Bootstrap Bill Turner
Besides
having one of the coolest avatars around, Bootstrap Bill Turner has been
recently been made Editor here for services beyond the call of duty, but
he's the type of guy to do that. And, yeah, Bill, I understand about using
the energy the universe offers, and connecting with the seasons. Anyhow,
let's go hear from our pirate who claims he's not a pirate!
In his words: "Wow thanks, I’m honored."
Q: How did you come to discover PanHistoria?
A: I found Pan Historia when I found myself obsessing over Pirates of the Caribbean and feeling the need to write fan fiction. I’d never written anything before that but my name. I kept coming back to Pan Historia because I found out that I liked to write and wasn’t too bad at it. Somehow stories kept popping into my head and I kept feeling the need to get them out. The more I wrote, the more I felt a part of the community then the more I felt a part of the community the more I felt the need to support the community. I mean face it, I practically live here. So, I bought a membership. Truthfully, within a year I bought or upgraded three times. So.there you go, my spending so much time here was validated! I paid for it therefore I should spend as much time here as possible right? Right! LoL, its kind of like a marriage you know? LoL You can talk the talk all you want but commitment is what its all about. Anyway, then I started finding other ways to keep busy, volunteering as a Genie, a librarian, a MOB. So by then I was a complete Panamaniac and Wyatt asked me to be an Editor.
Q: Would you be willing to tell us a few things about yourself?
A: I’m married and have a son and a daughter. I celebrate the changes of the seasons and try to connect to and use the energy the universe offers. (That sounds so stupid but I don’t know how else to say it) I’m an interpreter for the deaf and am in school to get my license to interpret in the public school system. I’m almost a former member of the recording industry, thank God.
Q: You seem to be drawn to a lot of historical action roleplays.
A: Yeah, I noticed that too and I don’t know why I’m drawn to the historical. I really think it’s because I love the research end. But as in everything I get too obsessed and fanatical and need to lighten up. I think I have, a lot.
Q Tell us something about your roles in a few of these, and how you manage your time and plotlines around them?
A: Boot is pretty much the same character in all my roleplays with just a bit of deviation. He’s very quirky and very flawed. He’s no pirate (lol Jack lied!)although an incredible pirate ship’s surgeon. He’s demanding, unmovable, anal retentive, very sexist, obsessive, can’t handle a sword to save his life, can shoot a gun..sort of.. lol He’s no leader to be sure. He’s very much a follower. In Ile de Torture Bill is 17 and at 15 was kidnapped by prostitutes, sold to pirates and is now a ships surgeon. He just got married, too. It’s a fun story and my writing partner Gin Silver is just the most incredible writer. I’ve so connected with her and it's so awesome because if I write a post, Gin will always respond in a way that not only substantially progresses the plot but also takes the next step and adds something new for me to present to my next post. She knows Boot. She never writes him out of character and could probably write him without me although she denies it. It’s like we’re in each other’s heads. I really value her. God, I’m windy.. Edit at will…
Thicker than Blood:. Bill is in his 20’s and it’s before he does the Barbossa thing. In A Winters Tale: he is the doctor for the vampires.
Tombstone: He’s a former Civil War Surgeon and on his way to being a reluctant petticoat merchant. Prostitutes keep showing up on his doorstep with sob stories and although he won’t admit being a softie, he is and he takes them in.
Loyalist & Patriot: Oh surprise…Bill’s a doctor! We veil the POTC connection there since it’s historical.
POTC: Bill is found by his brothers in a Florida madhouse and brought home a raving lunatic shrieking about undead pirates. It’s a big surprise for his wife to learn her husband is a walking corpse by the light of the moon….
Q: In some random hypothetical roleplay, what sort of character would be your greatest "stretch" that you haven't yet done, but that you might consider tackling sometime?
A: Maybe a sci-fi, that would be a major stretch though.
Q: From looking through your fascinating home page, it seems you have an interest in ancient medical practices and herbalism. Is there a story to that?
A: It’s a classic symptom of Panitis… Because of the time I put into researching Boot and the old medicine, which by the way has a lot of merit. I use herbs and essentials in real life too. It started by trying peppermint for headaches and it working. I was like wow ! This is great! Then I started carrying around a rosemary stick for the times I either forgot my Ritalin or needed a boost in the focus department. This is great! Right now I’m on an herbal/cleansing bath kick. Oh, burning herbs on a charcoal disk is so incredible instead of stick and cone incense, you can make your own, its very cool.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in time into the past, where -- and why -- would you go?
A: I think I’d go to Colonial America. I love America and don’t want to be anywhere else. Back then the attitudes and values were great. Obviously not perfect but back then things were getting better. Today they’re getting worse. The forefathers had such great minds and vision. Have you read the letters between John and Abigail Adams? Man was that a great relationship. I’d only travel into the past if I could be wealthy though.
Q: Since this issue's theme is "Traditions", could you share one of yours with us?
A: LoL alcohol and denial were pretty much the traditions in my family growing up, not things I’m passing on. So I guess besides the regular Christian holidays, the celebration of the cycle of the seasons reminding us of the promise of birth, death and rebirth would be my favorite traditions. I’m hoping my children will have altars in their homes too and continue on, you know, burying the apple on Samhain/Halloween, a yule log, stuff like that, or even just giving nature a gift when it gifts you. I always hang a tiny pentacle made of sticks or a straw bag of honey on a tree or from whatever I gather materials from. You give and you get and you should give when you get too.
Q: Has this been enough nosy questions for today?
A: LOL yeah have you had enough of my long and labored answers!? Thanks a lot for the honor. You made my millennium!
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