New Challenge: Potluck Bingo
Sit down to a delicious selection of prompts served on bingo boards, created by the SWG community.
SWG News
Bingo Cards Wanted for Potluck Bingo
Our November-December challenge will be Potluck Bingo, featuring cards created by you! If you'd like to create cards or prompts for cards, we are taking submissions.
Tolkien Meta Week, December 8-14
We will be hosting a Tolkien Meta Week in December, here on the archive and on our Tumblr, for nonfiction fanworks about Tolkien.
New Challenge: Orctober
Orcs on a quest for freedom seek a place sheltered and safe from the Dark Lord. Fulfill prompts to gather the clues needed to bring them to freedom.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Reference] Mapping Arda, Part III: The Second Age by Anérea, Varda delle Stelle
A series of articles featuring fan-made maps of all the lands of Arda. Part III explores the island of Númenor and mainland Middle-earth during the Second Age.
[Writing] The Reckless Hearts of Mortal Men by mouse
Two years before the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Húrin and Huor journey from Dor-lómin to Eithel Sirion for a war council with their new allies from the East. A story about the stirring of hope and foreshadowing of woe. Well-peppered with humour.
[Artwork] Valier & colours by daughterofshadows
Semi-abstract arts representing the queens of the Valar.
[Writing] An End to All Things by Thorveig
Mairon stood in utter stillness for it seemed to him that the voice of his master mocked him from afar...
[Writing] Collection of Potluck Drabbles by Artano
This is a collection of true drabbles completed for the 'Four Words' drabble bingo card.
[Artwork] 2024 Potluck Doodles by silmalope
Assorted prompt fills for the 2024 Potluck bingo boards, to varying degrees of completion! :)
[Writing] Ransom of the Fairy Twins by Rocky41_7
Maglor and Maedhros trade Elrond and Elros to King Gil-galad in exchange for a Silmaril, but they have miscalculated.
Current Challenge
Potluck Bingo
Help yourself to a collection of prompts on bingo boards designed by members and friends of the SWG. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Trinkets and Treasures
Create a fanwork about an object that is magical or otherwise valuable in some way, either canonical or of your own invention. Read more ...
New in References
Mapping Arda, Part III: The Second Age by Anérea, Varda delle Stelle
A series of articles featuring fan-made maps of all the lands of Arda. Part III explores the island of Númenor and mainland Middle-earth during the Second Age.
Doom and Ascent: The Argument of ‘Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics’ by Simon J. Cook
Simon reads 'Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics' to conclude his account of the Anglo-Saxon tower of its allegory.
Why People Don't Comment: Data and History From the Tolkienfic Fandom by Dawn Walls-Thumma
A reworking of the 2018 article for Long Live Feedback that includes data from the 2020 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey, pointing to a lack of comments as related to skill, confidence, and community connection.
Featured Themed Collection
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fiction, artwork, and essays that transcend the idea of Orcs as the enemy, instead considering their humanity.
Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Homage to the Song of Durin by Flora-lass
Legolas is inspired by Gimli's song - and by Gimli himself.
[Artwork] Long-tressed Wingildi by Anérea
"... the long-tressed Wingildi ... spirits of the foam and the surf of ocean."
~ a painted sketch for Scribbles and Drabbles 2024.
[Writing] Partners in Craft by elennalore
Annatar realises that he might like Celebrimbor too much.
Around the World and Web
Fluffcember 2024
Fluffcember is a Tumblr event with daily fluffy prompts during the month of December.
Hidden Paths 2025
Hidden Paths, an event dedicated to the celebration of smaller Tolkien canons, has released their early prompts for the 2025 event.
Teitho November/December Contest: Healing
The theme for Teitho's November/December contest is healing.
Lord of the Rings Secret Santa 2024
LotR SESA has been ongoing for twenty-one years and is running again this year as a prompt meme hosted on AO3 for all genres of Tolkien-based fanfiction.
November challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The challenge for November has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic prompt: refuge. Formal challenge: include imitation of a sound. As always, these can be filled independently and also freely combined with SWG and other challenges. New participants welcome!
Truly All Fanworks
This page includes all fanworks from the main SWG archive and the Beyond the Silmarillion section.
