Beginnings
Ann FieldsFounder | Author
In August 1996, Lavonne Kelley, Breggett Rideau, and Ann Fields met at the Public Library in Irving, Texas, for the first meeting of The Writer’s Block. Within months, using word-of-mouth and flyers, the group had grown and the foundation was set: establish a space for writers of color with a common love of the written word to meet and help each other achieve our personal writing goals. Then, after obtaining nonprofit exempt status, the organization established three main goals on which to focus.
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Early Goals
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Parallel Paths
delmetria millenerFounder | Writer | Teacher
In 1999, only three years after The Writer's Block was founded, a new writing organization sprang up: words of wisdom writers society (wowws). It began as a writer’s discussion and critique group, with five members, a different name, and an uncertain future ahead. Membership fluctuated but growing pains and growing gains evolved the group into a 15-member society with notable members, including bestselling authors Varian Johnson and Risha Grant, and esteemed Dallas musican, Jason Davis.
In 2012, the founder, delmetria millener, faced the difficult decision to dissolve the organization to pursue her own long-time career goal of becoming a teacher, a career move that would lead to the founding of yet another writing organization: #TeenWritersProject, a nonprofit writing organization for teens.
In 2012, the founder, delmetria millener, faced the difficult decision to dissolve the organization to pursue her own long-time career goal of becoming a teacher, a career move that would lead to the founding of yet another writing organization: #TeenWritersProject, a nonprofit writing organization for teens.
A Plot Twist
In 2022, while living in Bangkok, delmetria reached out to Ann to discuss naming her podcast, The Teen Writer’s Block, out of respect for Ann and the brand that she had built. In an unexpected gesture, that exchange led to Ann offering delmetria leadership of The Writer’s Block to continue the legacy of Dallas’s oldest writing organization for writers of color. Ironically, Ann had been considering dissolving the organization so that she could retire and focus solely on writing books. delmetria said yes.
A New Chapter
Every story evolves, and so has The Writer’s Block. The organization was created to build a unified community—or “block”—where writers with shared cultural experiences, backgrounds, and creative goals could come together in a safe, loving, and supportive space to grow. Over the years, we’ve grown from a small gathering of passionate writers into a thriving community that magnifies the voices of writers of color.
This new chapter has brought fresh energy, new faces, and exciting opportunities to expand our impact. Now, as we look ahead, our evolution is not just about continuing the story—it’s about deepening the legacy to advocate for diverse voices and inspire the next generation of storytellers to express themselves freely and boldly through stories shaped by their lived experiences and cultural identity.
Today, despite the change in leadership, The Writer's Block holds steadfast to those same three principles developed all those years ago in an Irving library with a gust of new energy to build a community of support for writers of color who want to develop their craft, build sustainable writing careers, and contribute to the literary landscape of our city and beyond.
This new chapter has brought fresh energy, new faces, and exciting opportunities to expand our impact. Now, as we look ahead, our evolution is not just about continuing the story—it’s about deepening the legacy to advocate for diverse voices and inspire the next generation of storytellers to express themselves freely and boldly through stories shaped by their lived experiences and cultural identity.
Today, despite the change in leadership, The Writer's Block holds steadfast to those same three principles developed all those years ago in an Irving library with a gust of new energy to build a community of support for writers of color who want to develop their craft, build sustainable writing careers, and contribute to the literary landscape of our city and beyond.