History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Seattle Summers and the Apocalypse

| July 18, 2024

It seems like July is the month when Seattle remembers what summer is about, at least some years. As I look back over my Facebook memories, I often see comments on the hot weather once July opens. This year is no exception, with 80+ degree temperatures dragging on for multiple days.(*) As such, my mind […]

An (Un)helpful Guide to Writing a Novel Out Today!

| July 16, 2024

My non-fiction, tongue-in-cheek, book of novel writing advice, An (Un)helpful Guide to Writing a Novel, is out today! Most books about writing a novel give you advice about plot and structure and stakes and more. This isn’t most books. Within the pages of An (Un)helpful Guide to Writing a Novel, you’ll find information about writing novels from […]

Recent Fantasy Short Stories and Poetry

| July 11, 2024

I’ve had a handful of fantasy short stories and poetry out since my last round-up post! In November 2023, “Family Tree” appeared in Wyldblood Magazine. This story follows an orphaned teenage girl living with her aunt and uncle and what happens when she tires of their ill treatment of her. My flash fiction piece, “Mutualism by […]

Some Plans Change (Patreon)

| July 9, 2024

I mentioned earlier this year that backers of my Patreon at the $3 a month level would be getting a new Sure Shot novella in November, but I’ve wound up changing my plan on it. That particular novella will be delayed until some time in 2025, but instead, I’ll be putting out a MASSIVE collection […]

Sparx and Arrows–Cobalt City Short Story Collection

| July 2, 2024

Most of my writing in the Cobalt City Universe has been short stories. My collection, Sparx and Arrows, includes the FIRST story I wrote in that shared universe, “Daddy’s Little Girl,” set in the late nineteenth century, in which a young Eleanor Castile temporarily takes on the mantle of the Huntsman when her father is injured. […]

“Desperate and Rebellious Hearts” in Unfixed Timelines 3

| June 27, 2024

My theme for stories this week is apparently Norway, as my fantastical history short story “Desperate and Rebellious Hearts” is set in Norway, far to the north in Vardo. I started this story with research about the Vardo witch trials in the seventeenth century, and while the witch in my story isn’t on trial, she’s […]

“Seeds of Knowledge” in Dead-Starred Futures

| June 25, 2024

My microfiction piece “Seeds of Knowledge” was inspired by watching some videos about the Svalbard seed vault in Norway and imagining how a similar facility on an alien planet, where explorers don’t read the language, might look. Compared to other stories in Dead-Starred Futures, it seems a bit more positive on the surface, but the lack […]

“Fashion Statement” in Conceits of Whim and Fancy

| June 20, 2024

My short story “Fashion Statement” started out as a flash fiction piece, inspired by the title “The Ladies Wove Baskets of Steel.” Early on in the process, I changed “baskets” to “dresses,” and the original story had a single dress made from steel to dissuade the suitors of a princess reluctant to marry. From the […]

Coming Later in 2024: Two Stories in Rescuing Curiosity!

| June 19, 2024

During the 2024 WriteHive online conference, they announced the table of contents for the upcoming Rescuing Curiosity anthology, and I’m pleased to say that TWO of my stories made the list! “It Can’t Be Sunday Everywhere at Once” is a sci-fi story involving refugees on a long-term space voyage and how one young woman came up […]

Coming in July: An (Un)helpful Guide to Writing a Novel

| June 18, 2024

I’ve spent a lot of time preparing to publish An (Un)helpful Guide to Writing a Novel, my non-fiction, tongue-in-cheek, guide for aspiring novel writers. In large part, some of the humor in this book is the fact that I do not enjoy writing novels, but I’ve got advice to share about the process. The other part […]