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
All the More Did He Seek Their Friendship by StarSpray
Silver light poured through the windows, catching and refracting on the crystals hung about the room, twinkling like tiny stars. The court of Tirion was particularly splendid that evening, Indis thought as she sat upon the dais beside Finwë, watching the dancing. A rare event: all of their children and grandchildren were present, and even Fëanáro seemed to be in good spirits as he twirled about the floor with Ëarwen.
But still Indis felt uneasy.
| Major Characters: Indis, Melkor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Jubilee, Major Arcana |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 698 |
| Posted on 2 January 2023 | Updated on 2 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Lumpy Dumplings by Rocky41_7
Elwing lets the twins help her in the kitchen.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros, Elwing |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, Ficlet, Fluff, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 257 |
| Posted on 31 December 2022 | Updated on 1 January 2023 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Journeying Together by chrissystriped
Celebrían takes Elrond to meet her friend the Riverdaughter, who has news for him about someone he thought lost.
| Major Characters: Celebrían, Elrond, Goldberry, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: Celebrían/Elrond, Elrond & Maglor |
| Genres: Adventure, General, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 213 |
| Posted on 18 December 2022 | Updated on 31 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
"Fëanor" Is A Dactyl… and Other Poems by sabcatt
A repository of extremely silly poetry, about our favorite extremely silly elves. (And other beings, on occasion.)
| Major Characters: Eru Ilúvatar, Fëanor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor, Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 58 |
| Posted on 19 November 2022 | Updated on 31 December 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Strength and Truth of Men by Raiyana
Boromir lives!
...but then what? What might one additional man desperate to return to the defense of his homeland accomplish after cheating death?
A jaunty (I lie, we go Angst, here) romp through canon-adjacency
| Major Characters: Boromir (Fellowship), Imrahil, Merry |
| Major Relationships: Boromir & Imrahil, Boromir & Merry, Boromir/Théodred |
| Genres: Alternate Universe, Drama, Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 8 | Word Count: 8, 842 |
| Posted on 31 December 2022 | Updated on 31 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Haunting of Faramir by Raiyana
The line of Dol Amroth have often given birth to dreamers, people who see things invisible to others - some claim it a curse, some a blessing carried by their ancient Elven blood.
Imrahil, fresh from the battle of the Pelennor, names it loss.
Or hope?
| Major Characters: Imrahil |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe, Family | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 001 |
| Posted on 30 December 2022 | Updated on 30 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
In Song Unsung by sabcatt
Fragmentary sections of two poems, dealing with the friendship of Fingon and Maedhros, and a brief scholarly introduction thereto. (AKA: a media fic of the most pretentious flavor.)
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingon & Maedhros |
| Genres: Experimental, Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 442 |
| Posted on 1 October 2022 | Updated on 30 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Sound of Lightning by sabcatt
Ñolofinwë’s eldest has always been flighty. Early in the First Age, Findekáno disappears three ways.
Written for the fan_flashworks challenge “storm”.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Family, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 015 |
| Posted on 11 December 2022 | Updated on 29 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
A Light (Verse) In The Dark by sabcatt
A collection of comedic poetry about The Silmarillion.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor, Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on 19 November 2022 | Updated on 29 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
A Very Silmarillion Alphabet by sabcatt
A is for Aegnor who burned with his land.
B is for Barahir, robbed of his hand…
| Major Characters: Historical Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crackfic, Humor, Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 220 |
| Posted on 24 August 2022 | Updated on 29 December 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Who Told Me Time Would Ease Me by sabcatt
Maedhros cuts his hair off for the first time after Losgar, and never quite shakes the habit.
Or: Five hundred years of haircuts, give or take.
| Major Characters: Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingon+Maedhros |
| Genres: Drama, General, Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 4, 257 |
| Posted on 8 June 2022 | Updated on 29 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Find Your Way Home by sabcatt
Idril loves Maeglin. He knows this is true, because she tells him it is. He loves her, too.
| Major Characters: Idril, Maeglin, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Maeglin/Sauron, Idril/Maeglin |
| Genres: Drama, Horror, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 827 |
| Posted on 26 October 2022 | Updated on 29 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
To See Our Enemy Coming by Himring
Edhellos has escaped, with a handful of others, from the battle in which her husband Angrod died. She has a request to make.
| Major Characters: Círdan, Eldalótë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 305 |
| Posted on 29 December 2022 | Updated on 29 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Listen to the sky by Anérea
Arvedui decides to sail, despite warnings to wait. (As told by a woman of the Lossoth.)
