Nine Years in NYC
Plus pride event & two virtual writing classes
I’m Tawny, author of Dry Humping and co-author of The Sobriety Deck, co-host of the Recovery Rocks podcast, and co-founder of the vinegar-based botanical beverage, (parentheses)
Greetings all! I recently celebrated my ninth New York-iversary at the Bronx Botanical Garden with a dear friend. We walked nine miles among some of the most gorgeous flowers and plants I’ve ever seen. I got emotional thinking of how far I’ve come—both professionally and mentally—since moving here on June 13th, 2015.
I’m in awe of the 29-year-old version of myself with hot pink hair and a plethora of undiagnosed mental health issues that I self-medicated with binge drinking. I had the audacity (and privilege) to buy a one-way ticket from Houston to NYC and just… figure it out.
I had no plans and nowhere to live beyond a two-week writing residency, but it all turned out pretty damn great. I made friends and found places to live while sharpening my writing voice and getting sober.
If you’re debating on making a big life change for the sake of your art or sanity (or both!), I encourage you to find your own audacity and do the damn thing.
I still haven’t written for Rolling Stone (my dream pub!), but my work has been published in Men’s Health, HuffPost, Self, and many more. I even wrote a freaking book. I also found (and married!) the love of my life, and we launched a drink together.
Life is WILD, y’all! Take risks.
Upcoming Events
Below, you’ll find info about my upcoming virtual writing classes and a pride event I’m hosting this week.
Booze-Free NYC Pride Event
Dubbs Weinblatt and I are reviving our Queer Sober (Curious) Social events for Pride month! Join us at Rent Money Lounge this Thursday, June 20th, from 7-9 for a booze-free mixer.
We’ll discuss queerness, mental health, and substance use, all while sipping on NA drinks—including my new bev (parentheses).
This is a great chance to connect with like-minded queer folks without liquid courage.
No tickets needed; just show up and hang with us 🌈🫶🏽
Virtual Writing Classes:
I have two book proposal classes coming up! Book Proposal 101 is a one-night event covering the basic elements of a book proposal, while my Book Proposal Boot Camp is a six-week intensive for folks ready to write their proposal this fall.
Book Proposal 101 VIRTUAL August 1, 7-9EST
Want to write a nonfiction book but have no idea where to start? Take my new virtual class! This course will help you understand what a book proposal is and how to actually enjoy writing one.
Whether you're pitching a nonfiction book or a nonfiction card deck, Book Proposal 101: Stop Dreading It and Start Writing It will help you feel empowered by the proposal process rather than overwhelmed.
OK, you might still feel overwhelmed, but you can totally do this!
Book Proposal Boot Camp VIRTUAL September 5th - October 10th, 7-9 EST
This 6-week intensive course picks up where the first one left off. In a virtual group setting, students meet with me for two hours a week to finally dust off that old Google Doc and get to work. Each week is structured so students can focus on one aspect of a book proposal at a time rather than feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing at once.
Each session ends with a 20-minute Q&A where students can ask about publishing, proposals, finding an agent, preorder campaigns, and book marketing.
XO,