History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Fun for Friday: Interesting Etymology

| March 15, 2024

Looking for some fun facts to share at your next awkward icebreaker? How about the etymology of the word “awkward”? Find that and fourteen other words in this article about interesting word origins!  

Fun for Friday: Genre Mashups

| March 8, 2024

Looking for a fun idea for a story? Check out this Sub-Genre Mash-Up game, in which you roll a d20 twice to get the sub-genres you’re going to combine for a story! If you don’t have a d20 handy, you can use a random number generator, or you can use my rolls of 7 and […]

Fun for Friday: March 2024 Writing Prompts!

| March 1, 2024

We got an extra day in February, but now it’s time for the March 2024 writing prompts! All three columns this month come from art challenges, which I always love to convert into part of my writing prompts. After all, we’re painting with words when we write, right? Column 1 is from Kick in the […]

Fun for Friday: New Prompts from the DefCon One Instagram

| February 23, 2024

It’s time for some more prompts from the DefCon One Instagram account! Write a piece about a new beginning. Write a piece about a scarf that has emotional resonance with its maker. Write a piece involving folklore from a place you or your family has lived. Follow the DefCon One Instagram account for writing prompts every other […]

Fun for Friday: Writing Activities

| February 16, 2024

If you’re looking for writing activities that can be done with a group or on your own, check out this list from Event Espresso! It’s got a mix of activities for kids and adults, plus ones that are good for groups or solo. And even if you’re an adult, there’s nothing wrong with using an […]

Fun for Friday: Greek Words for Love

| February 9, 2024

I haven’t done an etymology post in a while for Fun for Friday, so maybe it’s time to bring those posts back into rotation! This week, I’ve got an article about the eight ancient Greek words for love! Perfect as we approach Valentine’s Day! Whatever kind of love you have in your life, there’s an […]

Fun for Friday: Book Title Generator

| February 2, 2024

Whether you’re looking for a title for a book you’ve written or want inspiration for a book (or story or poem) to write, check out ImagineForest’s Book Title Generator. In addition to their generator, they link to a few others, and they also include a bit of advice on book titles. So even if what […]

Fun for Friday: February 2024 Prompts!

| January 26, 2024

It’s time for the February 2024 writing prompts! As per the usual, I’ve pulled these in from other sources, though I had to do some digging since this year is a leap year! The first column is from a 2023 Kick in the Creatives February “Faces” prompt list. I added the word for the last […]

Fun for Friday: Comedic Writing Prompts

| January 19, 2024

If you enjoy writing stories that make people laugh, check out these comedic writing prompts from ScreenCraft. The prompts generally lend themselves toward stories set in our world, but for extra fun, you could add twists that let them become sci-fi or fantasy stories … or even horror stories. If you’re not a big comedy […]

Fun for Friday: Fresh Hot DefCon One Instagram Writing Prompts!

| January 12, 2024

It’s time for some more prompts from the DefCon One Instagram account! Write a piece in which the characters are thankful for something. Write a piece in which unexpected cold weather has forced a change of plans. Write a piece in which someone receives a gift. Follow the DefCon One Instagram account for writing prompts every other […]