(The fate of Fíriel, wife of Arvedui, was never recorded; I like to think she was a tough cookie and had fought and fled with him to the Ice-bay of Forochel.)
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Arvedui, Fíriel, Lossoth |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Zingers |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 331 |
| Posted on 16 August 2022 | Updated on 28 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (13) |
Matters of Choice by kimikocha
There are many who wander in the lands of Middle-Earth. Some of them are lost, sojourners searching without knowing what they seek; some of them are only a little lost, knowing what they search for but not knowing how to find it. A few of them are very fortunate, not being lost at all. Many more are those who search in vain: not understanding the nature of the mirage on the horizon, they lose themselves in its pursuit.
One of many wanderers encounters Death upon a precipice.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 630 |
| Posted on 28 December 2022 | Updated on 28 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
White Horn Tower by Himring
After the fall of Dorthonion, Edhellos (originally named in Quenya Eldalote), Angrod's wife, has chosen to move to Barad Nimras, the tower that Finrod built in the Falas on a headland west of Eglarest.
| Major Characters: Eldalótë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 121 |
| Posted on 27 December 2022 | Updated on 27 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (13) |
All That Is Gold by cuarthol
Túrin struggles to protect Níniel and slay Glaurung, but which has he done?
Alternate Universe - Canon Divergent based on The Children of Húrin
| Major Characters: Glaurung, Gurthang, Nienor, Túrin |
| Major Relationships: Niënor/Túrin |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death, Suicide, Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 824 |
| Posted on 23 December 2022 | Updated on 25 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
land of bow and helm by skywardstruck
Beleg and Túrin at Dor-Cúarthol, protecting the land together. Drawn in the style of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
| Major Characters: Beleg, Túrin |
| Major Relationships: Beleg/Túrin |
| Artwork Type: Drawing/Painting |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 24 December 2022 | Updated on 24 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (3) |
Duty, Gossip, Wine, and Buoys by Gwanath Dagnir
Newly arrived in Lindon but fast to the High King's confidence, Elrond is officially announced to Gil-Galad's court. He learns what these formal affairs are really all about. Content warning for consensual hair-braiding and maybe one drunken kiss or two.
| Major Characters: Círdan, Elrond, Gil-galad |
| Major Relationships: Elrond & Gil-galad |
| Genres: General, Romance, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 804 |
| Posted on 22 December 2022 | Updated on 24 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Through This Warm Affinity by sallysavestheday
Celeborn misses Galadriel on a snowy night in Eregion. Ósanwë helps a little.
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Galadriel |
| Major Relationships: Celeborn/Galadriel |
| Genres: Ficlet | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 641 |
| Posted on 23 December 2022 | Updated on 24 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (13) |
spring wine by hanneswrites
Curufin & Aredhel indulge in some spring wine.
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Curufin |
| Major Relationships: Aredhel/Curufin, Aredhel/Celegorm, Aredhel/Celegorm/Curufin |
| Genres: Erotica, Het | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Incest, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 960 |
| Posted on 23 December 2022 | Updated on 23 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
"Promote What You Love": An Interview with Elleth by Elleth, Dawn Felagund
After discovering an interest in female characters and femslash, Elleth used her enthusiasm for these fanworks to run multiple events that helped the Tolkien fandom undergo its transformation from dismissal of women characters to accepting and even celebrating fanworks about them.
ferns & violets by hanneswrites
Melian & Mairon meet under unexpected circumstances in Beleriand and develop an unlikely sort-of friendship over the years.
| Major Characters: Melian, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Melian & Sauron |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 005 |
| Posted on 23 December 2022 | Updated on 23 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
kindling by hanneswrites
Haleth visits Thargelion on a cold, snowy evening.
| Major Characters: Caranthir, Haleth |
| Major Relationships: Caranthir/Haleth |
| Genres: Erotica, Fluff, Het | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 805 |
| Posted on 23 December 2022 | Updated on 23 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
customer service by hanneswrites
Melkor has an OnlyFans & Mairon is his #1 subscriber. Modern!AU
| Major Characters: Melkor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Melkor/Sauron |
| Genres: Ficlet, Humor, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 616 |
| Posted on 23 December 2022 | Updated on 23 December 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
