• Camera-off, mic-muted option is always available. It’s your time!

the world needs your voice. yes, yours.

xo,

tawny

• Queer Sober Social, June 18th

• Self-Promo Without the Cringe (4 Week Course, Beginning June 30th)

• July + August Writing Group (Tues/Thursdays 12-1EST)

• Try my new ready-to-drink shrubs (Yes, I’m a beverage co-founder, too!)

Hiiiii! How’s spring-summer going? I just saw Slayyyter in concert, so I’m healed of all ailments. Yay!

For this month’s issue of Behind the Pitch, I’m your Publisher’s Marketplace tour guide! I even wore the t-shirt that I had made of my own Publisher’s Marketplace announcement. #nerd

This video is for anyone looking for a literary agent or curious about what kind of books are selling.

Below is a bulleted list of what you’ll learn by watching this video:

• Why I swear by Publisher’s Marketplace (and why it’s worth the nerdy deep dive)

• A walkthrough of how to read a Publisher’s Marketplace deal screenshot

• How to use PM to find literary agents for your specific book idea

• The best way to research what books are actually selling right now

• How to search by topic, genre, and category (memoir, sobriety, politics, nonfiction, thriller, etc.)

• How to tell if your book idea/angle already exists or if there’s a gap in the market

• Using deal announcements to identify agents already interested in your type of book

• What to look for on an agent profile: genres, deal history, six-figure sales, interests, submission info

• Why researching editors matters too (and how agents pitch books to them)

• Other ways to find agents beyond Publisher’s Marketplace

• How to build a querying spreadsheet to track agents, dates, follow-ups, and responses

• Why you should always check submission guidelines before querying

XO,

Tawny

🤘🏽 Tawny Lara is your favorite writing teacher’s favorite writing teacher.

She teaches ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, media strategy, and self-promotion. She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of (parentheses) botanical beverages.

Tawny reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens. Her Substack, Beyond Liquid Courage, is a mix of voicey hot takes and industry insights. But most importantly, she has an eponymous taco in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

Read more

• NYC - Queer Sober Social, June 18th

• VIRTUAL - Self-Promo Without the Cringe (4 Week Course, Beginning June 30th)

• VIRTUAL - July + August Writing Group (Tues/Thursdays 12-1EST)

• DRINK - Try my new ready-to-drink shrubs (Yes, I’m a beverage co-founder, too!)

Attending book launches is a big part of my writing process. Writing is often a lonely act, so hanging out with like-minded people (in a local bookstore!) is a great way to build and sustain a writing community that keeps me inspired. Sitting in a room full of books and the people who love them reminds me why I write.

I encourage my students and clients to find a literary community, too. They’re often surprised when I tell them that attending a book launch gets you in the same room as literary agents, editors, publishers, and journalists. Following people on social media is great and all, but the best connections and literary friendships I’ve made came from attending IRL events and then staying in touch with the authors online.

And yea, I live in NYC so there’s a thriving literary community here, but I promise you, if your town has a bookstore, there’s a literary scene. Swing by your favorite local bookstore or check their website to view their upcoming events. Then actually go to one!

To paraphrase novelist, , if you want people to support your book launch one day, you gotta support the local authors in your community today.

A few of my fav recent book launches:

, Hot Shot: A Life on Fire

I took River’s book proposal class in the early pandemic days. Their teaching style inspired me to finally knock out my own proposal that led to this book. Thanks, River! Buy Hot Shot here.

, The Raise

Ali Kriegsman does it all, y’all. She’s an entrepreneur, writer, and all-around marketing genius. Her self-published fiction debut, The Raise, has its own cinematic universe. If you’re looking for a propulsive thriller that highlights tech, girl bossisms, codependency, and girlhood, check out The Raise. I’m blown away by her hustle.

Chris Marshall (),Faster Than Light

Another entrepreneur with a stunning skill for the written word is Chris Marshall (). We’re OG’s in the #sober space, so it was a true honor to interview him for his NYC launch. This isn’t just another sober memoir, it’s a chance to understand the vulnerable dude who pioneered the non-alc movement.

, The Last Ferry Out

Words can’t express how important is to the literary world. Not only is she a badass queer writer, but she’s also spearheading the fight between authors and AI. Buy all of her books for yourself, then buy a few more for friends, and finally buy a few more to donate to community libraries. The Last Ferry Out comes out in paperback on June 16th.

