My Transformation Through TAF: A Journey From Amateur to Professional Writer

By Sarah Merritt Ryan, www.SarahMerrittRyan.com

Whenever I tell people how I got started as a professional writer, I let them know about Triangle Association of Freelancers (TAF).  I talk about what an encouraging group this is, where everyone wants everyone else to succeed, where all types of writers are welcome, and all skill levels of writers are supported and encouraged. Joining TAF has led to a whole new career path for me.

My Success Through TAF – Let Me Count the Ways

It all started with the idea that I wanted to write what I wished I could have read during my early recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. It’s something barely discussed or shared due to the stigma surrounding serious mental illness. Most people like me suffer in secrecy and isolation. The huge sticking point for me was whether I would put my name on my first post. It was my big secret that I had had psychotic breaks in the past.

1. I spoke with TAF founder Don Vaughan on the phone, and we talked about the pros and cons. While he made it clear the decision was mine, he did encourage me as a writer and assured me I have a lot to share that might help others. I made the decision to submit that blog post to a county site for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and the sky didn’t fall after all. So, then I wrote another post, and another. Each time one was published, I let the TAF listserv know, and the members all cheered me on. Then I thought, I’ll resubmit them to the national NAMI blog and see what happens. They published my posts as well. All of a sudden, I had a platform.
2. Then, a TAF member encouraged me to apply for a blog on Psychology Today. I saw it as a Hail Mary but did it anyway. I figured it said something about my belief in myself to go ahead and submit. Lo and behold, my pitch was accepted. I’ve been blogging on Psychology Today for almost three years now.
3. I explained to Don my dream of writing a memoir, and he connected me to a literary agent who liked my idea and asked me to write a book proposal. I wrote it and then proceeded to write the actual book. In the end, the agent was not able to sell it, but I am not discouraged. I’m now working with an independent editor on a full revision while continuing to build my platform. Then I will pursue some university press options.
4. TAF members Elaine Klonicki and Don Vaughan mentored me on my first article published with Writer’s Digest online, and Don helped me with an idea for my second publication with Writer’s Digest, this one for the print magazine. I even got to meet the editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest, Amy Jones, in person at a Write Now! conference after publishing a piece in her magazine.
5. Before I joined TAF, I had published one poem. But then, through listserv postings and TAF member Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld, I learned of the existence of anthologies for poetry. I started writing poetry again and was published in several anthologies, including TAF Omnibus, the annual publication of poems and short stories by TAF.
6. I then took a big gulp and submitted a collection of sonnets I had been writing for over 20 years to Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld with Prolific Pulse Press. My first book-length work of poetry, “My Soul to Keep,” will be available in June 2026.
7. And it doesn’t stop there. I’ve always said I can’t write fiction because I didn’t think I could make a story up. But apparently I can! I submitted my first piece of fiction to “TAF Omnibus IV,” and the short story was accepted by Arlene Bice.
8. Because I learned from that experience that I can write fiction, and actually really enjoy it, I am now writing a romance novel about a woman with a psychotic disorder. And because I’m a part of TAF, I’m able to be a part of a romance writers’ subgroup where, once I have the courage, I will share what I’ve written with published romance writers to get their feedback.
9. Most recently, I have become a staff writer for magazines local to Raleigh – 5 West and Midtown Magazine – where I cover local stories. I learned of this opportunity and made the connection with both editors through the Write Now! Conference.

On top of all these ways that TAF has transformed me as a writer, I have made so many connections with other writers and made important friends. I think every writer needs a community that cheers for them. (Even better, I love that if I throw any question out there on the listserv, there is someone who has the answer and even seems to enjoy helping me.)

While I write for other people, honestly, it has truly been a healing process for me, too. I have found writing an excellent way to process my life, find my voice, and communicate my truth to others. It has helped me take pain and suffering and make meaning out of it.

My career progression since I joined TAF has helped me see the big picture in my life and assign a reason for my life post-illness, and not only that – it has given me the courage to finally disclose my illness to everyone who knows me. I am now using writing to process everything I went through with my mental health condition in a way that benefits other people. Because of how I have been mentored, encouraged and supported through TAF members, I now have a second career as a professional writer and speaker on psychotic disorders.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have found in TAF an organization that supports and encourages writers on their creative journeys, no matter what they choose to write about or how vulnerable they choose to be in their writing.

Sarah Merritt Ryan, MS, CPSS, is a blogger, poet, and memoirist who also speaks on recovery from mental illness. She writes for Psychology Today, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Nami.org, and Writer’s Digest. She speaks at major universities, mental health organizations, and various community groups. She was named Hometown Hero in 2024 for her contributions to the Raleigh-Durham area by The Courage Pro Women’s Soccer Team, Lenovo, and NAMI.