Meet the NHWP Team: Q&A with Dan Pouliot

Our “Meet the NHWP Team” series continues with Dan Pouliot, Board Vice-Chair, author, artist, and advocate for helping writers succeed. A New Hampshire native, Dan earned his B.F.A. in oil painting from the University of NH and has spent his professional career in marketing and web development. His digital artwork is part of the permanent collections at UNH and Southern NH University, and his first novel, Super Human, combines three of his passions: positive psychology, the supernatural, and UFOs. We asked Dan about his own writing journey, what keeps him excited about NHWP, and the advice he would share with fellow writers.

What inspired you to join the NH Writers’ Project board?

Masheri Chappelle, the board chair, inspired me to join. Her leadership is the kind of leadership I want to be a part of: creative, enthusiastic, audacious, and ambitious.

How has writing shaped your life and career?

I’ve always had a head full of ideas and enjoyed writing them down, but it wasn’t until I turned 50 that I realized I wanted to be an author. That is when I began writing my first book.

For me, writing is a great way to focus all the ideas in my head and spend as much time as I need to clarify and organize them. Writing has challenged me personally and helped me grow.

What unique skills or experiences do you bring to NHWP’s board?

I’m a natural advocate; I enjoy setting people up for success.

What do you see as the most important role NHWP plays for writers in New Hampshire?

NHWP is a place for writers to connect, get to know each other, support each other, and take advantage of events and offerings that help at any stage of their writing journey, from first-time writers through querying and publishing.

What excites you most about the future of NHWP?

Since I joined the board close to 10 years ago, I’ve watched NHWP clarify and deepen its offerings and expand collaborations with organizations like NHPBS, Scholastic, NH Humanities, and WKXL radio. Traditional publishing houses are now submitting their authors for the NH Literary Awards.

NHWP is becoming known as the hub to connect with writers in the state. I see this growth continuing, supporting creativity and carrying forward New Hampshire’s rich literary legacy.

What advice would you give to emerging writers who want to become more involved in the literary community?

Writing can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Attend events. Get to know other writers; get to know the board. We all love meeting new people and talking about writing.

Are there NHWP programs you’re especially passionate about?

I love attending the Flash Fiction finals; the creativity of the finalists is inspiring. I also love our annual 603 Writers’ Conference. I always come away energized.

What impact do you hope to make during your time on the board?

I hope to continue encouraging and supporting writers to write their best work, publish, and feel a sense of success, pride, and accomplishment in their work.

What’s the biggest challenge facing writers today?

Balancing creativity and craft. It takes both to make a great book, and it takes objectivity and discernment to look at what you’ve written and tell if it needs expanding or cutting—or both.

It takes inspiration to expand and courage to cut.

How does NHWP help writers address those challenges?

The best offering we have for those challenges is our write-ins, where Masheri offers one-on-one story guidance.

She has been my writing coach for years. We have had well over 100 sessions, and every single time we meet and discuss what I’m writing, I learn something new.

What’s the first book you ever loved—or the one that made you want to write?

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is the first book I ever loved. The story is an allegory for being true to yourself rather than just following the crowd. I found it validating that I can be the me I want to be instead of what others tell me I should be.

What book is currently on your nightstand?

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

Do you have a favorite writing spot or ritual?

Ideas come to me as I’m lying in bed waiting to fall asleep. I jot them down on my phone. By the weekend, when I have time to write, I have a list of interesting ideas to sift through and work into my current manuscript.

This also happens when I’m doing something mindless, like walking in the woods or driving. So I don’t think of those mindless moments as unproductive; quite the opposite!