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] Unforgotten by daughterofshadows
Carrying the Silmaril for millennia has consequences.
[Series] The Light and the Sea (Steampunk Númenor) by AdmirableMonster
Largely focused on Númenor, its fall, and the aftermath, as seen from the perspective of two Mannish scientists, bit players in some ways, but who nonetheless cast their shadows across the history of Middle Earth.
[Writing] Reflections by AdmirableMonster
A story of three friends in Númenor, one of whom attracts the attention of the High Priest. What does friendship mean in the shadow of the Black Temple?
[Writing] No Time Have I by Flora-lass
A Silmarillion acrostic.
[Writing] An exercise in music... And patience by Aprilertuile
Makalaurë was sitting at the harp in his music room. He was holding a dark blindfold in his hands and was looking at it with much scepticism.
[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.
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Four Elements
Create four fanworks, each of centered around a different one of the four elements. 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.
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.
Scribbles & Drabbles 2024
A chill Tolkien event, where artists make art, and authors write little stories in response. Begins in June and ends in November.
New and Updated Fanworks
Include Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
Runes by StarSpray
“I think,” Lúthien said, “that the Naugrim would like to see your writings.”
This made Daeron pause, and blink. “My Cirth?” he asked. “Why?”
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Daeron, Lúthien Tinúviel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fluff, General | Challenges: Breaking Boundaries, Jubilee |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 880 |
| Posted on 20 January 2023 | Updated on 20 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Hospitality by Russandol
A man with a perilous mission arrives at the shores of Númenor, where he meets two strangers.
A (most likely AU) crossover between my own Chasing Mirages and elfscribe's novel Elegy for Númenor.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Erestor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 160 |
| Posted on 18 February 2012 | Updated on 20 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Retiring Fogs by StarSpray
On a foggy cold morning Eluréd sits atop Elrond's roof, watching the armies of Lindon and Arnor gather.
| Major Characters: Eagles, Elrond, Eluréd |
| Major Relationships: Elrond & Eluréd |
| Genres: Family, General | Challenges: Jubilee, Start to Finish |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 131 |
| Posted on 16 January 2023 | Updated on 18 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Darkened by reindeer_pizza
Written for the Major Arcana Monthly Challenge. I was randomly assigned the Hermit card. An exploration of how Eöl came to be alone in Nan Elmoth, removed from elvish society.
| Major Characters: Eöl |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: Major Arcana |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: In-Universe Racism/Ethnocentrism, Mature Themes, Torture, Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 4 | Word Count: 10, 715 |
| Posted on 12 October 2022 | Updated on 18 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
No Tale Tells by StarSpray
of the fate of Eluréd and Elurín no tale tells.
Except these.
| Major Characters: Eluréd, Elurín |
| Major Relationships: Eluréd & Elurín |
| Genres: Adventure, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on 7 March 2021 | Updated on 18 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
This Notable Thing by StarSpray
A series of fics centered around characters' return from Mandos to Valinor, and other characters' reactions, set primarily after the beginning of the Third Age; the title of the series comes from Mary Oliver's "Starlings in Winter".
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on 16 January 2023 | Updated on 16 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
Two Journeys by Lferion
In the First Age, Fingon traveled to Rerir after discovering Turgon's disappearance. In the Fourth Age, he travels to Rerir again in Beleriand Risen.f
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingon & Maedhros, Caranthir & Fingon |
| Genres: Family, Fixed-Length Ficlet, General | Challenges: Jubilee, Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 152 |
| Posted on 15 January 2023 | Updated on 16 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Caranthir's sketches by Anérea
Quick & silly sketches from an Instadrabbling/Instadrawbling session...
| Major Characters: Caranthir |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Drawble/Finished Sketch |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Jubilee, Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 16 January 2023 | Updated on 16 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (14) |
Fishy Business by Grundy
Eärendil has found an odd fish. Elwing knows that just because it looks like a fish doesn't mean it is.
| Major Characters: Eärendil, Elwing |
| Major Relationships: Eärendil & Elwing |
| Genres: | Challenges: Book by Its Cover, Jubilee |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 756 |
| Posted on 14 January 2023 | Updated on 14 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Jubilee, Naturalist's Guide to Middle-earth |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 370 |
| Posted on 13 January 2023 | Updated on 13 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
A Whisper of the Old World by Narya
A brief moment in the woods between two old people who are more than they seem...