, The Last Session

Speaking of cool Bartzes, Andrea’s sister Julia is also a fierce novelist. She’s a therapist, too, so her mental health-informed writing creates cinematic worlds with strong character arcs. Her second novel, The Last Session, is a culty thriller that takes place in a wellness retreat. Buy her books here.

, If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant For You

and are two my fav internet friends-turned-IRL friends. Leigh is a champion for writers, community, and clever marketing. If you don’t subscribe to her newsletter, , you’re missing out on brilliant writing/publishing discourse. Buy her books here. is a BookTok OG who offers insightful pop culture analysis from a sociological perspective here on Substack, too.

, The Dry Season

+ Leslie Jamison at the launch of The Dry Season in Brooklyn. Melissa spoke about the importance of giving yourself permission to take a project seriously. I now think about that line at least once a day.

, Tarot and the Psychology of the Soul: Exploring the Archetypal Mirrors of the Psyche

I’ve been a student/client of for a few years now. So when she announced that she was turning her incredible practice into a book, of course I showed up at the launch! Her insightful work analyzes tarot from an Archetypal, Jungian lens that helps me take life one day at a time.

, Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America

A room packed with Parks + Rec super fans + a conversation between Jennifer Keishin Armstrong and Emily Nussbaum breaking down behind-the-scenes gems = one of my all-time fave book launches. I also love that a Run for Something rep encouraged attendees to channel their inner Leslie Knope. Grab Jennifer’s new book for a dose of Parks and Rec optimism and Lil’ Sebastian vibes to get through these times.

XO,
Tawny

Subscribe now

🤘🏽 Tawny Lara is your favorite writing teacher’s favorite writing teacher.

She teaches ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, media strategy, and self-promotion. She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of (parentheses) botanical beverages.

Tawny reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens. Her Substack, Beyond Liquid Courage, is a mix of voicey hot takes and industry insights. But most importantly, she has an eponymous taco in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

below is a stream of consciousness, unpolished list of thoughts and screenshots I’ve had while listening to Slayyyter for the last 3 weeks. welcome to my brain.

• I love that she’s bi and wrote “Crank,” a bisexual anthem just for me. Happy Pride Month!

• OMG Metal vocals?!?

• “Crank” is Icona Pop/Britney/Prodigy

• “Old Technology” is Die Antwoord on the set of Spun

• “Yes Goddd” is Marilyn Manson/Nine Inch Nails vibes

• “Unknown Loverz” is Lana and maybe Addison Rae??

• “Cannibalism” is Lana and Gwen, directed by David Lynch

• Slayyyter’s range is like an author writing a memoir and a self-help book and a travel guide and romantasy and a one-woman show.

  

• Her references are so specific they make my pop culture brain tingle. I mean, naming yourself after a Dazed and Confused character, then brilliantly using “Hе wanna fuck Slayyyter, Richard, we should link later,” a play on the director of Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater. Y’all know I love puns!! alright, alright, alright.

• Slayyyter proves that stoner girls aren’t lazy burnouts. I’ve often thought that I wish there were a Charli XCX that smoked weed. Schwing!

• I love that Midwest girls are having a moment: Chappell Roan, Trixie Mattell, Jada Essence Hall, Slayyyter, Darlene Mitchell, etc…

• “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” is such a spot-on take on the pseudo-celebrity that everyone feels in a social media world. Everyone actually is kinda famous—if they wanna be. It’s Kristen Wiig on an airplane in Bridesmaids meets “cunty ice queen who knows the DJ.”

• She’s hands-on in every step of the creative process. She makes her clothes! She directs the videos! Werk.

• If I were a pop star, this is the music I’d make. Her specific references of Blackout-era Britney, Fame Monster Gaga, The Prodigy, and film references like Dazed and Confused, David Lynch, and Spun.

• I love that the concept for this album is iPod music. I miss concept albums.

• Slayyyter is the moment. She’s giving us another bump of Brat Summer when we all so desperately need one

  

• She kinda looks like Iggy Azalea with straight hair, then Ke$ha when curly?

• I love hearing artists, especially women, speak proudly about their favorite thing they’ve ever made. Slayyyter says “BEAT UP CHANEL$” is the best song she’s ever written. Charli XCX grins from ear to ear when talking about “Vroom Vroom,” “365,” and “track 10.”

