Celebrating 20 Years Together

By Don Vaughan, www.donaldvaughan.com

Triangle Association of Freelancers (TAF) was formally established in 2003. But the organization’s roots run much deeper.

I had been teaching a class for novice freelance writers through Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, and quickly realized a need for additional mentoring among some of my more promising students. We started meeting monthly to discuss their work, and as our numbers grew, I wondered if other area freelance writers would be interested in getting together regularly for networking and camaraderie.

The answer was a resounding yes. Once word got out, our roster quickly filled with writers working in all forms and genres, eager to share their experiences and help those new to the profession. Although we are a professional organization, TAF also became a tight-knit family, celebrating each other’s successes and offering solace when works were rejected.

Our mission quickly became one of networking, education and mentoring. We hosted our first Write Now! conference in 2008 (incorporating as a nonprofit in 2017). Throughout the next decade, we continued to expand, and Write Now! became an annual event. Although we were originally a nonfiction freelance group, we changed our model to invite all genres of writers to join us. We added writers of literary fiction, poetry, science fiction, romance and other genres to attend meetings, and added a new slate of sessions at our conference to accommodate them. We found we were enriched by the presence of other types of writers. As well, information gleaned from one area can inform others, and categories often overlap. Many of our writers work across genres.

When the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a stay-at-home order in North Carolina in 2020, TAF was hit hard. We were forced to halt our monthly in-person meetings. But we pride ourselves on being a creative and nimble organization, so we pivoted, and started holding our meetings via Zoom. It was heartbreaking to have to cancel Write Now! conferences since they represent the highlight of our year. It’s a joy to gather together to listen to inspiring speakers, share information about the craft and business of writing, and encourage each other on our projects.

But the pandemic didn’t stop TAF members from writing. In fact, it sparked a surge of creative thought. Over the next three years we published two anthologies. You can check them out here. All proceeds are returned to the organization, and the money is used to pay speaker honorariums for our conferences.

In the next few years, we held a few online workshops and created “TAF Talks,” in-depth interviews with authors, editors and agents. Their success inspires us, and they seem to enjoy the experience of sharing their lessons learned with our group.

Once a regional organization, we now have members from a number of other states. We have continued our meetings via Zoom to accommodate our members who have moved out of the area over time. We hold in-person socials periodically so we can enjoy each other’s company in person, since writing can be a lonely profession.

Finally, this year we are resuming our in-person Write Now! conference, which is being held on April 27, 2024. I could not be any more excited about the level of our keynotes and speakers. We’re in for a real treat. Click here for details.

We’ve all worked hard over the course of many years to make TAF the success it is today: one of the largest organizations in North Carolina dedicated to all aspects of freelance writing. I see us continuing our mission of offering networking, education and mentoring to writers in all forms and genres. We’ve been incredibly lucky regarding the quality and prominence of the individuals we’ve hosted as meeting and TAF Talk guests, and the Board of Directors will continue to reach out to writers and others who are well-published and have something important to say about the art, craft and business of writing.

As we move beyond our 20-year celebration and look toward the future, I’d like to thank all our members and volunteers, supporters and friends of TAF, and the amazing guest speakers we’ve had over the course of our history. I never dreamed that my desire to meet with other freelancers to discuss our work would lead to the organization we know today. We are well poised to continue our growth, welcoming new members into the TAF family.

All the best,

Don

Don Vaughan has been a full-time freelance writer since 1991. During that time he has published more than 2,500 articles and columns in an eclectic array of publications, including Writer’s Digest, Encyclopedia Britannica and MAD Magazine. Don is the founder of Triangle Association of Freelancers.