In Conversation With A Romantasy Author

Everyone who participated in our 2023 NaNoWriMo Leaderboard was entered to win a free Alpha, and the winner is...

Stefanie L.!

Stefanie is a writer who completed NaNo this year on her Traveler — and won! She wrote 57,471 words whenever life allowed her to. We sat down to chat about her writing, how she manages with a busy schedule, and more...

Why don't you introduce yourself?

My name is Stefanie, and I live in Virginia by the ocean. I am currently writing for fun and hoping to be published one day. I have been writing romantasy!

Which Freewrite do you use?

I have a Freewrite Traveler that I bought for NaNoWriMo! I absolutely love it! It helped immensely to reach that 50k word goal.

You have a busy schedule. How do you fit in writing?

I am a mom to two little girls, and I write whenever life allows me. Sometimes that’s early mornings or in the pick-up line at school. Traveler has been so convenient for writing wherever my kids take me.

Romantasy is a relatively new term. What, in your opinion, makes a book romantasy?

Yes, a hot topic floating around in 2023 is what makes a romantasy and how it differs from its older counterparts, romance and fantasy. For me, a great romantasy falls within the graph below. There are equal parts romance building, magical elements, family, and world politics.

What takes the story to the next level is when the plot uses the problems of these elements and mixes them together to make hurdles for the character.

What attracts you to romantasy as a genre?

I have a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and the themes in my work definitely come from learning about how stories capture the culture that we live in and preserve those thoughts and ideas for eternity.

And I have always loved magic! I am also drawn to stories of women who are finding themselves and their strength within worlds that are harsh and unforgiving because it's relatable to so many of us. We feel we are only seen if we follow the rules, and these stories help us stand up for ourselves and grow.

Who are some of your writing influences?

Like I said, I've always loved magic. Arthurian stories were my favorite until I grew up and discovered Sarah J. Maas, Carissa Broadbent, and Stephanie Garber!