• And because I’m an annoying writing teacher who likes to turn everything into writing advice… It’s worth stating that this is Slayyyyter’s third studio album. And before that, she did a shit ton of work to get there. Overnight successes are not a thing!!! You want a book deal, you gotta work on it. You want to find love, you gotta go to places where you meet new people with shared interests. You want to feel sane? You gotta try different therapies and meds to figure your shit out. Keep writing, y’all! Your moment is coming.

xo,

Tawny

🌈 Upcoming Writing Classes

• Self-Promo Without the Cringe (4 Week Course, Beginning June 30th)

• June Writing Group (Tues/Thursdays 12-1EST)

• July + August Group (Tues/Thursdays 12-1EST)

• Try my new ready-to-drink shrubs (Yes, I’m a beverage co-founder, too!)

🤘🏽 Tawny Lara is your favorite writing teacher’s favorite writing teacher.

She teaches ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, media strategy, and self-promotion. She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of (parentheses) botanical beverages.

A journalist by trade, Tawny reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens. Her Substack, Beyond Liquid Courage, is a mix of voicey hot takes and industry insights. But most importantly, she has an eponymous taco in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

Subscribe now

• Join My June Writing Group (Tues/Thursdays 12-1EST)

• Self-Promo Without the Cringe (4 Week Course Beginning June 30th)

• Try my new ready-to-drink shrubs

Perhaps the wildest part of writing a book is learning who reads it. I recently discovered that Carl Radke, star of Bravo’s Summer House, credits Dry Humping for helping him date in early sobriety. We connected around the time he launched Soft Bar, his non-alc bar in Greenpoint,1 and have been friendly in the NYC sober scene ever since.

I don’t watch Summer House, so I only know the mental health advocate and business owner side of him. Anytime we chat at an event, I notice several hot Millennial girls and gays mouthing OMG, is that Carl Radke?!?! while taking pics—reminding me that he’s a reality star, too.

My reality debut lol

A recent episode of Summer House was filmed at the opening of Soft Bar, an event my husband and I attended. When the episode aired, I received countless texts and DMs asking Is that you on Summer House?!?!? often including a pic like this one:

And this one:

But honestly, the best part of this weird reality-TV adjacency wasn’t my .02 seconds of fame. The best pic (below) came from Queen Remy Kassimir, host of the How Cum? podcast.

Last year, she told me that someone she met at a drawing event said my book changed their life, shortly after I heard the same from Carl.

Remy’s been on a few episodes of Summer House, so since the 3 of us are all friendly, we did what all Millennials in The Biz do: we recorded a podcast.

All three of us have a juicy convo about Dry Humping, Carl’s non-alc bar in Greenpoint, Charli XCX, and Phyllis from The Office on an episode of How Cum? This convo was one of my fav threesomes. Listen on Apple and Spotify.

Reality stars are just… people??

I wrote about being friendly with Margaret Josephs of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. And I recently hosted a tasting for my drink at doggy day care owned by Matthew from Couples Therapy.

Having casual conversations with reality stars by no means makes me an expert on the archetype, but it’s worth noting how shocked I was to learn that they’re just… normal people?? Maybe it’s because I don’t watch any of the aforementioned reality shows and have the rare opportunity to see them as three-dimensional humans rather than screen avatars. The people we watch on TV are just people who have found a way to make a living, or at least make a little money, by being a version of themselves in public.

Apparently Carl’s a mess, but he’s also a passionate mental health advocate who lost his brother to addiction. His public advocacy shows straight men that it’s OK to ask for help. Margaret is open about growing up in an alcoholic home and advocates for codependency recovery. Matthew’s sober and is so obsessed with dogs that he turned it into a loving, neighborhood business.

Maybe the weirdest part of writing a book isn’t who reads it — it’s realizing how many different kinds of people see themselves in it and the community that it creates.

Xo,

Tawny

Subscribe now

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Tawny Lara reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens.

She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of the non-alc beverage brand,(parentheses).

She teaches virtual courses and writes a newsletter about writing, publishing, media strategy, and DIY PR. But most importantly, she has spicy tacos named after her in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

🧠 Writing with Tarot: Symbolism as a Tool for Creativity

• 📅 Thursday, May 21st

• ⏰ 1-3PM EST through Freelance Writing Network ()

• 💻 Live Seminar Via Zoom (class will be recorded)

sign up here

I see Tarot cards as tiny little pieces of witchy art with a rich, complex history.

Tarot cards are one of my many tools for writing prompts and introspection. I’m a lifelong student, voraciously learning from , who analyzes tarot from an Archetypcal, Jungian lens and , who’s readings are filled with therapeutic, philosophical gold.

In this 2-hour generative writing class, we’ll use Tarot imagery across the ages as writing prompts. Think art history meets journaling, with zero pressure and zero fortune-telling. Just a relaxed, inspiring space to write, think, and explore. Come hang!