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Gandalf |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Jubilee |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 211 |
| Posted on 13 January 2023 | Updated on 13 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
A Mingling by cuarthol
Parallel narratives of Ilwen, wife of Ingwë, and Gwidhil, wife of Orodreth.
| Major Characters: Unnamed Female Canon Character(s), Ilwen |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Hidden Figures, Jubilee |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 467 |
| Posted on 8 January 2023 | Updated on 13 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (12) |
A Weird and Wonderful Fruit by Rocky41_7
Haleth was told to stay out of the woods of Doriath. Haleth decided not to listen. Haleth finds herself in strange positions in the darkness of the woods...
| Major Characters: Galadriel, Haleth, Melian |
| Major Relationships: Galadriel/Melian, Galadriel/Haleth, Galadriel/Haleth/Melian |
| Genres: Erotica, Poly, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 980 |
| Posted on 12 January 2023 | Updated on 12 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
| Major Characters: Morwen |
| Major Relationships: Morwen & Rían |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Jubilee, Middle-earth Museum |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 901 |
| Posted on 12 January 2023 | Updated on 12 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Song of Lake Linaewen by Zdenka
Brief scenes of the love between a Sindarin Elf of Nevrast and a Noldo follower of Turgon: meeting and parting in the midst of loss, betrayal, and war. (A double drabble poem and four ficlets.)
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: Original Character/Original Character |
| Genres: Femslash, Fixed-Length Ficlet, Poetry, Romance | Challenges: B2MeM 2019 |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild), Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 2, 223 |
| Posted on 12 December 2016 | Updated on 12 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
With Lights and Holly and Songs of Good Cheer by cuarthol
In Post-First Age Valinor, Finrod and Elwing create a new custom to share with one another, to keep them connected to their past and kin.
| Major Characters: Elwing, Finrod Felagund |
| Major Relationships: Elwing & Finrod |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Ancestors, Jubilee, Season's Greetings |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 242 |
| Posted on 5 January 2023 | Updated on 10 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
In Dreams Revealed by daughterofshadows
Across the ages, Elrond dreams.
| Major Characters: Elrond |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 399 |
| Posted on 10 January 2023 | Updated on 10 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Only Starlight by Varda delle Stelle
The relationship between the Eldar of a young Beleriand and Elbereth's Stars.
| Major Characters: Laiquendi, Sindar, Teleri |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Holiday Party, Jubilee |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 169 |
| Posted on 8 January 2023 | Updated on 9 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Noldolantë by cuarthol
Filk of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'
A musical/poetic exploration of the Fall of the Noldor - 'Noldolantë' - from the discord sewn by Melkor to Fëanor's death.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: Jubilee, Vintage |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 236 |
| Posted on 9 January 2023 | Updated on 9 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Description of a Frieze in the Temple of Melkor at Armenelos by Sarbanes Oxley
A translation of a description of a frieze in the antechamber of the Temple of Melkor at Armenelos by Lindir of Rivendell.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Celebrimbor, Elrond, Lindir, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Experimental, Ficlet, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 758 |
| Posted on 8 January 2023 | Updated on 9 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Motley Crew by Himring
Maglor survives the tsunami that hit the coast of Middle-earth during the Fall of Numenor, in the company of a somewhat unexpected group of fellow survivors.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Block Party, Holiday Party, Jubilee |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 305 |
| Posted on 8 January 2023 | Updated on 8 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Jubilee Instadrabbling by elennalore
1. Ar-Pharazôn muses on progress and opportunity.
2. Curvo gives Tyelko a begetting day present.
3. Turgon misses Elenwë.
| Major Characters: Ar-Pharazôn, Celegorm, Curufin, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: Elenwë/Turgon |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Jubilee |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 316 |
| Posted on 8 January 2023 | Updated on 8 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
My Tent Is Always Open To You by Grundy
A snippet of life in early Numenor, in which Elros tries once again to persuade his brother to come see his new place.
| Major Characters: Elros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 642 |
| Posted on 7 January 2023 | Updated on 7 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (7) |
Chase the Wind by StarSpray
Then he heard movement in the bushes. He tensed, hand going to the hilt of his knife, but the next sound to emerge was a small whimper. “Eluréd?” called Elurín from across the camp.
“One moment,” said Eluréd. He crept closer to the sound, and parted a few branches to find a bundle of blankets, tightly wrapped, and something squirming and crying inside them.
“What is it?” Elurín asked from behind him.
“A child.”
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Eluréd, Elurín |
| Major Relationships: Eluréd & Elurín |
| Genres: Adventure, Family, General | Challenges: Jubilee, X Marks the Spot |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 130 |
| Posted on 6 January 2023 | Updated on 6 January 2023 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Silmarils by Narya
A lanterne poem, in response to January's formal challenge at the Tolkien Short Fanworks community on Dreamwidth.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 10 |
| Posted on 2 January 2023 | Updated on 2 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
