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
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
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
Too Long a Winter by clotho123
Mid-winter at Himring was never going to be all peace and goodwill
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Erestor, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Fanon Inverted, History of Tradition |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 779 |
| Posted on 4 July 2011 | Updated on 2 June 2024 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (9) |
The Sundelions of Arien by cílil
Mairon has a favour to ask of his former lover.
| Major Characters: Arien, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Arien/Sauron |
| Genres: Crossover, Drama | crossed with Legend of Zelda | Challenges: Crossroads of the Fallen King |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 388 |
| Posted on 2 June 2024 | Updated on 2 June 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Breaking Into Light by StarSpray
Glingaereth meets the crown prince of the Noldor by chance, if chance you call it.
“All the same, sister, be careful.”
“Me?” Glingaereth said. “Careful of what?”
“Of that prince.”
“What, Fingon? If you are worried about the Noldor’s feuds, he is the one who brought them to an end.”
Limbeleth shook her head. “I can’t explain it. It isn’t that you need worry about him, but—I have an uneasy feeling about them all, and I feel also that you will be bound up in their fate somehow.”
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Unnamed Canon Character(s), Unnamed Female Canon Character(s), Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Unnamed Canon Character, Fingon/Original Character |
| Genres: Het, Romance | Challenges: Middle-earth Is Multitudes |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 4 | Word Count: 6, 905 |
| Posted on 6 April 2023 | Updated on 2 June 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Valiant and Dauntless by Himring
Fingon and Hurin: I. A Common Root
| Major Characters: Fingon, Húrin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 103 |
| Posted on 1 June 2024 | Updated on 1 June 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
March of the Noldor by Himring
A poem about the Noldor. (See Story Notes.)
| Major Characters: Noldor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 64 |
| Posted on 26 May 2024 | Updated on 1 June 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
The road to the Estolad by clotho123
A kind of follow up to "The Debate of Finrod and Andreth". Finrod left a few things out of his talk with Andreth, which led me to wonder what a member of a different Noldorin House might have to say.
| Major Characters: Amrod, Andreth |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 805 |
| Posted on 1 June 2024 | Updated on 1 June 2024 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (9) |
All The Heart's Orthographies by sallysavestheday
A perfect drabble for each of the Tengwar, for the Tengwar challenge.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 757 |
| Posted on 31 May 2024 | Updated on 31 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
"Tengwar" ficlets by chrissystriped
Fics written for the "Tengwar" challenge.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Arien, Azaghâl, Celebrían, Celebrimbor, Celegorm, Círdan, Ecthelion of the Fountain, Elrond, Elros, Eönwë, Fëanor, Finrod Felagund, Galadriel, Glorfindel, Gothmog, Haleth, Idril, Lalwen, Mablung, Maedhros, Maeglin, Manwë, Melkor, Narvi, Nerdanel, Oropher, Ossë, Pengolodh, Sauron, Thranduil |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 35 | Word Count: 6, 178 |
| Posted on 18 April 2024 | Updated on 30 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (33) |
Uin's Delivery Service by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Uin ferries the Elves to Valinor because Ulmo asked. If he has to hear "are we there yet" one more time, he might just dump the lot of them off the island. Or maybe not.
| Major Characters: Uin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 26 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
Hans the Peacock King by Kaylee Arafinwiel
The King of the Peacocks has passed away. Who will come to mourn his passing? Manwe will surely send his emissaries...
https://archiveofourown.org/works/47759956 This poem goes with the artwork.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Character Death |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
Third of January (for Larner) by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Inspired by Larner's story "Transformation". http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=5312&cid=27860 Every third of January, Arda returns to its pre-transformed state. Who can see it happen? Why does it happen?
| Major Characters: Arien, Tilion |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
Super Craban Birb by Kaylee Arafinwiel
He's a craban. He's up to something. He mostly looks super confused...
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
Elwing and the Silmaril by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Elwing carries the Silmaril to Vingilot.
| Major Characters: Elwing |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
Losing Something (or Someone) Precious by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Morgoth lost the Silmaril. Elrond lost his parents because of the Silmaril (and that was just to start with). Sauron lost the One Ring. All have lost something, or someone precious to them.
| Major Characters: Eärendil, Elrond, Melkor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: Crossover | crossed with Lord of the Rings | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
A blip on the radar by daughterofshadows
Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.
| Major Characters: Eärendil, Ilmarë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crossover | crossed with Star Trek | Challenges: Crossroads of the Fallen King, Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 138 |
| Posted on 18 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (19) |
Where's Osse? by Kaylee Arafinwiel
The adventures of Wally the Walrus...or Osse the Maia, in walrus form?
| Major Characters: Ossë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (2) |
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.
Darkened paths by daughterofshadows
Aredhel walks a dark path.
| Major Characters: Aredhel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 64 |
| Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Finarfin and Eärwen on the Beach by UnicornsInSpace
A poem Finarfin writes about Eärwen after a walk on the beach together.
| Major Characters: Eärwen, Finarfin |
| Major Relationships: Eärwen/Finarfin |
| Genres: Poetry, Romance | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 23 |
| Posted on 23 May 2024 | Updated on 23 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Like a vast shadow moved by Quente
Nimloth drags her feet about a certain decision; Melian has no time for that.
| Major Characters: Melian, Nimloth |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Ficlet | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 319 |
| Posted on 22 May 2024 | Updated on 22 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
An Elf at the North Pole by elennalore
Re-embodied Celebrimbor can’t find peace in Aman, so he takes the icy road Helcaraxë back to Middle-earth. The world is changed, however, and he finds himself in a very different place. But what if his past comes back to haunt him even there?
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crossover, Hurt/Comfort | crossed with Father Christmas Letters | Challenges: Crossroads of the Fallen King |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 177 |
| Posted on 21 May 2024 | Updated on 21 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
A Silent Echo by Rocky41_7
Hithlum reckons with the departure of the future Gondolindrim.
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingolfin & Fingon |
| Genres: Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 928 |
| Posted on 21 May 2024 | Updated on 21 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Weaver of Gloom by Flora-lass
Ungoliant gets a chance to have her say.
Written for the Tengwar challenge, with the prompts silmë nuquerna (starlight reversed) and ungwë (spider's web).
| Major Characters: Ungoliant |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 230 |
| Posted on 21 May 2024 | Updated on 21 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
On a night of stars, a bird by Quente
Nimloth and Dior meet, and he is naked.
Alternatively,
Melian travels south to visit her daughter, and meets a familiar looking bird.
Written for the Tengwar prompt, Quessë (feather).
| Major Characters: Dior, Melian, Nimloth |
| Major Relationships: Dior & Melian, Dior/Nimloth |
| Genres: Family, Ficlet | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 548 |
| Posted on 20 May 2024 | Updated on 20 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Apprentice by Quente
Dior is in Menegroth learning to be his grandfather's heir -- but his grandmother decides to take him as apprentice too.
Written for the Tengwar Challenge, May 15: Súlë (spirit).
| Major Characters: Dior, Melian |
| Major Relationships: Dior & Melian |
| Genres: Drama, Family, Ficlet | Challenges: Tengwar |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 447 |
| Posted on 20 May 2024 | Updated on 20 May 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