What began as a card game for the Italian elite in the 1400s somehow evolved into an entire visual and cultural language. I loves how Tarot readers—and artists—interpret the same cards differently, bringing that approach into writing: personal meaning, creative freedom, and no “right” answers.

We won’t be using the cards for divination or predicting the future. This is purely about using Tarot as creative fuel.

All cards discussed will appear in my slides, but you’re welcome to bring your own deck if you’d like.

What We’ll Do

• Tarot 101 - A quick, friendly intro to suits, court cards, and the major/minor arcana—no prior knowledge required. If these words mean nothing to you, you’re still very much in the right place.

• Learn - Explore Tarot imagery from the 1600s through modern decks, paired with guided writing prompts.

• Inquire - Use the cards to investigate your current creative project, whether you’re stuck, starting, or mid-flow.

• Think - Connect Tarot imagery to your own life experiences and develop meaningful, personalized writing prompts.

• Q + A - The final 10 minutes are open for questions about writing, publishing, journalism, media, podcasting, and creative goal-setting.

Come hang! 🖤🃏

See you on Thursday!

sign up here

-Tawny

Tawny Lara reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens.

She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of the non-alc beverage brand,(parentheses).

She teaches virtual courses and writes a newsletter about writing, publishing, media strategy, and DIY PR. But most importantly, she has spicy tacos named after her in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

Hola!

I just spent a week in the Dominican Republic, soaking up the Caribbean sun while knocking out my next book proposal. It felt magical to be in that kind of flow state where the words literally poured out of me, arranging themselves on a page instead of bouncing around my head. I alternated between typing, handwriting, and transcribing voice memos I sent to myself—all methods I highly recommend!

I haven’t felt this inspired since I wrote my first book. Can’t wait to share more with you when this thing (hopefully!) sells.

If you’re seeking some writing inspo or feeling a little blocked, I’m teaching a class on Sunday, May 17th, just for you.

Here’s the deets:

🧠 Push Through Writer’s Block

• 📅 Sunday, May 17th

• ⏰ 1-3PM EST through

• 💻 Live Seminar Via Zoom (class will be recorded)

Sign Up Here

This session provides an in-depth look at four hurdles that writers often put in their own way: Imposter Syndrome, Perfectionism, Fear of Rejection, and Setting Unrealistic Goals.

My experience as a journalist, author, teacher, and editor helped me identify these recurring blocks that writers (including myself!) often struggle to overcome.

Expect a mix of tangible tips, actionable advice, and hear my real-life experience jumping all four hurdles. Whether you’re a professional author or you’re still trying to convince yourself that you’re a “real writer,” this workshop is for you.

Sign Up Here

SEMINAR TAKEAWAYS:

Embrace Rejection: Learn how I kept pitching my book and freelance writing, despite consistent rejection. Also, hear how I still deal with rejection regularly.

Dance with Perfectionism: I wrote this essay about ’s famous advice of writing shitty first drafts. I’ll unpack this essay while also sharing tips to quiet the perfectionism so you can get words on the page.

Ignore Imposter Syndrome: This section is for the voice in your head that thinks this class isn’t for you because you’re not a “real” writer. Hear my moments of imposter syndrome and how I still push through them, one day at a time.

Set Realistic Goals: Identify your writing goals and leave with actionable, realistic advice on how to accomplish them.

Sign Up Here

See you on the 17th!

XO,

Tawny

Tawny Lara reports on mental health, the non-alcoholic drink movement, and publishing/media trends through a pop culture lens.

She’s the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of the non-alc beverage brand,(parentheses).

She teaches virtual courses and writes a newsletter about writing, publishing, media strategy, and DIY PR. But most importantly, she has spicy tacos named after her in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

Below you’ll find a fun lil’ photo round up of my life lately. Scroll to the bottom for a list of my upcoming writing classes and June writing group.

Hope to see you there!

xo,

Tawny

Authorpreneurship in one photo

Hanging out at Grand Bazaar NYC, selling our artisanal and literary goodies to Upper West Siders. All of these items are handmade by my husband/cofounder or written by me. Everything on this table began as an idea, then we made them a reality. Shop indie, y'all! Indie brands reallllllly need your support.

Preorder This Book

Perhaps the coolest thing about being an author is becoming friends with fellow authors. I’m honored to have an advanced copy of ’s new book, No One Loves An Angry Woman. I just finished Yesteryear, ’s tradwife novel everyone’s talking about, and Gemma’s book is the perfect follow-up.

