Welcome to the very first episode of The Quill & Candle, a weekly show where I share what it’s like to write fantasy stories as a Catholic priest—and what I’m learning along the way.

In this launch episode, I reflect on one month of daily storytelling and how a simple habit—walking in the woods and dictating ideas into my phone—has become a wellspring of creativity.

You’ll hear:

How I accidentally became a Substack writer

Why I’m writing both epic fantasy and children’s stories set in Rome

The strange method that helps me finish a short story every single day

The real-life inspiration behind one of my scariest stories, The Leech

And a book review of The Cat Who Saved Books—yes, it features a talking tabby

Whether you're here for cozy fantasy, story magic, Roman elephants, or the creative chaos of writing life, I’m glad you’ve pulled up a chair.

🎧 Listen now and let me know what you think in the comments.

📬 Prefer your stories in bite-sized form? You can subscribe to:

The Daily Scroll for a brand-new short fantasy story every morning: https://fatherroderick.substack.com/s/the-daily-scroll

The Quill & Candle for this weekly podcast, book recs, writing updates, and more: https://fatherroderick.substack.com/s/the-quill-and-candle

Thanks for being part of this journey.

—Father Roderick
Priest. Storyteller. Daily writer of strange and magical things.