Welcome to another cozy, story-rich episode of The Quill & Candle, where fantasy, faith, and long walks collide in unexpected (and often hilarious) ways. In this episode, I recount a memorable visit to a fantasy festival held—of all places—in a decommissioned church… complete with protestors at the door and cosplayers on the catwalk.
✨ What’s inside:
My encounter with protestors yelling “Don’t lose your soul!” (spoiler: I went in anyway)
Reflections on why fantasy and faith aren't enemies—and what the Bible has in common with epic fantasy
How three long walks gave birth to three brand-new story ideas—including:
A children's trilogy about a cat, a dragon, and pirates
An interactive "choose-your-own-adventure" story blending Star Wars, Middle-Earth, and anime
A sci-fi short inspired by a tired museum worker and some unruly school kids
Behind the scenes of this week’s short stories, from magical cauldrons to underwater wishes
A book review of The Cat Who Saved a Library by Sosuke Natsukawa—and why its message matters more than ever
🎧 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.
📚 Mentioned in this episode:
The Cat Who Saved a Library by Sosuke Natsukawa
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (anime)
How to Train Your Dragon (live-action adaptation)
