This was such a fun, casual livestream where Father Roderick and I just hung out and chatted about all the stuff we love: stories, writing, imagination, and how our faith weaves through all of that.
The Time-Traveling Monk: Fra Angelico Reimagined
We dove into an old series I (Dominic) wrote about Fra Angelico—yep, the monk who painted those gorgeous frescoes. What if he was actually time-traveling with his guardian angel, popping into Biblical and saintly moments? What if he painted himself into those scenes because he was actually there? It's like a medieval selfie. We joked, “Fr Angelico is actually photobombing the Bible,” and it cracked us up.
The stories came out of this personal challenge I gave myself: two hours a week, no research, no edits, just write and post. I’d sit in my kid’s room so my wife could sleep in, and I’d have that two-hour window to write a 1,500–3,000-word story.
In one of them, Fra Angelico helps to make the bread miracle with St. Dominic. They’re starving, staring at empty plates in the refectory—and boom, baskets of bread appear, thanks to Angelico baking them. Or diving into the labyrinth of Therese of Lisieux's mind to deliver the child Jesus.
“Back to the future? But instead of Marty… it’s Fra Angelico.”
Father Roderick wants to do the audiobook! And we both got excited imagining it as a cartoon series, something beautiful and meaningful that teaches through wonder. “It could be the next Prince of Egypt,” he said. Imagine Hans Zimmer scoring it while banging on a piano on fire on a beach.
Writing from the Heart, Not for the Market
From there, we zoomed out and talked about why we write in the first place. So many writers, especially faith-driven ones, get stuck in guilt, burnout, or comparison.
I shared how writing, for me, was always about sharing something meaningful—not for money, not for fame. Just because it matters. “Write what you think is important. Don’t write for somebody else.”
Father Roderick chimed in on the frustration of being told to "write to market"—to study Kindle bestseller trends and copy their formula. "It sounds like selling your soul," he said. Instead, we agreed, the best stories come from those still figuring things out—stories with real struggle and authenticity.
Marketing: It’s Just Friendship in Disguise
We also tackled the beast: marketing. Ugh. It scares so many writers. But here's the deal—marketing is just making friends.
It’s sharing what excites you, being real about your story. I learned that the hard way over 10 years of trying to figure it out. If you have to demand people retweet you, maybe you’re not interesting enough.
So, go do something worth talking about.
And for writers? We’ve already cornered that—creating whole worlds and wild ideas. Father quotes a British author on TikTok, who shared how she sacrificed everything and barely sold books. That honesty made him want to buy her books right away.
Building a System That Works for You
Then we talked about how I could run workshops on branding and easy marketing systems, while Father Roderick could teach how to show up on TikTok, YouTube, and Substack without burning out. He’s got an anime TikTok with 250,000 followers—so clearly he knows something I don’t.
“The formula is super simple to copy,” he said. These aren’t magic bullets—they’re just practical ways to help more people hear about your stories.
And the best part? It doesn’t have to take more than 30 minutes a week.
The Legend Fiction Community
We wrap by inviting viewers to drop their questions and join us in LegendFiction—our community for writers who care about meaning, not just metrics. It’s $10 a month, growing in activity, full of writers who get what you’re trying to do. "You don’t have to do this alone."
We’re launching a new magazine called
, and we’re looking for contributors to review books, movies, and more. If you're a writer crafting stories with heart—even if you never plan to publish—there’s a space for you here.If anything we said sparked something in you, come say hi.
Drop a comment. Let us know what you’re struggling with. And above all—keep writing.
May the lore be with you!
Share this post