Greetings Pubbers!!

How is everyone doing this evening? I hope all has been well in your part of the world!

It is Friday night and it is time for another great meeting here at the Pub! So if everyone will take your seats, we will get started.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

You only have a couple weeks left to get your entry in for the 2016 Collection. We have over 5000 members and would be elated to have an entry from each and every one of you. The entries we have received so far are, as usual, are fantastic and well worth the read. You can find the 2016 collection here:

2016 Collection
http://my.w.tt/UiNb/C5YhOhnmYy

We have had several new festive submissions for the Pub's Christmas collection, "A Pub Christmas". If you haven't gotten your entry in, you still have just a bit of time. There is no better way to show your holiday spirit than sharing the gift of poetry with the Pub family. You can read all the new entries here:

A Pub Christmas
http://my.w.tt/UiNb/IK6ZqcsmYy

One of our talented Pubbers,  @orkneyman, was kind enough to share with us an inspiring link to an article about the secret writing habits of Stephen King. It is an interesting and inspiring look into the writing process of one of the most prolific authors of the modern age. When you get a chance you can check it out here:

"Secret Habits That Stephen King Uses to Write All His Books"*
http://www.ranker.com/list/stephen-king-writing-habits/jacobybancroft

*Note – this is an outside link.

Finally, we still hope to start including personal announcements in the Chatter, so please feel free to share with us birthdays, anniversaries, birth announcements, or milestones that you would like us to share with the Pub family.

As always please Private Message any entry you wish to share to @PoetsPub and be sure to include the name of the collection you want it added to, your screen name and the title of the poem. For a complete list of Pub rules and regulations see "Behind the Bar" which can be found here:

OLD BUSINESS:

The Pubber of the Year – 2016

Our final competition is well under way! This week the poets, competing for Pubber of the Year, were asked to post two poems of any length, style or subject, that they felt best showcases their own poetic style. All of the entries are truly works of art, and well worth your time to read. Show them some PoetsPub love, by reading and leaving a comment to let them know your thoughts on their hard work. All the latest entries and news about the Pubber of the Year competition can be found here:

2016 Pubber of the Year
http://my.w.tt/UiNb/cQmlIm5lYy

Lastly, I am still looking for your suggestions of who you would like for me to interview for the Chatter. Please feel free to private message me or comment on this edition of the Chatter with your suggestions.

NEW BUSINESS:

With the Pubber of the Year completion coming to an end and seeing that we have so many new members, I thought we could take a closer look at last year's Pubber of the Year winner, lyttlejoe.

Lyttlejoe is the official Grandmaster of Cheer here at the Pub and boy does he ever fill those shoes. Speaking for myself, he was one of the first Wattpaders to reach out to me and encourage me, for that I am truly grateful.

Lyttlejoe is a multi-genre author who has an amazing library of work from poetry to fantasy to western and everything in-between. Not only is he very involved with the PoetsPub he is also one of the stars of the ongoing saga Busted Gulch over at the storytellers-saloon . He writes the part of the laid back, but all seeing Sheriff 3Gun Wild Bill Dakota Kid, Jr., who does his best to keep everything running smoothly in this sleepy little western town.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Busted Gulch stories, they are innovative storytelling collaborations, where the multiple authors write the main story line in poetic form and the story continues and evolves in the comment section. It is fun and entertaining, and lyttlejoe as the Sheriff is the glue that binds it all together.

As 2015's Pubber of the Year, lyttlejoe was invited to showcase some of his work here at the Pub. You can find his Pub collection here:

Lyttlejoe
http://my.w.tt/UiNb/imFPxMImYy

Included in this collection are some beautiful dedications written to let lyttlejoe know how much he has meant to various members of the Pub.

This brings us to our prompts for the week.

PROMPTS:

First I challenge you to write a poem for someone in the Pub, who has touched your life, inspired you, or given you encouragement. We often times affect other people's lives without even knowing it or, on the flip side, we are affected by someone's work and are not given the opportunity to thank them. Well this is your opportunity to reach out to a fellow Pubber and let them know how much you appreciate them. It's the perfect time of the year for this...don't you think?

Second, I would like to encourage you to reflect on the people from your past who have influenced you for the better; a teacher, coach, pastor, family member, or an old friend from school. Maybe it is someone you do not speak to anymore or even someone who has passed. Then write a poem about how they helped you and how they may have changed your life. Think about what you would say to them if you got the chance.

STORYTELLERS-SALOON:

This week the Saloon announced the winner of their "Stories Around the Globe" competition and the winner is:

@AmbergrisJane, with her story "The Dentist is In" written in the Tagalog language.

The PoetsPub sends her a great big CONGRADULATIONS!

You can check out all the entries for is wonderful collection of stories from around the world here:

Stories Around the Globe
http://my.w.tt/UiNb/mnPnqsYmYy

Finally, have you gotten your weekly dose of the Busted Gulch yet? If not be sure and head over there to see what craziness is going on in the dusty streets of Busted Gulch, you can find it here:

Busted Gulch vol 3
http://my.w.tt/UiNb/FjlYvA2mYy

Well Ladies and Gentlemen; I believe that does it for this week's meeting of the PoetsPub. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Please feel free to stick around and introduce yourself to someone new, chat awhile and as always the drinks are on the house!!

Cheers from your Mystres of Chatter

@MystresMyna

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another great Chatter.

Hats off to the wonderful MystresMyna.

As she mentioned earlier, the first part of the Pubber of the Year competition is over and all 20 competitors have been asked to submit their choices for their 5 favourite poems.

Some definite favourites are in there, for sure.

I am asking that each and every one of you become more involved in the Pub.

Many sites like this, in the past, have faltered and died and I certainly do not want to see that happen to the Pub.

Like any site of this kind, you have a core group of writers, who keep the site going and we are no different.

To all of those Core members , (you know who you are) , you have my deepest respect and gratitude. You are amazing people.

Lets make a concerted effort in 2017, to make the Pub, the biggest site of its kind here on Wattpad. Lets make it so big and busy that I have to recruit assistants for my assistants and their assistants as well.

Get out there and recruit more of the amazing group of new Poets who are cropping up here on Wattpad.

And one last thing.

Please support the 20 amazing Poets who are vying for the title of Pubber of the Year.

They are your family, so support them.

Show them what the Pub is made of.

have a great weekend ...

one and all

Bill