Hello BillTemple1957

Thank you for speaking with us!

PP – Will you tell us a little about yourself?

Bill -

I am an old dude, lol. I will turn 60 years old this summer, but i have the mind of a young man. Unfortunately my body doesn't always agree with the things I want to do.

I was a retail manager for many years but decided that I had enough of the retail trade, so 8 years ago, I left retail and started a job at a steel fabrication plant. I now cut steel all day for the plant, where we manufacture steel racking for businesses all across Canada and recently, we have even done some business in the United States.

I am married to a wonderful woman, named, Eva. We have been together for 15 years and I have two beautiful step-daughters, who consider me Dad and I have three grandchildren and #4 on the way.

I am a musician who plays multiple instruments (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, mandolin) and I have been writing songs since I was 15 years old. I also stated writing at around the same time.

I am an ex-smoker who loves his e-cig and a good scotch, as well as an occasional beer. Well, maybe more than an occasional one.

I am stubborn, assertive and fiercely loyal to family. I don't take shit from anyone and I am more than capable of handling myself in any situation. Don't let the white beard fool you. Lol.

I am a Leo and if there ever was a poster-man of what a true Leo is ... Just visit with me. I am a Leo from A-Z.

I don't consider myself a writer. I am a storyteller.

I don't consider myself a good writer, but I do have a certain pride in what I write.

PP – How long have you been writing poetry?

Bill -

I Wrote my first poem as part of a project for school when I was in grade 9. It was one part of the project, the other being a short story. I wrote both in under an hour and I ended up getting the highest mark in the school.

I did not like Poetry, growing up and anytime we had to do poems in school, I would ignore them. I thought they were stupid and foolish and I never read any of the so called Poetry masters, including Shakespeare, who I still thinks sucks. Lol.

It was while listening to a song by Bob Dylan ... 'Its all over now, Baby Blue', that a light suddenly went off in my head. Song lyrics were actually Poems put to music. And I love songs.

It was about the same time that I had learned to play guitar and I immediately started writing songs. So all my early, so called Poems, were actually song lyrics. I wrote about 700 over the next 5 or so years.

Many of my early poems were taken from the songs I wrote as a teenager.

PP – Is poetry the only thing your write? Do you write in other genre and if so what are they?

Bill -

I write everything. I love writing Poetry and it has become very dear to me, so much so, that I have created several different styles of Poetry. I just write whatever comes to me.

I also love writing novels and short stories. I don't have a particular genre that I write in.

I have written Romance ... 'Dare to Dream'.

Fantasy adventure ... 'The Target' (with our own ElizabellaJones)

Western Fantasy ... 'A NewDestiny' (with Ruechari)

Spiritual ... 'My name is Zara'

Horror ... 'Insomnia' (as Onebrickshy)

Humour ... 'Home Sweet Home' (as Onebrickshy)

and of course there is the Whisper Saga, which I am in the process of rewriting at this time, at my Whisper-forever site. There are 10 books in the Whisper series and it is my most popular series. And it is the series of books that I am most proud of.

I have written many other novels and hundreds of short stories, but I have yet to post them to Wattpad.

My stories are dialogue driven, so don't expect long drawn out descriptions. I leave most of that to the reader. I feel it allows the reader to create his or her own image, based on the information I give them.

PP – How long have you been on Wattpad?

Bill -

About 5 years or so, I think. I was on and off for about a year or so and I deleted my accounts a total of three times. I wish the hell now I had not, but you do stupid things sometimes.

My sister introduced me to the site and it was love at first write.

PP – What made you decide to start Poets Pub?

Bill -

I started the Poets Pub after a conversation I had with a young female writer, who informed me that she was leaving Wattpad, because of the inability to get people to read her works. I begged her to stay, but she left anyway and she was not the only one who did so.

I was successful in talking several others into staying on Wattpad.

I felt then that perhaps I could do something more to help new writers out and perhaps even give a rebirth to some of the more established writers.

