How to Write About Trauma, Addiction & Mental Health Without Oversharing — 2-Hour Online Nonfiction Workshop with Tawny Lara Starts Wednesday, April 14th, 2027

Trauma Writing Workshop Without Oversharing | Apr 2027 Online

How to Write About Trauma, Addiction & Mental Health Without Oversharing Writing Workshop: A 2-Hour Generative Seminar with Tawny Lara

Begins Wednesday, April 14, 2027
Live one-day seminar via Zoom from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone:

• Los Angeles (PDT): 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Chicago (CDT): 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
• New York (EDT): 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
• London (BST): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Berlin (CEST): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Now Enrolling!

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.

Instructor Tawny Lara is your favorite writing teacher's favorite writing teacher. She teaches ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, self-promotion, and creative visibility. 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. You can read Tawny's essay "Finding Your Voice as a Writer in the Age of AI," published via Jane Friedman. But most importantly, she has an eponymous taco in her hometown of Waco, Texas.

Who is this class for?

This online writing class is for intermediate nonfiction writers ready to write about addiction or recovery, mental illness, grief, family dysfunction, religious trauma, eating disorders, sex and relationships, medication journeys, queerness and identity, compulsive behaviors, divorce and heartbreak, or any other chapter of life that left an invisible scar. Ideally, you've already talked through this stuff with a therapist, peer support person, sponsor, or other appropriate support system. You don't need a perfectly packaged redemption story; you do need enough distance from the experience to approach it with some reflection and nuance.

What to expect:

You have a complicated story. That doesn't mean the internet needs every detail. Can you tell the truth without turning your trauma into content? Can you write about your life without hurting the people in it? Can your experience become a compelling essay without exploiting yourself? Yes, and this 2-hour generative writing workshop will show you how.

Tawny Lara built a public-facing career writing about sobriety, sex, relationships, mental health, and all the weirdness that happens when you stop drinking, and she's learned a lot about what happens when your personal life becomes part of your professional story. In this live Zoom writing class, she'll show you how to transform lived experience into thoughtful, publishable personal essays without sacrificing your privacy, your relationships, or your nervous system in the process. You don't owe the internet your entire life story. You'll leave knowing what you want to share publicly and what stays between you and your therapist.

Expect a mix of teaching, generative prompts, and practical tools for talking about your work in public, from podcasts and panels to interviews and social media. The final 10 minutes are open for questions about writing, publishing, pitching, journalism, media, podcasting, and creative goal-setting.

Important PSA: Tawny is not a therapist, and this class is not therapy. This creative writing course is best suited for people who have already had some space to process the experiences they're writing about with a therapist, peer support, or another appropriate support system.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will map their personal storytelling boundaries, generate several pages of new writing from guided prompts, and distill the larger idea underneath their story into a "So What?" statement. Students will also leave with the bones of a personal essay pitch, 3–5 public-facing talking points, and a list of future story ideas to keep developing. This is a generative seminar; it does not include written instructor feedback on submitted work.

COURSE OUTLINE

Part 1: Write With Boundaries — Explore the difference between vulnerability and oversharing, and identify what you're comfortable sharing publicly versus what stays private. No trauma Olympics required.

Part 2: Find the "So What?" — Move beyond simply recounting what happened. Generative prompts uncover the larger ideas, questions, observations, and meaning hiding inside your personal experience.

Part 3: Build Talking Points — Learn how to talk about your writing on podcasts, panels, interviews, and beyond without feeling like you have to emotionally reenact your trauma every time someone asks about it.

Part 4: Q+A — The final 10 minutes are open for questions about writing, publishing, pitching, journalism, media, podcasting, and creative goal-setting.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A personal storytelling boundary map: what you're comfortable sharing publicly, what needs more distance, and what is staying private
• Several pages of generative writing exploring a personal experience from different angles
• A "So What?" statement capturing the larger idea, question, or insight underneath your story
• The bones of a personal essay pitch: a working headline, hook, personal angle, and larger cultural conversation
• 3–5 public-facing talking points for discussing your story on podcasts, panels, interviews, or social media
• A list of future story ideas and prompts to keep developing after the workshop

TESTIMONIALS:

"I love the energy Tawny brings to each gathering. My biggest takeaway was to give myself even more permission to simply have fun with my newsletter. It was the nudge I needed."
— Allison Deraney

"The two hours a week in Tawny's writing room are probably my most productive hours of the week."
— Greg Downs

"Tawny's writing prompts are structured enough to be challenging, but broad enough to get started without a lot of hand-wringing. I never thought just two hours of me time for writing a week could be so beneficial."
— Hayley Schueneman

"I would be lost in the writer's world without her guidance and support."
— Sydney Allen

"Working with Tawny has changed the trajectory of my life! I didn't know how to extrapolate my trans cancer experience from my head and her coaching has really brought things into focus. She truly believes in me and it's a hell of thing to have someone in your corner like that."
— Ash Davidson

"As my creativity coach and PR strategist, Tawny helps me trust my own voice."
— Kristin Horstman

"I seriously could NOT have gotten to where I am today without Tawny's coaching, expertise, and accountability."
— Laura Silverman

"Sessions with Tawny are fun and creatively deep! I highly recommend making Tawny a part of your writing journey."
— Alyssa Polizzi

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $99 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Tawny Lara
• Begins Wednesday, April 14, 2027
• Class will meet once via Zoom on Wednesday, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $99 USD.