Writer William J Bruce III chats with me about his memoir, Penholder, and the introduction to Demons 150th Anniversary Edition.
Bio:
William J Bruce III is a Canadian writer, producer, and celebrity publicist.
As a writer, William has landed cover stories with former Victoria Secret model Kylie Bisutti, P.O.D front man Sonny Sandoval and the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase of WWE. His work in film and ability to hone the craft of writing has assisted him in his role as script revisionist for the Eric Roberts film In the Blink of an Eye. The author of Penholder, William has also written the introduction to the 150th Anniversary Edition of Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
As executive producer to the compilation album Bridge Wars, he brought together artists such as F.E.R.N (produced by DukeDaGod of The Diplomats), and Mahogany Jones (four-time Champion of BET’s “Freestyle Friday’s”). Later in 2016 William began to produce and host the Aussie Osbourne Show. The show featured in-depth interviews with celebrities such as Mike Mullane (former NASA astronaut), Alveda King (niece of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the daughter of civil rights activist A.D. King), and Charlene Li (business tycoon and NY Times bestselling author).
As a publicist, he has represented Shawn Harper (former NFL tackle and MTV Made Coach) and The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase (WWE Hall of Fame wrestler) during Ted’s peak in Google Trends.
Welcome, William. Please tell us about your current release.
Penholder was my first book, an account of a time in my life where I nearly killed myself and how God restored me. The book’s foreword was written by “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.
What inspired you to write this book?
Penholder: In 2007 I was working for Pure Flix and as a publicist to Ted when I made a foolish decision that nearly ended my life. I wanted to inspire and encourage others, who may be dealing with depression and anxiety.
Demons 150th Anniversary Edition (Introduction): I’ve been drawn to Fyodor Dostoevsky’s work for some time, and I could see similarities to our current political climate.
What exciting project are you working on next?
Currently I am writing my first psychological thriller titled “Hate” (working title). “Hate” is a dark chilling story about a promoter named Irvin who is dealing with the mysterious death of a friend. The story delves deep into his psyche as he comes to terms with what happened and tries to move on.
The book began as a sort of effort to come to terms with the deaths of Dolores O’Riordan, Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell. As a music fan, I often get emotionally attached to the artist, and…well…it’s hard to let them go.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
So this will sound weird, but I really didn’t consider myself a writer until after I got my first cover story. It still feels weird to say lol.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I unfortunately don’t write full time. It’s been something I do in my spare time. Finding time is hard, as I know I need to get myself back into the right train of thought each time, despite what I may be working on.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Well…not sure how interesting this may sound, but I listen to music. Usually it’s more of a post-grunge, alternative sound. Alter Bridge is kind of my go-to to get started, it helps to set the mood.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
You know, I took a trip to a museum as a kid and they had this sand box with bones hidden in it. It made me really want to be an archaeologist. I still wish I could someday be a part of an archaeological dig one day.