A Night In the Forest by Agelast
Fingolfin and Maedhros have an unexpected encounter in the woods during the Mereth Aderthad.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 704 |
| Posted on 13 November 2013 | Updated on 13 November 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (9) |
Sand and Flame by Tehta
A retelling of a very well-known story. Features Fëanor and Nerdanel as young geeks in love, a rather unsympathetic look at Indis, and a lot of very simple sentences.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Indis, Melkor, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 409 |
| Posted on 7 November 2013 | Updated on 7 November 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
A King by Any Other Name by Tehta
Ulmo be thanked, the Noldorin refugees have finally found a leader. He has the most ridiculous name, though: Ereinion. "The Scion of Kings". And where did he come from, anyway?
Cirdan attempts to find out.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Círdan, Finduilas, Gil-galad |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 481 |
| Posted on 4 November 2013 | Updated on 4 November 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
A Woodcarver from Brithombar by Himring
Oderen, a traveling woodcarver, one of Cirdan's people, and Emlinn, his musician wife, happen to arrive in Maglor's Gap just a short time before the outbreak of the Battle of Sudden Flame. Maglor encounters Emlinn and takes her on as his student.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Maglor, Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Mild), Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 831 |
| Posted on 27 October 2013 | Updated on 27 October 2013 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Sharp Things in the Way by Dawn Felagund
The consummate poet of the Sindar, Daeron recognizes his potential to shape his people's perceptions of the newly arrived Noldor but struggles to find the courage to assert himself. Inspired by meeting Maglor at the Mereth Aderthad, Daeron nonetheless finds himself besieged by perceived failure, until his final attempt to depict a peaceful history between their peoples might be too late. A remix of Himring's Maglor Plays For His People After Doriath and written as a Season of Writing Dangerously prize for Himring.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Daeron, Lúthien Tinúviel, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, General | Challenges: Gift of a Story |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 548 |
| Posted on 26 October 2013 | Updated on 26 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (13) |
Uphill, Downriver by swampdiamonds
Three border guards have an unexpected encounter on the North-marches of Nargothrond.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Gwindor, Túrin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 044 |
| Posted on 14 October 2013 | Updated on 14 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
The Shipwright Shrugs by Kitt Otter
Short whatnots and nonsense about Círdan, spanning from Cuiviénen to Forever.
1 – Rhyme of the Finwion: Thingol muddles the Noldor lords’ disturbingly similar names. Diplomatic ruin? Not with Círdan to the rescue!
2 – Nowë’s Ark: It’s the War of Wrath. And Yavanna has a wee little job for Círdan…
3 – Lavender’s Blue: Círdan chats with the blue-eyed, perfumed ex-lieutenant of Morgoth.
4 - Hunting by Number: Finrod and Círdan learn where they fall on Morgoth’s hit-list.
5 - Waiting: Nowë makes four promises to his brother. 500 words fixed length.
6 - Vertigo: Finrod and Círdan visit Barad Nimras, where it is learned that neither is without his phobias.
7 - The Way the Tide Flows: Círdan tells two visitors a tale about the Second Age and the choice that determined everything after.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Círdan, Elrond, Elu Thingol, Finrod Felagund, Gil-galad, Sauron, Yavanna |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 7 | Word Count: 8, 133 |
| Posted on 19 August 2010 | Updated on 13 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Pillar of Stillness by PerpetuaLilium
On the slopes of Meneltarma, Tar-Míriel the Queen remembers in anger.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Tar-Míriel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Experimental | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 012 |
| Posted on 13 October 2013 | Updated on 13 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Their Uncle's Letter by Himring
Elrond receives Elros's last letter.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Gift of a Story |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 737 |
| Posted on 12 October 2013 | Updated on 12 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Master Swordsmith by oshun
Fëanáro wants to make swords.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Finwë, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 442 |
| Posted on 8 October 2013 | Updated on 8 October 2013 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
The Naughty Secrets of Oromë's Woods by Amaranth
The depth of the forest hides many secrets...
Set in Valinor during the Years of the Trees, thus names in Quenya. Celegorm is still young, though definitively of age.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Celegorm, Oromë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Erotica, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Expletive Language, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 707 |
| Posted on 8 October 2013 | Updated on 8 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Gymnastics by Amaranth
Little Ambarussa get in trouble playing funny gymnastics with their friends...
Set in Valinor during the Years of the Trees, thus names in Quenya.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Amras, Amrod, Fëanor, Fingon, Maedhros, Nerdanel, Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 507 |
| Posted on 8 October 2013 | Updated on 8 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Stars over Aglon by Himring
Fingon on his way to Himring--and in Himring--and on his way back.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Romance | Challenges: Gift of a Story |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 336 |
| Posted on 6 October 2013 | Updated on 6 October 2013 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Mallorn Torment by Tehta
An Elvish take on this business we call show. Also, a Third-Age Sindarin take on First-Age Noldorin history.
