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!
Create a fanwork as a gift to show thanks and appreciation for someone in the fandom. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about music. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create four fanworks, each of centered around a different one of the four elements. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork that explores fear. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork that celebrates new beginnings. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork in which a Silmarillion character ends up in the modern world. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork that features a character learning something new. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a "hot" fanwork--taking that word as you wish! Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Set a fanwork in a place that you would like to visit on Arda, whether a city, region, island, or body of water. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork concerning one of the three selected quotes about Fëanor (although your fanwork can be about any character). Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create an AU fanwork where an original character--you!--tries to influence his or her canon sibling in some way or in which you choose a sibling to influence you. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Step inside of one of the families of "The Silmarillion" and tell their tale with a fanwork that illustrates the conflicts and relationships that occur within a family. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Choose a single moment in Tolkien's canon, have a character make a different choice, and create a fanwork about how the history changes. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork that considers conflicts with nature--both overt and symbolic--and characters' relationships with that which is natural in their world. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Join a character on the road to explore the actual and symbolic importance of journeys. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about your favorite OTP. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Show how one character helps another to overcome a difficulty in his or her life through love. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork centered on a nonviolent conflict. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about an object that is magical or otherwise valuable in some way, either canonical or of your own invention. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork about the first meeting between a character from Valinor and someone just arriving from Middle-earth. Challenge opened in . Read more ...