Looking back on my time spent in middle school, I remember few details aside from the painful awkwardness of being a “tweenager.” Fortunately, I had a handful of teachers who made me excited to learn. One of those teachers is Mr. Eric Walker Williams. He was my Social Studies teacher at Lebanon Middle School known for his dauntingly high expectations and wit.
Through his unique teaching style, I was always motivated to strive for classroom excellence. In the seven years that have passed since seventh grade, I have enjoyed returning to LMS to catch up with Mr. Williams. Less than one year ago, Mr. Williams informed me that he was finally pursuing his other dream in life: writing.
He had written a book and secured a publishing deal. I was ecstatic and inspired to see someone working a full time job with a family achieving a life-long goal. His novel, The Summer of Weird Harold, was released this past July.
Mr. Williams is a passionate, middle school social studies teacher. I always saw new novels on his desk and occasional newspaper columns written by him, but I was unaware of his aspiration to become a published novelist. Feeling like I had just found out his hidden identity, I had to press for details. In response to my questioning, Mr. Williams said, “I have always written stories. Way back to when I was 8 years old, I would write and illustrate my own stories. Mostly they were Scooby Doo cartoons I think I had seen, but I still took pride in the work.”
Finally accepting that my former teacher was a closet-author, I became curious how many other people were aware of his concealed talent for fiction writing. I asked Mr. Williams how his family and students had reacted when he revealed his desire to be an author. Eric Walker Williams said, “My family wasn’t surprised I had written a book. They were more surprised someone liked it enough to buy it! My students were excited.”
Balancing life as a teacher, author, husband, and father seemed like it could be a bit stressful. I asked Mr. Williams what gets him out of bed every day. “My kids get me out of bed. I want to be a good father and I want to accomplish things that make them proud to say I am their father. Books are something you can leave behind. They can read them and their kids can read them,” he said.
Regarding his inspiration was for The Summer of Weird Harold, Mr. Williams said, “I spent a lot of time at a family lake cottage and met some interesting characters. I also have always loved the natural world.”
The novel features protagonist Kayla Minnix, a twelve year old girl who loves nature, especially the swamp near her cottage on Bass Lake. Art Guilafante has a plan to destroy the swamp. With a series of dangerous accidents and peculiar behavior from her neighbors, Kayla is convinced that someone wants her to leave Bass Lake altogether.
My former teacher described his novel as one that would, “make you think and laugh. [If] you love funny stories that include suspense and a hint of mystery all set against the backdrop of environmental responsibility, give Harold a try.”
Mr. Williams also wanted readers to know, “that [my writing] has passion in it. I think children’s literature gets discounted too often… Whether it is Kayla’s passion for the natural world or the passion others have for the lake and the traditions of their cottages.”
At last, I finally asked Mr. Williams if he had any advice for aspiring authors—especially those who already have a full-time job like he does. Mr. Williams said, “You have to read as much as you can in the genre which you wish to write. You have to know the landscape of the marketplace. You have to familiarize yourself with agents and editors who specialize in your genre. After all this, you have to be ready to deal with rejection. Even the best and most successful authors have had to deal with massive amounts of rejection.”
To dealing with writer’s block, Mr. Williams said, “Read more books. Read the newspaper. I also find inspiration in musicals and powerful movies and watching people.”
I was pleasantly surprised to hear my teacher talk about his passion for writing. Eric Williams is a teacher who has inspired me as a student and humanitarian from a young age. Watching someone I professionally admire defying boundaries has encouraged me as I plan my career path. Until then, you can find me reading my Kindle copy of The Summer of Weird Harold.
