History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Stephen Fry on Form, Part 7

| May 8, 2023

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 3, Section 7, on more closed forms. An alternate name for this section of the chapter on form could easily have been “closed forms that make […]

Spring-Themed Publications!

| May 4, 2023

I didn’t have any new stories out in April this year, so let’s do a round-up of some of my spring-themed publications instead! “Fiddle in the Middle,” which originally appeared in MYTHIC Magazine, is set in spring in Seattle. It’s the story of two sisters working through their differences to get along and stop the people […]

Droplets from the Universe Out Today!

| April 18, 2023

My latest collection, Droplets from the Universe, is out today! This is a collection of joyful and humorous science fiction stories and poetry. Droplets from the Universe contains short stories, flash fiction, and poetry from the vastness of the universe. Dance amongst these droplets of joyful and humorous science fiction. Not every story starts happy, but […]

Stephen Fry on Form, Part 6

| April 10, 2023

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 3, Section 6, on closed forms. This section covers four closed forms, the villanelle, sestina, pantoum, and ballade. These four forms have some fairly complicated […]

New Publications in March 2023

| April 6, 2023

I had four new pieces out in March this year! My sijo (Korean poetry form) “Diamond Snow” came out in the eighth issue of Frozen Wavelets at the beginning of the month. It’s a sort of dark sci-fi, very brief piece. On the opposite side of things from my other publications this past month, Wyngraf published […]

Don’t Forget to Check Out The Sidewalk Diverges!

| March 23, 2023

Have you checked out The Sidewalk Diverges yet? It’s chock full of contemporary fantasy short stories, shorter fiction pieces, and poetry. The vast majority of the pieces are upbeat and slightly humorous, though there are always a few dark corners here and there. In The Sidewalk Diverges, stories about magic sit alongside stories about superpowers, while ghosts, […]

Stephen Fry on Form, Part 5

| March 13, 2023

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 3, Section 5, on the ode. This section covers several different formats of odes, including Sapphic, Pindaric, Horatian, lyric, and anacreontic. The ongoing theme in this […]

Recent Fantasy Publications

| February 21, 2023

If you’re looking for a fantasy story or poem to read, here are a few of my recent fantasy publications, along with some of my collections! My flash fiction piece, “Patience,” appeared in Wyldblood Magazine in October of last year. It’s a brief piece about working to get what you want, but not being impatient about […]

Stephen Fry on Form, Part 4

| February 20, 2023

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 3, Section 4, on heroic verse. Heroic verse, which is iambic pentameters in rhymed couplets, is an older form that goes back to Chaucer, but has […]

The Sidewalk Diverges Out Now!

| February 14, 2023

Today’s the release day for The Sidewalk Diverges! If you like contemporary fantasy with a bit of humor, some familial love, and more, check out this collection! It’s sixteen stories of varying lengths and nineteen poems! In The Sidewalk Diverges, stories about magic sit alongside stories about superpowers, while ghosts, angels, and fae intermingle. These contemporary fantasy […]