History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

“Orbit 41” in New Moons Under Which to Sleep

| May 17, 2022

“Orbit 41” is an odd little piece of flash. I managed to squeeze three points of view into the story, and one of those points of view is that of a satellite. The story is based on the first Indian satellite, the Aryabhata, which was launched in 1975. After a few days in orbit, the satellite […]

C. and M. Marsh, Girl Detectives Coming Soon!

| May 12, 2022

The very first story I wrote as an adult, with an intent of publication was a sweet little story about two young girls living in a mechanical garden. Because I was very lucky, I sold that story, and then sold it several more times as reprint. It wound up inspiring me to write more, and […]

“Safe Haven” in Intercity Illusions

| May 10, 2022

“Safe Haven” came out of a very specific prompt for an anthology: write a story that takes place in a hotel and only covers five minutes of time. That anthology was Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove, and I was super excited to place “Safe Haven” in it! My story involved a werewolf who needed to find […]

Stephen Fry on Meter, Part 3

| May 9, 2022

As I mentioned previously, I’m working through Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Travelled very slowly to absorb as much wisdom as I can about writing poetry. This week’s post covers Chapter 1, Section 3, on other meters. After sections on iambic pentameter and variations, this section introduces lines with fewer than or more than five “feet.” […]

April 2022 Publications!

| May 5, 2022

I’ve got several new publications out this past month! My poem, “Here, I Rule,” appears in the April Not One of Us. This is a small printed zine, which you can order directly from the publisher. The poem is a look at a child’s adventure to another world. My drabble, “Consequence,” appeared in Martian: The […]

Sumerian Mythology in Old Legends and New Fables

| April 28, 2022

Sumerian mythology doesn’t make a lot of appearances in stories or poetry these days, but I have a couple of poems in Old Legends and New Fables featuring bits of Sumerian myths. One of the poems is “Queen of Heaven,” which recounts the story of how Inanna protected the humans within her purview. The other poem, […]

Urban Fantasy Reading!

| April 26, 2022

If you enjoy urban fantasy books and stories, I’ve got a few books that might fit the bill! For slightly darker contemporary fantasy short stories, check out Volatile Figments. The six stories each feature a different female protagonist dealing with something unusual and sinister. If you’d prefer something novella length with only minor urban fantasy […]

The Owls are Gonna Get You in Intercity Illusions

| April 21, 2022

My story, “The Owls are Gonna Get You,” was a Drawlloween-prompted story, joined by my general dislike of owls. (They do some creepy things with their bodies that I am not fond of, in addition to my fear of birds.) And while the owl in this story is not really all that scary, the title […]

Dakota Travis: Saurallero Extraordinaire in New Moons Under Which to Sleep

| April 19, 2022

“Dakota Travis: Saurallero Extraordinaire” started with a title prompt, which was originally “Call Me a Sissy, But I’m Going to Ride this Dinosaur Side-Saddle.” The original title was perfectly evocative, inspiring me to write the obituary for a man who had died (of old age, mind you), but was known for this delightful utterance (which […]

Have You Checked Out Avatar of Freya Yet?

| April 14, 2022

Have you checked out Avatar of Freya yet? It’s a collection of four fun Cobalt City Universe stories featuring Friday Jones and friends! It’s an honor to be chosen as the avatar of a god, raised to the ranks of superheroes in Cobalt City by their patronage. But for Friday Jones, a fun-loving biochemistry major […]