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.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data provides insight into how comments benefit authors and which authors are most impacted by a lack of comments, with a digression on authors' perspectives one-click feedback like kudos.
A Sense of History: Passing Ships
As Tolkien's characters in various texts gaze out to the sea, what do they see? What is brought by the ships coming out of the West?
Beta-Reader List Now Available
The beta-reader list and profiles have been moved into our new system and are available again.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] No Time Have I by Flora-lass
A Silmarillion acrostic.
[Writing] I called it Fate that I should fail by AdmirableMonster
Nimruzimir, a natural philosopher recently out of his apprenticeship, hardly considers himself very important to anyone, least of all his colleagues. When his strange, prophetic fits bring him to the attention of the High Priest, however, he may find that his existence is less superfluous than…
[Writing] All of you by chrissystriped
Elrond and Celebrían celebrate their anniversary with their family.
[Writing] Lament for the Singer by daughterofshadows
A short thing about Maglor, death and grieving.
[Writing] Cosmological Poems of Arda by AaronAzrael
I would like to share my revelations of Tolkien's Universe in the form of narrative and emotional poems.
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
[Artwork] Map of Valinor by Aprilertuile
My newly drawn map of Aman, as complete as I could make it.
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Plot Thickens
Create a fanwork that depicts characters in the act of plotting something. Read more ...
New in References
Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that authors view comments as driving their motivation to create fanfiction. However, perception of comments by authors is part of a larger shift in fandom around how and how often fans interact with each other.
Passing Ships by Simon J. Cook
[]The arrival and departure of ships across the Great Sea carries mythic significance for the peoples of Middle-earth. The image of ships crossing out of and back into a mysterious West appears as well in Beowulf and is alluded to in Tolkien's tower analogy in his lecture "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," where the tower allows those who climb it to observe the passage of the ships.
Fanfiction and the Serious Business of Writer's Craft by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that while most authors self-identify as taking their craft seriously, a growing subset of authors may be pushing that norm.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Staging a Battle by StarSpray
[]He and Diamond were visiting, though Pippin had been disappearing every afternoon, and taking Frodo and Elanor and most other lads and lasses in the neighborhood with him—though why they couldn’t use Pippin’s own pony, Sam couldn’t imagine.
[Writing] From whose bourn no traveller returns by losselen
[]So gathered they were to Bree, what lieutenants who could be spared, from their scattered watches west and east, for their chieftain had returned from his long sojourn in lands godless and mountains strange.
Aragorn returns from the South to tells his tales. Halbarad listens.
[Writing] Sand Sorcery by StarSpray
[]It is well known that Psamathos does not leave his cove. He does not like to get his feet wet, and prefers to spend his days dozing under the sun.
Around the World and Web
Fellowship of the Fics: Summer Stories 2024
Fellowship of the Fics offers four weeks of summer-themed prompts during the month of July.
Elrond Week 2024
Elrond Week is a fandom event dedicated to Elrond Peredhel that will run from July 10th to July 16th on Tumblr.
July challenge at tolkienshortfanworks posted
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for July has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic challenge is: original character or unnamed canon character; the formal challenge: fixed length of multiple of 50 words. New participants welcome.
July 2024 Call for Papers and Proposals
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers and proposals in July 2024.
Teitho June/July Challenge: Mentor
The June/July prompt for the Teitho challenge is "mentor" and invites fanworks about this relationship in Tolkien's works.
New and Updated Fanworks
Include Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
A Bridge in Dor-lomin by Himring
Maedhros thinks that he's had time enough to get over his feelings for Fingon. It turns out that he has not. At first he's disappointed, then he makes a discovery.
Told from Fingon's point of view.