While Yesteryear brilliantly depicts how Evangelical Christians and conservatives are prominent in the tradwife movement, Hartley’s book is a history of the lies and lore that got us here in the first place.

Plus, the dude manspreading in the background of this pic is almost too perfect.

Gender Bending is Nothing New

Last weekend I went to MoMA’s Marcel Duchamp retrospective. It’s such a thrill to submerge myself in an artist’s life’s work. What fascinated me the most was learning that he had a female alter ego named Rrose Sélavy. It allowed him to tap into a different side of his artistry. I love the concept of using a persona to tap into creativity in new ways.

This is also a great reminder that gender exploration has been around forever and it’s not going anywhere.

Dr. Ruth Memories

I was Dr. Ruth’s neighbor for two years while writing my book about sober sex and dating. Doing laundry next to one of my literal heroes is one of my favorite New York memories.

“I became a sex writer because of you,” I told her once as we shared an elevator. She smiled and simply said, “keep writing!” as she stepped onto her floor.

My book came out in 2023; she passed away in 2024.

Walking through our old neighborhood, seeing this blooming memorial reminds me to just keep writing.

Ordering My Own Drink At a Brooklyn Bar

What a cool moment to sit at a bar and order my own drink. Brooklyn folks, swing by (eavesdrop) in Greenpoint and ask for (parentheses)! Don’t live in NYC? Order my artisanal, NA spirit line here.

Feel the Bern

While protests are hella important, I find them overwhelming, exhausting, and, honestly, a little draining. I attended two Bernie rallies in two weeks, and I left each event feeling galvanized. I guess I’m more of a rally girlie than a protest girlie?

Bernie’s speeches are about taking action and encouraging people to use their voices to fight the oligarchy. These events inspired me to put pen to paper and channel Bernie’s anti-oligarch energy into my next book.

Upcoming Classes

✍🏽 Push Through Writer’s Block, Sunday, May 17th, 2026

🔮 Writing with Tarot: Symbolism as a Tool for Creativity, Thu May 21, 1-3EST

🌞Join My June Writing Group, Tuesdays + Thursdays, 12–1 EST

Tawny Lara has reported on the sober curious and non-alcoholic drink movement since 2015. She is the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of the non-alc beverage brand,(parentheses). She teaches virtual courses and writes a newsletter about writing, publishing, media strategy, and DIY PR. But most importantly, she has spicy tacos named after her in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

Writing Room Vibes:

Stop waiting for inspiration and create conditions that inspire you to write that blog post or book proposal or newsletter or novel—and make some friends along the way.

Here’s the deets:

🗓️ Tuesdays + Thursdays in June (Starting June 2nd)
🕰️ 12–1 PM EST (Zoom)
🏷️ $200 total (9 sessions, ~$22/session, same price as your fancy salad!)
💻 Private Discord to keep the momentum going between sessions

What each session is like:

• 12:00–12:20 → Guided prompts + warm-up sprints (no blank page panic)

• 12:20–12:50 → Focused writing time (you + your work, no distractions)

• 12:50–1:00 → Community time + Q&A (a place to talk to other writers about the reality/stresses/joys of being a writer)

• Camera-off, mic-muted option is always available. It’s your time!

✍🏽 Sign Up Here

This is for you if:

• You beat yourself up about not writing enough

• You keep saying “I need to write more,” but… don’t

• You have ideas, drafts, or a book in your head, collecting dust

• You crave structure without someone hovering over you

• You want creative energy without forced sharing

What you’ll leave with:

• Pages! Actual pages! That you wrote!

• A consistent writing habit

• New ideas you didn’t have before you logged on

• A creative community of like-minded peers

✍🏽 Sign Up Here

Hang with me twice a week in June

$200 for the entire month (9 sessions, ~$22/session)
$300 for a full month + 1 hour Zoom call with me

Spots are limited because I actually want this to feel like a writer’s room, not a webinar.

📓 Sign Up Here

Subscribe now

XO,

Tawny

Tawny Lara has reported on the sober curious and non-alcoholic drink movement since 2015. She is the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of the non-alc beverage brand,(parentheses). She teaches virtual courses and writes a newsletter about writing, publishing, media strategy, and DIY PR. But most importantly, she has spicy tacos named after her in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

Wilson Cruz, AKA Rickie Vasquez from My So Called Life, surprised an online writing group last night, and I had the privilege of asking him two questions.