I approached Bella with the idea and she was all for it. Unfortunately her time was limited, as she was completing her Masters, so most of the work fell upon my shoulders.

We officially started the Pub at the end of May, 2015 and began posting poems on June 1, 2015.

I think one thing that stands out in the beginning for me, was the devotion of a handful of people who helped make this place work.

I had approached nearly every popular Poet on Wattpad and nearly every single one turned me down. Many told me that the Pub, like so many other sites like it, on Wattpad, would fail and I was wasting my time.

I guess we showed them.

PP – What makes the Poets Pub special to you?

Bill -

The Pub is a safe place for all Poets. As per our credo, there are no colours, religions, genders, ages or geographical discriminations.

Egos are left at the door.

It is also a gathering place for Poets from all over the world and we have such an amazing and diverse group of regulars here, who are always friendly and who offer guidance, suggestions and inspiration.

We have the most amazing and creative Poets.

I am so proud of each and every one of them and I hope they continue to support us here and help us grow into an even more diverse site.

But more than everything, it is the people that make this site special and so many of them I have come to know and proudly call friend.

PP – Do you have any advice for a beginner poet or author?

Bill -

I only ever give one piece of advice.

WRITE.

Sit down, put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and just write the first thing that comes to your mind, no matter what it is.

You can develop style and structure, as you gain experience, but to do so, you need words.

So WRITE.

And never consider anything not good enough. If it is from your mind, your heart and your souls, then it is a part of you. Share it.

PP – Do you have a favorite author on Wattpad? What about outside of Wattpad?

Bill -

Not really. To choose one person or a list of people, would not be me.

But what I do have is a favourite place to hang out ... the Poets Pub.

And those that grace this amazing place are all my favourite people and authors.

I love watching, especially, the younger writers mature and adapt to other styles and the interaction with the more experienced Poets is simply beauty.

Outside of Wattpad, all my favourite 'authors' are mostly songwriters.

Bob Dylan, Jaggar/Richards, Harry Chapin, Gordon Lightfoot, Tragically Hip, Robbie Robertson, Bernie Taupin, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, John Fogerty, David Bowie, and on and on and on.

I did like Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Harold Robbins, Philip Jose Farmer and several others when I was younger, but I really don't read much anymore.

PP – You are having dinner party and can invite only 10 authors, living, dead or imaginary; who do you invite?

Bill -

Bob Dylan ... He has been my idol since I was in my mid teens. He was the reason I started writing songs and Poems.

Philip Jose Farmer ... An amazing fantasy writer who inspired many of my short stories.

Paul McCartney ... He wrote my favourite song, 'Let it Be'

Jules Verne ... He started it all, as far as I am concerned.

Harry Chapin ... His poetic stories made some amazing songs.

David Bowie ... Just to pick his mind.

Victor Appleton ... Created the Tom Swift series of books that introduced me to fantasy.

Woody Guthrie ... Singer, songwriter, Poet.

Mark Twain ... He would just be fun.

Hunter S. Thompson ... For the insanity.

PP – Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Bill -

I cannot begin to express the way I feel about the Pub and those who grace its walls. My hope and dream is that the Pub will continue on, long after I am gone and that soon ... very soon ... the Pub will be expanding into other countries and other cultures, so that the true purpose of this great institution can be realized there as well.

To those who have helped me make the Pub what it is today, I cannot express my gratitude and to my two current sidekicks, Myna and Sona. Well, you ladies are my saviours.

To the regulars here at the Pub. You are the reason we continue to grow and don't ever underestimate the importance you are to this place. Without you, we would just be a room full of chairs.

To all of those who have not checked us out.

What are you waiting for?

To those who said the Pub will fail ...

Well, looks like you were wrong.

And lastly ...

The drinks are one me.

To one and all ...

Welcome to the

Poets Pub.

PP - Thank you so much Bill for speaking with us! We are all truly grateful for all the work you have put into creating the Poets Pub. You are an inspiration and mentor to all of us here!