History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

The Sun in A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages

| May 21, 2026

The Sun tarot card represents the success, joy, and vitality. In A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages, this is represented by a haiku and a flash fiction piece. The haiku, named “a victory won” after the first line, embodies the first of the meanings of the Sun tarot card, success. The flash fiction piece, “The […]

The Big Pink Book Prompt 2: We go together like …

| May 18, 2026

The second prompt in the Big Pink Book is simple enough–the line of dots (washi tape) make it perfect for making a list. And the “We go together like …” suggests that it can be for things that go together. The sticker at the bottom involves some concentric circles and dots that reminds me of […]

Fun for Friday: DefConOne Instagram Prompts

| May 15, 2026

It’s time for some more prompts from the DefCon One Instagram account! Write a piece about the first cherry blossom of the year. Write a piece about a goldfish who aspires to be an artist. Write a piece about a good witch in a bad situation. Follow the DefCon One Instagram account for writing prompts on Fridays, […]

Bounty of the Atoll Out Today!

| May 12, 2026

My novelette, Bounty of the Atoll, is out today, with cover art from Kloudinthesky! Far from Spain, there are rumors of a beautiful princess held prisoner by a witch and islands that possess innumerable wealth. Three captains set out to rescue the princess and claim the treasure, but what they find is not entirely what […]

The Big Pink Book Prompt 1, A Map

| May 11, 2026

The first prompt in the Big Pink Book isn’t entirely a writing prompt. It consists of a blank page and a unmarked map (though the version above has my markings on it). I used these two pages for some reflections on my writing journey. I labeled the blank page with “My Map: my journey as […]

Fun for Friday: Every Other Friday Prompts

| May 8, 2026

While I was looking for May 2026 writing prompts, I came across the Every Other Friday challenge from ArtOfNelya. This is generally an art challenge, but these phrases are evocative and would also make great writing prompts! Though we’re already a third of the way through the year, I’m adding the whole list here. You […]

April 2026 Recap!

| May 7, 2026

By the numbers: Stories out at the beginning of the month: 36 Acceptances received: 3 Rejections received: 20 (1) Stories withdrawn: 0 Resubmissions: 34 New Submissions: 7 Stories out at the end of the month: 53 My numbers for April are looking the best they have this year! I worked to get a bunch of […]

Review of These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

| May 6, 2026

Izzy Wasserstein’s These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart (Tachyon Publications, 2024) presents a mystery that brings a former commune member who left on bad terms back into contact with her former community. Set in a near-future dystopia where corporations and climate change have caused most of humanity to suffer, it also looks at themes of family […]

Have You Checked Out This Book Has Ghosts in It?

| May 5, 2026

Have you checked out my dark fantasy collection, This Book Has Ghosts in It? It’s a collection of 40 pieces of short fiction and poetry, most of which is dark contemporary fantasy, but with some other dark fantasy pieces tossed in. Ghosts of the modern era aren’t always those of the deceased. In this collection are […]

My Handmade Prompt Book

| May 4, 2026

Back in November 2024, I snagged a thick, hot pink, wire-bound notebook. Since then, I’ve added scrapbook paper, stickers, washi tape, and other random ephemera to the pages. I also numbered all of the pages, each of which has some sort of theme. Some of the themes are very clear, while others just have a […]