History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Fun for Friday: March 2026 Writing Prompts!

| February 27, 2026

It’s almost March, so it’s time for the March 2026 writing prompts! This month, we’re starting with a throwback or two. Column 1 (and the image) is from my March 2018 writing prompts, and column 2 is from my March 2019 writing prompts. I figure those are plenty old to bring them back. (And we […]

Review of The Iron Below Remembers by Sharang Biswas

| February 25, 2026

The Iron Below Remembers by Sharang Biswas (Neon Hemlock, 2025) is a charming novella that mashes up academia and superheroes with a largely LGBTQ+ cast of characters. Professor Laxman Yadav, who specializes in art history and archaeology, is brought in to examine a recently unearthed artifact, a rare example of a fully intact technology from […]

Fun for Friday: DCO Instagram Prompts Are Back!

| February 13, 2026

I’m back with prompts from the DefCon One Instagram account! These are from late September and through October, so some of them have a bit of a fall theme. Write a piece about someone using a fork as a rake … or vice versa? Write a piece featuring a new candy trend. Write a piece […]

This Book Has Ghosts in It Cover Reveal

| February 12, 2026

My next collection, filled with spooky stories and poetry, will be called This Book Has Ghosts in It, and it’s available for pre-order in ebook now! Ghosts of the modern era aren’t always those of the deceased. In this collection are ghosts of ideas, creatures of death, and creepy plants and places, in addition to the […]

The Tower in A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages

| February 10, 2026

The Tower tarot card is often viewed negatively, due to its association with disasters, destruction, and trauma. However, it also has associations with sudden change, which can be negative or positive. In A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages, this is represented by a haiku and a piece of microfiction. The haiku, called “Fire burning inside” […]

Review of The Cellar Below the Cellar by Ivy Grimes

| February 4, 2026

The Cellar Below the Cellar by Ivy Grimes (Apex Book Company, 2026) is a folktale-inspired horror novella with a fascinating cast of characters and themes of family inheritance and isolation. While Jane is visiting her grandmother, an extreme solar event wipes out power, communications, and even car batteries, stranding her in the semi-rural location. As […]

January 2026 Recap!

| February 3, 2026

By the numbers: Stories out at the beginning of the month: 38 Acceptances received: 0 Rejections received: 39 (+2) Stories withdrawn: 0 Resubmissions: 34 New Submissions: 1 Stories out at the end of the month: 33 I made more submissions in January than I did in December of last year, but I didn’t quite keep […]