As a bonus, features Lorien's three named Marchwardens.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Haldir, Rúmil (Valinor) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 782 |
| Posted on 1 October 2013 | Updated on 1 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
A Convergence by Tehta
A few weeks after the events of Flawed and Fair, Ecthelion writes a letter. Or, at least, attempts to.
I expect this story will appeal only to rare fans of my interpretation of this couple. Oh well. Sorry, rest of the world.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Ecthelion of the Fountain, Glorfindel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 900 |
| Posted on 1 October 2013 | Updated on 1 October 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Bombarded by Luxa
"Why are you so sad?" Maedhros was shaken out of his reverie by a timid voice coming from around his knees. He looked down and found his legs bombarded by two wide-eyed, dark-haired boys with unbearably cute twin expressions of wonder. Maedhros looked back up.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 454 |
| Posted on 29 September 2013 | Updated on 29 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Leaving For Good by Luxa
Turgon, leaving for Gondolin soon, decides to make a trip to Himring to say a lukewarm goodbye to his eldest cousin, but ends up feeling more emotion than he bargained for.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 241 |
| Posted on 29 September 2013 | Updated on 29 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Show Us by Luxa
"Don't you have any curiosity?" asked Maitimo, throwing his packed saddlebag at him. "I'd have thought you, of all people, would want to come and meet the Secondborn." "Whatever for?" asked Macalaurë, pleasantly exasperated. "To write a song about it, of course."
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Amrod, Bor, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, General, Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 179 |
| Posted on 29 September 2013 | Updated on 29 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
The Scion of Kings by Tehta
Gil-galad was the scion of kings,
Of him the flighty Tehta sings.
Tolkien seems to have found figuring out Gil-Galad's paternity particularly difficult. Who was Gil-Galad's father, really? Was it Fingon? Finrod? Orodreth? (Which Orodreth?) Cirdan? It is an interesting question, and one this fic completely fails to answer. It does, however, answer the question of who his mother was. Anyway. Warning for, um, authorial self-insertion.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Gil-galad |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 300 |
| Posted on 29 September 2013 | Updated on 29 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Ash and Water by Astris
Nimrodel and Mithrellas as darkness grows in the shadow of the mountains. Written for the 2013 Sultry in September fic swap for Elleth.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Mithrellas, Nimrodel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 008 |
| Posted on 28 September 2013 | Updated on 28 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
The Legacy of Love by Rhapsody
After having found his shelter on the isle of Balar, a messenger delivers a memory from the past.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Family Matters |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 270 |
| Posted on 28 September 2013 | Updated on 28 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
In the Darkness by Independence1776
While visiting Dale five years after Smaug's death, Maglor encounters two very different groups of people: Men-- and Elves.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Legolas Greenleaf, Maglor, Original Character(s), Thranduil |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Horror | Challenges: B2MeM 2013 |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 3, 534 |
| Posted on 20 September 2013 | Updated on 28 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (12) |
The Eagle Silmarillion by Tehta
An attempt to make sense of the mystery surrounding Glorfindel's reappearance in Middle-earth, presented using a rarely-seen perspective.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Glorfindel, Thorondor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 048 |
| Posted on 25 September 2013 | Updated on 25 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
On Writing Tolkien's Elves by oshun
I took the opportunity of the August 2012 Non-fiction challenge at the LotR Community Live Journal to write up some very personal thoughts of my own. I spend a part of every month, trying to write a character biography for the Silmarillion Writers Guild. Those are certainly not free of opinion, but are hopefully written in a more objective and overall more scholarly tone than this one. Anyway, for your kind perusal is this piece, halfway between a rant and a whine, but filled with not only with heart, but references to the texts.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elves, Men |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Nonfiction/Meta | Challenges: Differing Perspectives |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 753 |
| Posted on 24 September 2013 | Updated on 24 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (11) |
A Scrap of Parchment by Uvatha the Horseman
Sauron returns to Mordor and openly declares himself, and Umbar declares its allegiance to him. Told by Urzahil of Umbar, who later becomes the Mouth of Sauron.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Melkor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 177 |
| Posted on 24 September 2013 | Updated on 24 September 2013 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
