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
Strong Women
Choose a female character from The Silmarillion or related texts who contributes something of value and create a fanwork about her. 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
The Burninator by Grundy
After the events at the Morannon, Sauron may be weak, but he has a pressing question only Morgoth can answer... (Daughters of Celebrian ficlet.)
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: Melkor/Sauron |
| Genres: Crossover | crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Challenges: Also Appearing, Zingers |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 460 |
| Posted on 15 July 2022 | Updated on 22 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (9) |
Find Home by Elwin Fortuna
Ghost King meets exiled Elf! Maglor Fëanorion walks into the Gambler's Den one evening with a strange request to make of Hua Cheng. Crossover with Heaven Official's Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crossover, General | crossed with Heaven Official's Blessing | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 199 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 22 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Same Shade of Gold by Maggie Honeybite
Turgon loves Elenwë. Finrod loves Turgon. Elenwë is pushed to the brink by the strain of the Helcaraxë. There are strange things done in the land of no sun by the Elves with hair of gold… A love story with a ghostly twist.
| Major Characters: Elenwë, Finrod Felagund, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: Elenwë/Turgon, Finrod/Turgon, Elenwë/Finrod/Turgon |
| Genres: Drama, Erotica, Mystery, Poly, Romance, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Character Death, Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 7, 819 |
| Posted on 20 August 2022 | Updated on 22 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
A New Start by Elwin Fortuna
Finrod emerges from the Halls of Mandos.
| Major Characters: Finarfin, Finrod Felagund |
| Major Relationships: Finarfin & Finrod |
| Genres: Family, Ficlet, General | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 137 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 22 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Restoration & Rebuilding Instadrabbling by elennalore
Four different drabbles (100 words each) written during a SWG instadrabbling event 20.08.2022.
| Major Characters: Original Nonbinary Character(s), Amras, Amrod, Celebrimbor, Sauron, Tar-Aldarion |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 4 | Word Count: 416 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 22 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Restoration and Rebuilding Instadrabbling by Lindariel
Instadrabbles from the sessions on the SWG Discord server, 20-21 August 2022
| Major Characters: Aragorn, Celeborn, Celebrían, Dior, Eärendil, Elrond, Elwing, Enerdhil, Fingolfin, Haleth, Idril, Mandos, Meleth (Elf) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, General | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 7 | Word Count: 706 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 22 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
A New Home by Elwin Fortuna
Elrond and Gil-galad discuss Elrond's reasons for building and staying in Rivendell.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Gil-galad |
| Major Relationships: Elrond & Gil-galad |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 209 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 21 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
Restoration by Elwin Fortuna
Maglor finds something to do in the modern world.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 329 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 21 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
Of Beginnings by Elwin Fortuna
Yavanna's busy at the beginning of Time.
| Major Characters: Yavanna |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General, Humor | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 171 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 21 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
Gold-cleaver by chrissystriped
Maglor finds peace in making art that is not music
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 241 |
| Posted on 21 August 2022 | Updated on 21 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
A Tribute to the Library of Moria by Dawn Felagund, Himring, and Talullah
As the Library of Moria prepares to close its doors, we look back at twenty years of the archive's history and consider the ways that the Library contributed to making slash and femslash a part of mainstream Tolkien fanworks fandom.
Home Alone: Forgotten in Formenos by Dawn Felagund
In the rush to depart for a Yule celebration in Taniquetil, Amrod and Amras are accidentally left behind by their family. When two skeevy Maiar vying for Melkor's attention set their sights on Fëanor's treasury, only these two can protect it.
Yes indeed, it is a Silmarillion/Home Alone crossover.
Added Chapter 13 onward--now complete!
