Teacher. Editor. Author.
“By the time I was fourteen the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.” - Stephen King
Greetings,
I'm Derrick Paulson, novice author, freelance editor, and teacher of communication arts and literature.
I'll be honest. I haven't read much Stephen King, a few short stories here and there is all, despite the fact that I've only ever heard good reviews of The Dark Tower series. Nonetheless, his world-wide success is an inspiration alongside the likes of Jack London--who is himself quoted as saying he had accumulated over six hundred rejection letters before being first published. Stories like these, though they directly speak to writers, indirectly can motivate in other ways as well. As an editor I can relate to being on the other side of the process too, sifting through the piles of manuscripts, hoping to find that diamond in the rough, that piece that really speaks to me. As a teacher, I can relate in that I want to guide my students to create, despite misgivings or rejection, until they, too, have produced their own diamonds. Failure needs perseverance, and perseverance leads to success.
Becoming a teacher is a lot like being an author. Each day I go to class, lesson plan in hand, hoping that my students, as quasi-editors themselves, will find something to get excited about. And each time I fail in connecting with a student--and, make no mistake, it does happen--I not only add to my own metaphorical nail on the wall, but also realize that, like Stephen King and Jack London, perseverance will ultimately pay off if even one student accepts--that is, values--what I have to teach.
Whether I'm writing lesson plans, poems, or scripts, or choosing which submitted pieces from others to publish, my ultimate goal is to get someone,or some many, to not only be entertained, but to become inspired through my efforts.
Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
--Benjamin Franklin