Bill is one of the five Founding Members of ICON and a member of the original SF writing class taught by Joe Haldeman. Bill attended the 1975 Clarion Writers workshop with Greg Frost and Larry Martin. Joe Haldeman taught at this same Clarion (with Gay helping to keep them all under control).

Bill has published numerous short stories and novelettes, beginning in 1976, and won a Hugo award in 1998 for Best Novelette with We Will Drink A Fish Together.

On the side, Bill was Tuckerized* by Joe Haldeman in his Star Trek novel, Planet of Judgment. Some people don't believe it is true, but Joe got it right; Bill really is one eighth alien and his favorite food is Scotch. You try running the transport room all the time! The pressure is tremendous; It just makes Bill hungry as all get out!

 *(Tuckerized =  The act of using a person's name in an original story as an in-joke.  Joe “Tuckerized” a whole bunch of us in "Planet Of Judgment". Greg Frost and Mark Moore and Rusty Hevelin and Bill and others).