For Oshun, because I re-read her biography of Fingon and realized I'd left something out.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Romance, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Expletive Language, Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 090 |
| Posted on 7 March 2010 | Updated on 7 March 2010 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
A Walk in the Forest, an Evening by the Fire by Himring
In East Beleriand: Elrond gets upset and runs away. Maedhros comes and finds him in the woods. Maedhros ends up being given a new name. Later, Elrond and Elros learn lessons and pretend not to--why? Finally, Elrond, now in Gil-galad's camp, learns of Maedhros' death by his own means.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Suicide, Character Death, Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 767 |
| Posted on 27 February 2010 | Updated on 27 February 2010 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
A Long Time Falling by Himring
Maedhros and Maglor decide to surrender to Eonwe to be put on trial back in Valinor. And then, at the last moment, they don't. Framing Maglor's memories of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and the attacks on Doriath and the Havens of Sirion (or rather, mostly, the discussions among the brothers that led up to those attacks).
Maedhros/Fingon slash (very mild here). Definitely not Maedhros/Maglor slash; however, the subject is raised and the (false) accusation made by others in the story, so if this worries you, please regard yourself as warned.
Also, Maedhros's suicide isn't explicitly told, but strongly hinted at, so has been marked.
This story has been nominated for the MEFAs 2010 by Lyra. Thank you very much!
| Major Characters: Caranthir, Celegorm, Fingon, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Suicide, Character Death, Expletive Language, Mature Themes, Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 5 | Word Count: 9, 115 |
| Posted on 27 February 2010 | Updated on 27 February 2010 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (14) |
Praying for Lightning by Himring
A bit of pillow-talk between Maedhros and Fingon, framing memories of Araman, the Helcaraxe and Mithrim.
Fingon has to struggle to re-define himself twice, once when he learns what was really going on at Alqualonde, the second time when he realizes that their deepening love means that Maedhros and he have become mutually irreplaceable to each other and what that might entail. Each time, Maedhros turns out to be part of the solution as well as part of the problem.
P.S. In the last update I changed the title, summary and notes. No changes to story.
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon, Finrod Felagund, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Romance, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Character Death, Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 935 |
| Posted on 27 February 2010 | Updated on 27 February 2010 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
I seek answer by ford_of_bruinen
'The petition to Manwe to allow the banned elves to return'
| Major Characters: Eärendil |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 131 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Nargothrond by ford_of_bruinen
Curufin and Celegorm arriving at Nargothrond
| Major Characters: Celegorm, Curufin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 42 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Lost by ford_of_bruinen
Glorfindel is reborn
| Major Characters: Glorfindel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 47 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
A little jewel by ford_of_bruinen
Mahtan is watching is daughter.
| Major Characters: Mahtan, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 98 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Regrets by ford_of_bruinen
Mahtan and nerdanel thoughts.
| Major Characters: Mahtan, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 98 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
A letter at the twilight of my days. by ford_of_bruinen
Aegnor is writing a letter to Finrod.
| Major Characters: Aegnor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 88 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
After the war by ford_of_bruinen
Glorfindel in conversation with idril.
| Major Characters: Glorfindel, Idril |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 98 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Drabble: Only ice and sea by ford_of_bruinen
Maglor post silmaril.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 99 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Drabble: Amusement and awkwardness by ford_of_bruinen
short conversation between two lovers.
| Major Characters: Ecthelion of the Fountain, Erestor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 95 |
| Posted on 18 February 2010 | Updated on 18 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Coimas War by Russandol
Several years after the War of Wrath the tension between Noldor and Teleri over the Exiles in Tol Eressëa provoked a most unexpected war in Valinor, of which later chronicles never spoke.
MEFA 2010 - Third Place in Genres: Humor: General
| Major Characters: Eärwen, Finarfin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Erotica, Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 6, 982 |
| Posted on 17 February 2010 | Updated on 17 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Penance by SurgicalSteel
Written in honor of Pandemonium's birthday - during the siege of Barad-dur, a surgeon deals with illness and injury from the various forces in place.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Expletive Language, Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 281 |
| Posted on 14 February 2010 | Updated on 14 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
In Darkest Depths by Elfique
A night trapped in the pit with the werewolf at Tolin Gaurhoth from the perspective of one of the elves in the company of Finrod and Beren.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Horror | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 596 |
| Posted on 13 February 2010 | Updated on 13 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Herblady by Elfique
A maid of Valinor struggles with her fanciful attraction to Feanor, knowing her dreaming is pointless. After a visit from the Prince she ponders the future and when it shall be her time for love. NOT AU Feanormance!
