Hot Takes
Write a Newsletter People Actually Read: Build an Engaged
with Tawny Lara
Live Seminar Via Zoom Sunday, Sept 13th, 2026
Instructor Tawny Lara is a journalist with a business degree who understands both sides of the creative life: we want to create cool shit, and we also want to make a living. She's the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze and The Sobriety Deck: Practical Practices for a Booze-Free Lifestyle, and co-founder of the vinegar-based botanical beverage (parentheses). She's also an exhausted Capricorn who's obsessed with her dog, Stevie Nicks.
Who is this class for?
This newsletter writing workshop is designed for writers tired of performing online, creatives who know a lot but feel stuck saying it, and coaches, therapists, founders, and artists who want a newsletter that sounds like them. Whether you're circling the idea of starting a newsletter or you have one but feel blocked, inconsistent, or quietly resentful of it, this class is for you. All levels welcome.
What to expect:
This is not a growth-hack workshop. It's a reset. In this online writing class, you'll learn to reclaim newsletters as a relational, creative, and sustainable practice that works inside real life—not hustle culture.
Tawny breaks down why newsletters work better than social media and why they fall apart when you treat them the same way. The workshop reframes newsletter writing as a courage practice instead of a content grind. You'll explore finding your voice before boxing yourself into a niche, why throwing spaghetti at the wall is actually a smart early strategy, how to write subject lines that get opened without sounding like a marketer, and how to think about cadence, consistency, and metrics without frying your nervous system.
You'll also learn how to reuse old work without guilt, when (and how) to monetize without burning trust, and what numbers actually matter. It's a mix of teaching, real-world examples, and open discussion—not a lecture, and definitely not a hustle sermon.
What are the writing goals?
You do not need a big following, a polished brand, a clear niche, or a perfect publishing schedule. You do need curiosity and a willingness to experiment. In this seminar, students will leave with a human-centered framework for newsletter writing that prioritizes connection over metrics and sustainability over burnout.
SEMINAR TAKEAWAYS:
Why Newsletters Matter: Whether you're trying to land a book deal or just want to write regularly again, understand why writing a newsletter is a sustainable, ethical platform-building approach for writers (hint: no algorithms!)
Content Strategy: Learn to think like an editor by creating a content calendar. Strategizing your newsletters can keep you inspired to write while also keeping your audience engaged.
Ignore Impostor 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 Tawny's moments of impostor syndrome and how she still pushes through them, one day at a time. Learn tips to quiet perfectionism and get words on the damn page.