by Writing Workshops Staff
A year ago
Congratulations to workshop alum Blair Northen Williamson on the publication of her debut picture book, Island Girls: Free the Sea of Plastic! You can learn more about Blair's writing and order a copy of Island Girls here.
Blair has completed our mentorship program with Rosie J. Pova and is also attending our upcoming 2023 Hawaii writing retreat with Ying Compestine.
We're so excited for you, Blair!
Find out more about Blair and her work below:
Describe your work (influences, interests, etc.) and what you're working on now.
I am working on polishing many picture book manuscripts and one middle grade novel that I have started. I plan to work on the middle grade book in Hawaii this January with WritingWorkshops.com!
What are your short term (1 year) and long term writing goals (5 years from now)?
Short term: I hope to see great success with the distribution of Island Girls and its message. My 5 year goal is that I hope to have at least 3 more books published or signed deals.
What class(es) did you take/are you taking with Writing Workshops?
I took a class with Rosie J. Pova the intro to Picture Book writing and her one on one mentorship.
What did you enjoy most about your class(es) with Writing Workshops?
I would not be where I am today without the knowledge that Rosie shared with me. She kept things simple and very to the point and gave clear instructions to follow. I cannot wait to connect with more writers and take more classes in the future. I am really looking forward to Hawaii 2023.
BIO: Blair Northen Williamson is from Richmond, Virginia but spent much of her childhood on the coast of North Carolina where she developed a passion for the ocean. After graduating from the University of Virginia, her love of nature, the ocean, and relating to others led her to work for Global Expeditions Group for over a decade. She spent many years working as a sailing captain and scuba diving instructor in the British Virgin Islands and Southeast Asia, where she experienced the problem of plastics in our oceans too many times. Encouraged by Robert Swan's quote, "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it," Williamson decided to take action. Seeking to inspire change and empower children by spreading awareness about the danger of plastics in our oceans, Williamson wrote her debut picture book, Island Girls: Free the Sea of Plastic. Learn more about Blair on her author website.