But first, the woman who made it happen:

Catherine LaSota is the coolest writing teacher1 I know. She has a unique way of blending pop culture, tarot, and most importantly, fun, into a writing room. For the last few months, she taught a My So Called Life writing class at a bar in Queens and online. It’s worth mentioning that she hosts these thoughtful gatherings for free because she loves MSCL that fucking much.

Catherine’s class structure is simple and brilliant: we watch scenes from the show, she generates prompts based on the plot or dialogue, then we write! It’s also a fun excuse to tap into some nostalgic escapism with fellow pop culture fans.

But this week’s class was special, and not just because we watched/wrote about the show’s finale—Catherine introduced a surprise guest: Wilson Cruz!

🎤 A few stand-out quotes from Wilson Cruz

My So Called Life had a significant impact on pop culture in just one season, launching the careers of actors like Claire Danes and Jared Leto. It also broke ground as the first show to have an openly gay actor play an openly gay character. Rickie Vasquez is a nuanced, queer character of color rather than the stereotypical gay bestie (usually white). In the modern era of “only queer actors should play queer characters,” we should remember how much work we had to do to get here.

I had the privilege of asking him two questions:

Who would Rickie follow on IG? Anna Wintour and Christian Siriano

Who would you cast as Rickie today? This is tough to answer because I’d need to set my ego aside. I suggested Julio Torres; we both agreed he has the vibe, but we need someone younger.

Some other fun quotes:

• “Euphoria is the My So Called Life of today. Zendaya is the Claire Danes of her generation,” when the discussion moved to modern, gritty high school shows.

• “I don’t care what people think. I’m so in my art right now,” when describing how it felt to be in flow, bringing Rickie to life on screen. This quote inspired me so much that I wrote it down and then hung it on a wall by my desk.

Wilson spoke through tears about how portraying Rickie impacted him as both a queer person and as an artist. He also shared how the show helped heal his relationship with his father.

While this show was so ahead of its time, we sadly still have to say that we need queer representation now more than ever. That’s one of the many reasons he’s now a board member for Glisten, a non-profit that helps LGBTQIA+ students.

The LGBT non-profit he's involved in now

I was only eight when the show premiered, and I watched it with my mom. I had no idea I was bisexual, but seeing Rickie on screen planted a seed that not only is it OK to be queer, but it’s also pretty fucking cool.

🎧 Listen to Catherine and me talk about creativity

I was on an episode of her podcast, Feed the Art, last summer. We discuss how gatekeeping hurts artists, how my virtual assistant and a color-coded Google calendar keep me sane, and why surrounding myself with beautiful things keeps me inspired.

listen on Apple and Spotify.

Catherine LaSota runs group programs, offers creativity coaching, and has a free Creative Containers video series.

She personifies the be weird and just fucking do it energy that inspires me. She’s obsessed with a show, so she created a writing class based on it. Then a bunch of other fellow weirdos found her because that’s what weirdos do—we find each other! That’s the energy that I encourage students and clients to channel when they sit in front of a blank canvas.

“I like to help people tap into their creativity in weird and unexpected ways,” she said as we all logged off last night.

May we all channel our inner Catherine by indulging in the things that bring us joy today—the weirder the better.

And sometimes, if you follow that weird obsession far enough, Wilson Cruz shows up.

Subscribe to Catherine's Newsletter Here

Which TV show/film/album are you obsessed with?

Which TV show/film/album could you teach a class on?

Who would you cast as Rickie today?

Leave a comment

Subscribe now

XO,

Tawny

💻 My Upcoming Writing Workshops

🧠 Mental Health Writing: Write About Trauma, Addiction, & Grief Without Oversharing, 4-week generative course beginning April 22nd, 6-8 EST (Wednesdays)

✍🏽 Push Through Writer’s Block, Sunday, May 17th, 1-3EST

🃏 Writing with Tarot: Symbolism as a Tool for Creativity, Thursday, May 21, 1-3EST

Buy My Book

Buy My Drink

Buy My Card Deck

I spent a decade trauma-dumping on the internet. I look back at blog posts from my first few months of sobriety and want to hide under a rock, equally embarrassed and impressed at my public vulnerability. The true definition of vulnerability is one of the many things I’ve learned the hard way. Sharing something from my darkest moments isn’t necessarily vulnerable—it’s often a form of oversharing that we’ve normalized (and monetized) in the attention economy. But I did what I was “supposed to do” to get a book deal.

It worked.

