Meet Natalie Blank ’08, acting, who started writing novels as a child and continued pursuing her passion for writing while studying dance and theatre at UMBC. To date, the author has published four novels, Rock Bottom Rise (2026), The Mass (2024), The Tangibles (2022), which received the In the Margins Book Award in 2023, and Walking Off Pluto (2014). Natalie primarily writes young adult and women’s fiction, exploring mental health and family relationships. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children. Take it away, Natalie!
Q: What brought you to UMBC?
A: I came to UMBC as a Linehan Artist Scholar. I remember auditioning for the theatre program with a fairly serious monologue. During the audition, the professors (Xerxes Mehta was my favorite professor) worked with me in a way I had never experienced before. They were able to push me to a level of vulnerability and emotional depth I didn’t know I was capable of as an actress. In that moment, I knew these were professors who understood how to challenge students and help them grow.
Q: How did you grow during your time at UMBC?
A: The Theatre Department had a huge impact on me, both creatively and personally. Through acting, I learned a lot about myself, not just as a performer, but also as a writer. I had the opportunity to portray many incredible characters, and through that process, I realized that storytelling in all its forms (acting in stories, creating stories, and writing stories) was at the core of who I am.
During my time at UMBC, I wrote several plays that were produced and performed. One of those plays eventually became my first novel, Walking Off Pluto, which I self-published in 2014. Since then, I have worked hard to build my writing career and transition into traditional publishing. My current goal is to secure literary representation and publish with a major publishing house.
While I only pursued theatre professionally for about two years after college, the lessons I learned have stayed with me and continue to shape my work as a writer. The program encouraged me to explore who I was, challenge my assumptions, and confront some of the fears and weaknesses that were holding me back from reaching my full potential. One of the biggest lessons was learning to take creative risks. In recent years, I’ve become much more willing to take chances and tell the stories I genuinely want to tell, and my readers love it!
Q: Can you tell us about your current job and your work as an author?
A: I’ve always been driven and largely self-taught, figuring out many aspects of my career on my own. After college, I pursued acting professionally, but the pay was inconsistent and often insufficient, so I also worked a day job to support myself. Eventually, I found my way into the school system, and after starting a family, I became a certified teacher. I work part-time as a special education teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. I miss theatre and dance, but I can’t live without writing. It’s something I’ll pursue for the rest of my life.
Balancing work, writing, and family life is challenging, but I remain committed to my craft. I wake up before my children each morning to write and often return to my manuscript after they’ve gone to bed. I recently published my fourth novel, Rock Bottom Rise, in May 2026.
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UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.
