D.S. Chapman

Self publish. It’s a phrase that carries a lot of baggage for authors and readers alike. For readers it can conjure images of 99 cent kindle books with a PowerPoint cover and text riddled with plot holes and misplaced punctuation. For authors it is a chance to make it big like Andy Weir (The Martian) , E.L. James (Fifty Shades of Grey), Christopher Paolini (Eragon), and others who have used digital and traditional methods to publish their own work. But it can also feel like a last resort, a desperate bid to find the recognition and success associated with traditional methods. (read more...)

During the past seven months since I finished writing a poem every day for a year, I have not used this site much. In truth my own writing has been inconsistent. I've been jumping from project to project with long breaks in between writing or editing sessions. In fairness my life has been full of many good things including reading! Right now I am half-way through John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Near where I left off there's an extended discussion on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. (read more...)

It has been over a month since I finished writing a poem every day for a year. Once every 24 hours for 365 days I sat down to write a new poem from scratch. I have enjoyed the break this last month from late nights writing poetry by LCD screen. I will admit that I have not spent the entirety of the last month thinking of more poems, editing my overflowing supply of poems, or even contemplating the benefits of writing a poem every day for a year. But it was a unique experience, and I learned a great deal in the process about poetry, writing, and habits. Here are a few of those lessons. (read more...)