Now I’m much more protective of how I discuss my personal life in public, if at all. I’ve since learned an axiom that’s now tattooed inside my brain: share from the scar, not the wound1. Meaning, when you write/speak publicly about trauma or mental health or addiction or grief, write from the scar tissue that’s healed (or healing) rather than trauma dumping from an open wound that’s still bleeding. The latter screams pick me!! pay attention to me!! this terrible thing happened to me and I haven’t processed it yet but here’s some content about it!! while the former suggests clarity, perspective, and a sense of empowerment that can only come from true healing.

That’s the spot where my new course takes place: identify the scar tissue so you can write and publish from there. Keep the wound-writing for your journal and therapy sessions.

This 4-week generative writing course is part how-to, part cautionary tale. Three incredible therapists will also share crucial insights into mental health writing.

Keep scrolling for more class info or sign up here.

💻 Course Info

🧠 Mental Health Writing: Write About Trauma, Addiction, & Grief Without Oversharing, 4-week generative course beginning April 22nd, 6-8 EST (Wednesdays with )

Dig into the gritty, glorious, complicated parts of yourself, then build boundaries so you know what belongs in public… and what stays locked in the Notes app forever.

Basically: if you’ve been through some shit, talked it through with a therapist or peer support, and feel ready to write from a place of reflection rather than rawness, pull up a chair. You can totally sit with us.

Sign Up Here

Who This Course is Not For

• Folks who’ve never talked about their struggles with a mental health professional

• People hunting for a “writing course instead of therapy” loophole

Important PSA: I am not a therapist, and this course is not therapy. If anything emotional comes up, please take it to your support system. This course does include exclusive access to live conversations with three therapist-writers, who will share practical guidance on writing about mental health with clear, healthy boundaries.

Guest Speakers

• , LMHC, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and author of Self-Care for Black Men, Meditations for Black Men, and The Shadow Work Workbook

• , Licensed Professional Counselor, author of Not Drinking Tonight, Fence Sitter fertility Substack, and co-host of Nuance Needed podcast

• Kyleigh Baker, LMFT, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and practitioner of Organic Intelligence®: a complex, nervous system approach to therapy and coaching

Sign Up Here

Subscribe now

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See you in class!

XO,

Tawny

Greetings all! I’m still full from an eggcellent Easter dinner. Yesterday I made these groovy tie-dye eggs: Quail eggs on top. Chicken eggs on the bottom. Edible glitter dust on top because YOLO. This is the colorful energy I’m bringing into my pitching this week. How are you?

Mondays are a great time to set a pitching strategy for the week and follow up on the pitches you’ve previously sent.

Remember, the world needs your writing. We need your hot takes and opinions and random expertise and weird observations and shitty first drafts.

Editors also need your pitches!

Below the paywall line, there are five editors looking to pay for your words.

🎯 Use My Pitch Templates

• The Pitch That Got Me in LitHub

• The Pitch That Got me on NPR

• How to Pitch Editors Without Being Annoying

• How to Get Paid to Write About Work

• How I Sold a Viral Substack to Business Insider

• How to Pitch a Timely Article

🎯 What’s Below:

• Slate is looking for essay pitches on health and science

• Business Insider is seeking essays on finance, retirement, budgeting, parenting costs, etc…

• An Australian Women’s mag looking for international voices

• A film mag looking for essays on film and pop culture

• An IG carousel with tips on pitching The Cut

Read more

Yes, I’ve “made it.” I’m a successful author with multiple income streams and a supportive husband/co-founder, living in New York City. I also cry daily, have panic attacks a few times a month, just upped my SSRIs, and take my as-needed anxiety meds twice a day.

When people say, “Yes, queen!! I love seeing you thrive!! So inspiring!!” I’m tempted to show them my bank account and point out the broken blood vessels around my eyes. The visibility of social media means that every public-facing person seems to have it all: money, happiness, and brand/book deals. But when you ask a public-facing person how they're really doing, it’s often a different story.

I love what I do. All of my jobs are passion projects. What a thrill to say that! But every day is an emotional roller coaster with unpredictable peaks and valleys.

These have been some of the hardest few months in my career. They’ve also been the most creatively inspired. I’m burned out, emotionally and physically exhausted. But I’m also so inspired that I can’t stop drawing and writing and pitching and working on my next book proposal, eager to catch up to all of the ideas that float around my head.

But alas, I choose this life. If I wanted consistency and stability badly enough, I’d apply to dozens of media or publicity jobs. But weirdly, I feel more stable as a multi-hyphenate authorpreneur. The juggling, the pitching, and the constant rejection take a toll. It’s also made me resilient as hell.

