New Challenge: Bollywood
This month's challenge offers songs, films, and tropes from Bollywood, the world's largest film industry based out of India, as prompts for fanworks.
Challenges have been a part of the SWG since our group was formed in 2005. Before the archive, there were challenges. Before References or any special projects or B2MeM or any of the myriad things we've done over the last decade-plus, there were challenges. Challenges end and a new challenges is posted on the 15th of the month. (Yes, that means there is one thrilling day each month when there are two active challenges!) Participants—both authors and reviewers—will receive a stamp in their challenge stamp collection for their participation. Deadlines apply only if you want your fanwork to receive a stamp.
Every challenge that has ever been offered by the SWG is available for use by creators of fanworks who are looking for inspiration. Even if the deadline for stamps is passed, you are welcome to use the challenges listed on our site. And comments on past challenge fanworks are always welcome and always receive a reward for that month. Want to join us? Click to read the guidelines below!
The world's largest film industry isn't Hollywood, with its stars and scandals and endless sequels but Bollywood, the film industry that originated in Bombay in the late 19th century, more than a decade before Hollywood got its start. This month's challenge celebrates the lively dances, glittering costumes, towering emotions, and music you can't get out of your head of Bollywood.
Prompts this month come from Bollywood films and will be assigned by a moderator. You can request your prompt on Dreamwidth, Tumblr, the #monthly-challenges channel on our Discord, or by emailing the mods. You can specify whether you'd like a song, film title, trope, or color palette—or you can let us surprise you! (If you choose a song, let us know if you'd like a song with an English translation available.) As always, you can use any aspect of your prompt to inspire your fanwork.
In some cases, we provide an intentionally brief and vague synopsis of a film or definition of a concept so that creators can get started with a prompt without having to do additional research. However, creators are welcome to dig deeper into a prompt if they want to and use what they learn to inspire a fanwork. For example, you might find that the film in your prompt has a clever subplot you will write a story around, the music video for a song has costumes you will include in a drawing, or a concept has aspects not included in our definition that you wish to use to make a playlist. While this is not required, you should feel free to dig as deeply into the prompts if you want and use anything you find!
Get your Silmarillion off of the shelf. Close your eyes, let your book fall open at random, and put your finger down on the page. Your challenge is to create a fanwork using that quote. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork that about or including a sea voyage. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork featuring a character as a child or characters as children. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about the Petty-dwarves. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork where a character wishes upon or muses on the stars. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the publication of <em>The Silmarillion,</em> we hosted a writing contest for Silmarillion-based fiction. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about knowledge that is considered forbidden or taboo. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Write a fanwork that features dreams. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
In honor of our second birthday, we asked for fanworks about the second year of a character's life. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork focusing on a promise. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about how lembas is cultivated, made, or used. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about the separation of friends and family. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork that shows how a character failed due to a weakness. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
What would happen if one of Tolkien's characters returned to a beloved home after a long absence? Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Explore the place and ideas behind one of the most mysterious locations on Arda, the halls of Mandos, or the ideas of Elven "death" and rebirth. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork in which a character tricks or plays a prank on another. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Incorporate elements of fantasy or magic into a fanwork. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about how something evil gave rise to something good. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork that is built around a color or colors. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about a hero, whether the typical saves-the-world type or the unlikely, unsung, and accidental, those who have been forgotten or perhaps were never noticed at all, who made their worlds a better place. Challenge opened in . Read more ...