The Quill & Candle #4

The Walk That Wrote a Novel

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👉 You can watch the video version of this episode on my YouTube Book channel.

🥾 I Walked. I Dictated. I Finished my Novel.

After two and a half weeks of climbing hills, dodging sunburn, whispering stories to the trees, and eating more instant noodles than I care to admit… I’ve done it.

The first draft of my novel is complete.

Roughly 45,000 words of medieval monks, story magic, enchanted towers, and mythical beasts—all of it started last October, right here in Glendalough, Ireland. So it only felt right to come full circle and finish it where it began.

The path to finishing wasn’t paved with quiet writing sessions in candlelit rooms. It was carved among the remains of the monastic city of Glendalough and along the winding trails of the Wicklow Mountains.

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✍️ My Daily Writing Ritual (Retreat Edition)

Here’s what a typical day looked like during my writing retreat:

• 6:30 AM — Wake up. Enjoy a slow breakfast (no emails!).

• 7:30–9:30 AM — Edit and post one of my pre-recorded short stories to Substack.

• 10:00 AM–7:00 PM — Go hiking. And yes, that’s the writing part.

While walking, I’d dictate new chapters of my novel or develop short stories sparked by whatever strange sign, mossy ruin, or twisted tree I stumbled across. I’d also jot quick voice notes for things I needed to go back and revise—like, “Add fishing to Act I!”

Then, I’d return to the hostel, eat, transcribe, organize my recordings, and crash by 10 PM. Every day. For two and a half weeks. And I loved it.

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💡 What I Learned (And Will Keep Doing)

1️⃣ Walking = Story Fuel
It’s official: my brain works better in motion. Something about walking unlocks a rhythm that sitting still never does. Story ideas flow more freely. Dialogue comes to life. The world feels present and real—because it is.

2️⃣ Details Are Found, Not Invented
An ancient sign reading “Eggs Here” sparked a tale about the devil’s eggs. A pile of old stones looked like Luke Skywalker’s hut in The Last Jedi—or maybe an alien artifact. Gnarled trees wrapped in invasive vines became symbols of corruption in my fictional monastery. These aren’t things I could’ve planned. They’re things the landscape gave me.

3️⃣ Draft First. Details Later.
By dictating chapters as if my reader were walking beside me, I focused on flow, not perfection. If I got a new idea halfway through—no problem. I recorded a quick note. The story comes first. Refinement can wait.

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📖 This Week’s Short Stories

Even while finishing the novel, I kept up with my daily flash fiction. Here are a few recent ones you can check out on fatherroderick.substack.com:

• 🥚 The Devil’s Eggs — A roadside stand hides something… unnatural.

• 🏰 The Hollow Vault — A tale of treasure hording and the art of letting go.

• 🧙‍♀️ He Could Heal a Village with a Story—Until He Couldn’t — A story about creative burnout.

• 🌌 The Smallest Star — How love can always find you.

• 🫜 The Last Beetroot Spell — About magical rubrics

• 👸🏼 The Highest Position — How a spoiled princess got what she desired

• 🍖 The Lost Supper — A tale about hunger and desire

• 😈 One Pebble to Rule Them All — About some things you should never trade

These tales were inspired by the places I walked and the people I met—especially the woman who built a garden full of faires and gnomes to honor Ireland’s folklore tradition. Thos fairies now also appear in my novel.

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🛠 From Fantasy to Marketing

Over on my second Substack—The Storyteller’s Companion—I wrote a new post:
“I Make Things That Matter, But Please Don’t Make Me Sell Them”, about how to market your stories (even if you hate marketing).

If you’re an author or creator trying to reach an audience without selling your soul (or spamming your friends), this one’s for you. Practical, honest, and rooted in years of trial and error.

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🍃 Looking Ahead

Now that the first draft is done, I’ll enter the revision phase—filling in all the details I sketched out along the trail. This 45,000-word “skeleton” will likely grow into something much more fleshed out. And I’ll keep taking you along for the journey.

Next stop: editing at my desk instead of dictating on a mountain trail. But the stories, I hope, will still carry the wind and wonder of this Irish summer.

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🪔 Until Next Time…

Thank you for walking this road with me. Whether you’ve been reading my short stories, cheering on the novel, or simply enjoying these updates from afar—I’m grateful.

If you want to receive my stories straight to your inbox, make sure to subscribe and check your preferences. You can choose The Daily Scroll for daily flash fiction, or The Quill & Candle for these weekly reflections.

Until next week—may your paths be winding, your mind inspired, and your quill always ready.

Warmly,
Father Roderick