At least once a week, hubby and I discuss shutting down everything and getting “real” jobs. Then we look at the job market and decide to keep on truckin’ on the entrepreneurial route.

Honest Talk with College Kids

I recently spoke at FIT’s senior marketing and communications class, sharing how I went from a small-town aspiring writer to an NYC-based professional journalist, publicist, and co-founder of a beverage company. Several of the kids asked me how I juggle all of my jobs. I get this question often enough to have a cute lil one liner: “A color-coded Google Calendar and an assistant.” I spoke honestly about the job market as someone who does professionally what a lot of them want to do when they graduate in May.

“Everyone I know who works in media/publishing is either getting laid off, terrified of getting laid off and keeping an eye on other prospects, or making the freelance hustle work for them. I wanted them to have an honest perspective of what it’s like out here, so I told them the unfiltered truth.

Not All Day Everyday, But Everyday

I think of the Serenity Prayer daily, reminding myself of what I can and can’t control, and remembering that I choose this life.

There are times when I sob in bed, aghast at what it’s really like to “do it all.” I need to let it out, to feel it, and release it. Then I can get to the other side of acceptance. Crying allows me to go from “woe is me boo hoo victim energy” to “Fuck, I’m so grateful that I found a way to make the creative life work. Yes, it’s fucking hard, but life is hard. I choose this hard.

I also think about that scene in Sex and the City when the girls ask Charlotte if she’s genuinely happy. “Not all day, every day, but every day.” Charlotte admits that she struggles like all of us while simultaneously giving us permission to admit that we’re not happy all the time, too.

Maybe this is what “making it” truly looks like. Maybe nothing is “wrong,” and this is what it looks like when my career is going “right.” Maybe it’s OK to accept that success isn’t constant happiness, but rather the freedom to accept that being a full-time creative person means choosing a hard life you still want.

XO,

Tawny

🧠 Upcoming Virtual Classes:

• Mental Health Writing With Boundaries, 4-week intensive beginning April 22nd

• Push Through Writer’s Block, May 17th

• Self-Promo Without the Cringe: Platform, Pitching, and Press Releases, 4-week intensive beginning June 30th

Good morning, all! It’s a cold, sunny spring day here in NYC. How are you?

Ever since I wrote this essay about hiring an assistant for Business Insider, people have asked countless questions about “the whole VA thing.”

I turned that essay and all of your questions into a new class called How to Hire an Assistant: Negotiating, Outsourcing, and Delegating. If you’re VA curious (lol is that a thing??), this class is for you.

I’ve worked with a virtual assistant for the last five years, and she’s improved my life (and my sanity!) in countless ways.

Join us this Saturday, March 21 from 1-3EST so you can outsource the BS and focus on doing the things you actually wanna do in your creative life.

🎯 How to Hire an Assistant: Negotiating, Outsourcing, and Delegating, March 21, 1-3 EST

Sign Up Here

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XO,

Tawny

🎯 How to Hire an Assistant: Negotiating, Outsourcing, and Deletaging, March 21, 1-3 EST

Get your writing time back by outsourcing the other stuff. Join me and my longtime assistant, Sarah, as we pull back the curtain on how to outsource busywork, delegate strategically, and build simple systems that give you back your time, energy, and focus.

Join Our VA Class on March 21, 1-3EST

• You don’t need to do everything yourself to run a successful creative business.

• A VA can handle the backend chaos (email, scheduling, spreadsheets, invoices) so you can do the creative stuff you actually wanna do.

• Asking for help is hard. This workshop helps you identify what you need to outsource and who to delegate those tasks to.

Join Our VA Class on March 21, 1-3EST

Subscribe now

XO,

Tawny and Sarah

The world needs your writing. We need your hot takes and opinions and random expertise and weird observations and shitty first drafts.

Editors also need your pitches!

Below the paywall line, there are some editors looking to pay writers like you in exchange for your words.

🎯 Catch Up on Behind the Pitch

• The Pitch That Got Me in LitHub

• The Pitch That Got me on NPR

• How to Pitch Editors Without Being Annoying

• How to Get Paid to Write About Work

• 12 Actionable Writing Tips I Share With My Clients

• How I Sold a Viral Substack to Business Insider

• How to Pitch a Timely Article

🎯 What’s Below:

• Science editor looking for pitches on psychology, history, biology, space, and medicine

• Travel editor looking for personal essays

• A popular Substack looking for essays about hobbies

• An IG carousel with editorial leads for The Cut, Guardian, and more.

Read more