By: Stephen F. Day
From a lifelong passion for storytelling to an imaginative new series, Stephen explores the power of curiosity, personal growth, and the extraordinary ideas that inspire a writer’s journey.
Every memorable story begins somewhere. For Stephen F. Day, the inspiration behind Planxty Irwin began not with a character or a carefully constructed plot, but with an image of a tree that remained firmly planted in his imagination. What followed was the development of a fantastical world filled with unusual characters, mysterious elements, and questions about time, certainty, and the purpose of life.
In a recent interview with NY Weekly, Stephen discussed the creative process behind his newly published book, the experiences that shaped his love of writing, and his plans to expand the story through an upcoming series. His reflections reveal a writer driven by curiosity, imagination, and a desire to discover where an idea might lead.
A Lifelong Love of Storytelling
Stephen describes himself as enthusiastic, curious, and competent, qualities that reflect his approach to both writing and everyday life. His relationship with storytelling began during childhood, when an aunt regularly entertained him with jokes. Fascinated by her humor, he bought a joke book at around ten years old, learned the jokes, and began sharing them with his friends.
As he grew older, his creative interests expanded. During high school, he wrote character sketches of his classmates, collecting his observations in a book. Later, in college, poetry became an important outlet for his creativity. Over time, he gradually moved from poetry into prose, developing the foundation for his work as an author.
Writing remains a deliberate part of Stephen’s routine. He generally writes in the morning for one or two hours before stepping away to reflect on what he has accomplished. Rather than forcing the process, he allows his ideas time to develop, returning to them the following day with a fresh perspective.
This measured approach reflects his understanding that creativity requires both discipline and patience.
When an Image Becomes a Story
The inspiration for Planxty Irwin arrived differently from some of Stephen’s earlier projects. The image of a tree stayed with him, becoming an idea he felt compelled to explore. Only afterward did he begin developing the characters and constructing the world around that original vision.
One of the central characters, Planxty Irwin, emerged partly from Stephen’s connection to Irish music. The character became part of a broader imaginative setting in which opposing families, unusual abilities, and fantastical occurrences help shape the protagonist’s journey.
Stephen’s earlier historical fiction followed a different path. His interest in genealogy led him to trace his family history back to Croatia, where he made contacts and studied the country’s history. He then drew on his knowledge of his grandfather and placed elements of his family history within a historical setting, allowing research and imagination to work together.
These contrasting experiences illustrate Stephen’s flexible approach to storytelling. Sometimes, a character or personal connection provides the starting point. At other times, an image arrives first, leaving the writer to discover the narrative possibilities hidden within it.
Exploring Time, Trust, and Certainty
Among the distinctive ideas in Planxty Irwin is the concept of a cycle without a beginning or an end. For Stephen, this idea connects to the importance of time and the continuous energy that gives life movement and meaning.
He views time neither as a friend nor an enemy. Instead, it represents an unavoidable part of existence. People often experience time as something that takes life away, marking every passing minute and bringing change. Yet Stephen challenges the assumption that this change must be viewed negatively.
Aging and transformation are simply part of life’s natural cycle. Time continues moving, regardless of how people feel about it, and that reality encourages readers to consider their own relationship with change.
The book also explores certainty and trust through Planxty’s experiences. Stephen explains that uncertainty creates conflict for the character, while questions about trust and what can truly be known become important to the story.
These themes invite readers to consider their own sources of confidence. What do we trust? What do we regard as certain? And how do we respond when our understanding of the world becomes uncertain?
Rather than prescribing a single answer, Stephen creates opportunities for readers to reflect on these questions through the characters and situations they encounter.
A World That Invites Discovery
Stephen’s fictional world contains imaginative elements, including opposing families known as the Omar’s and the baggers, as well as fantastical red rocks that burn the grass around them. When asked whether these rocks represented a deeper symbolic meaning, he explained that he had primarily created them as unusual elements of the fantasy setting.
For Stephen, not every detail needs to carry a predetermined message. He recognizes that readers sometimes discover meanings an author never consciously intended, and he welcomes that possibility.
One location within the book particularly interests him: the Listener’s Mountain, where characters go to listen or learn to listen. Stephen says he would choose to visit this place if he could spend an afternoon inside his fictional world.
His choice reflects a personal interest in becoming a better listener and understanding what people are communicating. It also highlights how the imaginative elements of his writing connect with real human experiences.
Learning Through the Writing Process
Like many writers, Stephen encountered challenges while developing his story. One particularly difficult sequence involved Janica, a disappearing horse, and Planxty becoming caught up in a picture.
He felt that he had not fully developed everything surrounding the scene and wished he had spent more time exploring Janica’s character. Although he worked through the manuscript, he remained uncertain whether he had achieved everything he originally envisioned.
Rather than treating this as a reason to abandon the character, Stephen found an opportunity for his next project. He plans to explore Janica more fully in a forthcoming book, allowing her story and the ideas surrounding her to receive greater attention.
This willingness to acknowledge unfinished creative possibilities demonstrates how one book can lead naturally into another.
Looking Ahead to Janica’s Garden
Stephen sees Planxty Irwin as the beginning of a larger series. He has already started work on the second installment, titled Janica’s Garden.
Drawing on two years of study as a Master Gardener and Naturalist, he intends to develop a richly detailed story that incorporates native plants in Virginia alongside a theme that will emerge as the writing progresses.
Beyond writing, Stephen is exploring opportunities to introduce his book to more readers. He has contacted his local library about donating a copy and is considering a possible book signing. His family, gardening community, and fellow writers have also expressed support for his publishing journey.
Planxty Irwin is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with additional distribution opportunities being explored.
Stephen hopes readers will remember Planxty not simply for his magical abilities, but for his mission to explore and journey into the future. More importantly, he hopes they will remember a character who evolves throughout his journey and leaves them smiling.
For Stephen, storytelling is an ongoing process of discovery. An image becomes a character, a question becomes a theme, and an unresolved moment becomes the inspiration for another book. With Janica’s Garden already underway, his imaginative journey is far from over.