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 503 |
| Posted on 13 February 2010 | Updated on 13 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Thrall No More by Elfique
Set after the War of Wrath. The elven thralls Morgoth used for his own devices are freed, in one a soldier finds something he did not expect, something which he believed he would never see again.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 754 |
| Posted on 13 February 2010 | Updated on 13 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
It Gives A Lovely Light (Drabble/Ficlet Collection) by oshun
Latest addition: "The Boy My Daughter Married," (featuring Curufin’s mother-in-law, Curufin/OFC, and a blink-and-you-will-miss-it reference to Celebrimbor).
Chapters are added within chronological order of the events.
A series of drabbles/ficlets: seeds of stories based upon characters and events from the Silmarillion. The title of the collection is taken from a line in a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, because it reminded me of the exiled Noldor, particularly, although not exclusively, the sons of Feanor:
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--
It gives a lovely light!
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Elrond, Elros, Fëanor, Gil-galad, Maedhros, Maglor, Mahtan, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, General, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: Forbidden Lore |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 10 | Word Count: 2, 608 |
| Posted on 22 May 2007 | Updated on 11 February 2010 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (19) |
The Journal of Alatáriel, Missionary by Clodia
Being a fantastical account of the Lady Galadriel’s journey to Middle-earth by an unknown author; edited and with critical comments by Erestor and Melinna of Ered Luin; preface by the Lord Celeborn of Lórinand, formerly of Doriath, Sirion and Eregion.
MEFA 2010 Third Place (Times: First Age and Prior: Noldorin Elves).
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Erestor, Fëanor, Galadriel, Olwë, Original Character(s), Sons of Fëanor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Experimental | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 7 | Word Count: 10, 992 |
| Posted on 17 January 2010 | Updated on 10 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (14) |
Darker Than Galvorn by Araloth the Random
Aredhel certainly causes a stir in Gondolin when she comes home with a son - and pursued by an angry husband. Slightly AU.
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Eöl, Idril, Maeglin, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 4, 731 |
| Posted on 24 September 2009 | Updated on 6 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
A Part in Great Deeds by Hallbera
As Maedhros son of Fëanor assembles an army to challenge the forces of Morgoth Beleg asks Thingol's permisson to leave for war.
| Major Characters: Beleg |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 164 |
| Posted on 4 February 2010 | Updated on 4 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Leithian by Russandol
Eärwen reads a book that was brought to Valinor from the Hither Lands after the War of Wrath.
| Major Characters: Eärwen, Finarfin, Finrod Felagund |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 441 |
| Posted on 4 February 2010 | Updated on 4 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (14) |
Flame of the Desert by pandemonium_213
After a celebration in Tavrobel at the famous House of a Hundred Chimneys, Gilfanon, one of the oldest of the Elves, proposes that he, Glorfindel and Elrond journey to the fabled Rock of Omar in the middle of the great desert of Valinor, where it is said that the Rock sings the echoes of the Ainulindalë and of lost life and love. Glorfindel procures a fabulous coach with most unusual beasts to draw it, and so the three fellows set off for an adventure in the desert where they meet Teleri who have embraced the desert and encounter a cagey Vanyarin ascetic who guides them to the Rock of Omar.
MEFA 2010 Winner: First Place; Genres: Adventure: General
| Major Characters: Elrond, Gilfanon, Glorfindel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 9, 018 |
| Posted on 3 February 2010 | Updated on 3 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (16) |
Bee-Elves by darthfingon
At the end of the First Age, Finarfin, political missionary, travels across Middle-earth and finds his way to Oropher's court. Much to his dismay.
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Finarfin, Original Character(s), Oropher |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 5 | Word Count: 19, 912 |
| Posted on 2 February 2010 | Updated on 2 February 2010 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (7) |
