From Dreams To Pages, A Journey Of Storytelling And Resilience
Stefanie DiDominzio discusses her path to authorship, the themes of survival and loyalty in Zero Enchantment, and how her theatre background shaped her immersive storytelling.
Stefanie DiDominzio’s journey to becoming a published author is a testament to the power of perseverance and the pursuit of one’s passions. A fiction writer with a background in theatre and emergency services, Stefanie’s path to authorship has been anything but conventional. From her early days penning plays in high school to her years as a 911 dispatcher, she has always carried a deep-seated love for storytelling. It was during a particularly stressful period in her life that she returned to her childhood dream, crafting the Zero Enchantment series, a project that began with a vivid dream and blossomed into a captivating four-part fantasy saga.
Now a middle school English Language Arts teacher, Stefanie channels her creativity into inspiring the next generation of readers and writers. Her debut series, Zero Enchantment, is a compelling blend of fantasy, romance, and coming-of-age themes, exploring the complexities of survival, loyalty, and self-discovery. With its richly developed characters and immersive world-building, the series has resonated with readers, drawing them into a narrative where every choice carries weight and every emotion feels palpable.
In this exclusive interview for Reader’s House Magazine, Stefanie opens up about the inspirations behind her work, the challenges of crafting a multi-layered story, and the influences that have shaped her writing style. She also offers a glimpse into the future of the Zero Enchantment series, promising a finale that will leave readers both satisfied and deeply moved. Join us as we delve into the mind of an author who has turned her dreams into reality, proving that it’s never too late to follow your heart.
What inspired you to write the Zero Enchantment series, and how did the idea come to life?
The original idea for Zero Enchantment was actually a dream about a tiny scene in the book. There is a scene where they use their abilities to draw in magic from the elements around them to cause a distraction so that they can run from the antagonists. I woke up and immediately wrote as much as I could remember down, and somehow, I created a whole story around it. Making a story around such a small scene was difficult at first, but once I created my characters and decided on making it a four-part series, the rest just kind of happened. I always say these characters came alive and wrote their own story, because the ending is not how I originally planned it. They made their own decisions and changed the outcome of the story as we went.
Can you share more about the main themes or messages in the Zero Enchantment series?
In general, this entire series is a story of survival. All of the characters grow and change so much as they learn about themselves, their lives, and for some of them, their magical abilities. These characters need to choose between what they think is right or wrong, and sometimes that choice is not simple. Every choice they make can impact their ability to survive. Several characters seek some sort of redemption for the choices they made (or make) in the series. There are a lot of struggles to decide on being loyal to their original spot in the story or betraying everything they know to search for the truth. And, of course, there is a lot of love, both friendships and relationships that will be tested throughout the series.
How has your experience as a writer of monologues and short plays influenced your approach to writing novels?
I’ve been writing since I was a teenager, but my true understanding of the art of writing formed in high school where I began writing plays. I later took two different playwrighting classes in college where I learned a lot about character development and writing good dialogue. Writing plays helped me understand that you have to read the dialogue out loud to be sure your characters sound natural. You do not want them to sound like a book, you want them to sound and seem real. As I write now, I think about stage directions that I would write if it was a play, and that helps me explain to the reader what is going on in a scene. I think about how I would visualize it for a play, and describe everything in a way that hopefully the reader can feel like they are there with the characters, a part of them.
What challenges did you face while creating the world and characters in the Zero Enchantment series?
The biggest challenge has been not only creating characters that readers will care about, but to be sure I do justice to each of these characters. My former co-workers used to joke that I kill off at least one character per book (in any story I write). They are not wrong, but I want to be sure there is a reason. I want the readers to feel emotions when these characters have to make a decision or almost lose during a conflict. I need the readers to care, so they will want to read more. I need them on the edge of their seat, turning pages, and yelling when something happens that they did not expect. I want them to react like I do when I read a good book that has me in tears. When it comes to world building, this story mainly takes place in the real world. The fictional places are the CLOZE locations where the antagonists work out of, and the fictional town the drifters create in book two.
Are there any specific authors or books that have influenced your writing style or storytelling?
This is a difficult question because I would read all day, every day if I could. Libba Bray was the author who made me fall in love with reading. I hated reading as a kid after being forced to in school for so long. She had me falling for characters and wanting them to survive. Shortly after, Cassandra Clare influenced my love of writing again. Her characters felt so relatable and real to me, and I wanted to be like her, and create a world of characters worth reading about.
What can readers expect from future installments in the Zero Enchantment series?
The final book in the four-part series will be out sometime in 2025 and it is full of the answers people have been asking about. There is a lot of background littered throughout. We get to see the true intentions behind characters that are no longer with us. We get a lot of insight into the past for these characters and their families, everything that led them to this point in their lives. And, of course, we finally understand the prophecy about Jenna. I cannot say that the ending will be happy, but I hope I gave the characters the ending that they needed, even though not all of them will be there in the end.