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Amras, Amrod, Anairë, Aredhel, Caranthir, Celegorm, Curufin, Fëanor, Fingolfin, Fingon, Maedhros, Maglor, Nerdanel, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Crossover | crossed with Home Alone | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Expletive Language |
| Chapters: 22 | Word Count: 43, 038 |
| Posted on 23 December 2018 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (80) |
Hastaina by Dawn Felagund
While embarking upon an Arctic expedition in hopes of discovering secret knowledge that might relieve the marring of Arda, a loremaster of Tirion makes a much darker discovery that undermines the very foundation of his belief. Inspired by the style and mythology of H.P. Lovecraft.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Fëanor, Valar |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crossover | crossed with H.P. Lovecraft | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes, Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 933 |
| Posted on 13 February 2010 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (18) |
Flowing Songs of Healing by Anérea
Yavanna and Ulmo in Middle-earth after the toppling of the Lamps.
| Major Characters: Ulmo, Yavanna |
| Major Relationships: Ulmo & Yavanna |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 102 |
| Posted on 20 August 2022 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Kingless by Anne Wolfe
An elf of the Laiquendi considers the future, after the death of Denethor in the First Battle of Beleriand. Drabble, written in first-person POV.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 100 |
| Posted on 20 August 2022 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Just a Bargain by chrissystriped
Ecthelion wasn't killed at the Fall of Gondolin but taken prisoner. When one of his fellow slaves gets sick, he decides to pay the price their overseer names for medicine.
| Major Characters: Ecthelion of the Fountain |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: In-Universe Racism/Ethnocentrism, Rape/Nonconsensual Sex, Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 884 |
| Posted on 2 February 2020 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Transformation by chrissystriped
Faranwe is captured by the Dark Hunter, torn from his family and changed forever. But even in Utumno there can be love and light.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: Original Character/Original Character |
| Genres: Het, Horror, Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Sexual Content (Mild), Torture, Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 4, 504 |
| Posted on 12 November 2019 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
What Once Was by cuarthol
What was lost cannot be restored, but something new can always be found
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Avari, Dwarves, Elves |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 253 |
| Posted on 20 August 2022 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Quilt of Growth by AdmirableMonster
Little snapshots of different worlds, for the restoration and rebuilding challenge. Written during Instadrabbling in August 2022.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Celebrimbor, Halbarad, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, Maedhros, Maglor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 4 | Word Count: 472 |
| Posted on 20 August 2022 | Updated on 20 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Scrapbook by Independence1776
Maglor brings Nerdanel a scrapbook of his time in Middle-earth.
| Major Characters: Maglor, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: Maglor & Nerdanel |
| Genres: Family | Challenges: Restoration and Rebuilding |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 16 August 2022 | Updated on 19 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (13) |
Clad Much in Grey by Lindariel
Alatáriel accepts a mission on behalf of her family and encounters the mystery at the heart of a secret.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Galadriel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure, General | Challenges: Vintage |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Animal Abuse, Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 5, 828 |
| Posted on 21 May 2022 | Updated on 19 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
A Conspiracy is Planned by chrissystriped
Sharû cocked his head as he looked at the numbers on the file.
“Sir?”, he said to Mormirion who sat behind his desk and was writing something.
“Hm?”, the Maia hummed.
“There seems to be something wrong with the numbers”, he said. “I’ve noticed this before. It’s never by much, but there’s always more food ordered than actually is in our rations — and we already eat better than most soldiers.”
Sharû finds out about Mormirion's secret activities and confronts him about it.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 828 |
| Posted on 18 August 2021 | Updated on 18 August 2022 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Beauty in Dark Places by chrissystriped
Celebrían loves to explore caves.
| Major Characters: Celebrían |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 526 |
| Posted on 20 December 2021 | Updated on 18 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Easterling Hostages in Middle-earth and Their Parallels in Welsh Medieval History by MirienSilowende
The use of hostages as a political strategy in Third Age Gondor has historical parallels in medieval Welsh history, and the bloody outcome of the real history may explain some of the tensions between the Easterlings and Gondorians as Sauron's power grew.
Enchantment by Anérea
When Melian and Thingol met they silently stared at each other for two hundred years. What actually happened between them during that time? And why could no one find them?
| Major Characters: Elu Thingol, Elves, Melian |
| Major Relationships: Melian/Thingol |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, General, Het, Romance | Challenges: Arda on Ice |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 447 |
| Posted on 12 April 2022 | Updated on 18 August 2022 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (14) |
