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
[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.
[Writing] Lament for the Singer by daughterofshadows
A short thing about Maglor, death and grieving.
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
B-Movie
Prompts for this Matryoshka challenge are loosely inspired by the predictable plot arcs of hilariously abominable, eye-rollingly corny, so-bad-they're-actually-kinda-good horror films. 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
Lost at Sea by StarSpray
An Avarin elf accidentally gets lost at sea and gets stuck halfway onto the Straight Road. Uinen helps out.
| Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Avari, Uinen |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General, Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 436 |
| Posted on 6 July 2021 | Updated on 6 July 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Show your pride by daughterofshadows
In which Celegorm receives a strange message from his brother and talks to Aredhel.
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Celegorm, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, Ficlet, Humor | Challenges: Back To The Future |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 530 |
| Posted on 6 July 2021 | Updated on 6 July 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Fragment: In the long days of Darkness by losselen
Found in the personal collections of Barahir II, transcribed and translated into Westron from its original High Adûnaic. A fragment of a poem for Ancalimë, from a poetess who loved her.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Tar-Ancalimë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 269 |
| Posted on 17 April 2015 | Updated on 4 July 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Sylvan. by hennethgalad
Maglor writes to Thranduil and Celeborn in their castle in Transylvania, asking for help when an early archaeologist tries to dig up The Shire.
(Thranduil and Celeborn canonically 'meet up' in the middle of Mirkwood after Sauron is defeated.)
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Maglor, Thranduil |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe, General | Challenges: Back To The Future |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 983 |
| Posted on 3 July 2021 | Updated on 3 July 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
[podfic] Please, let's go home (I love you, they said, I love you) by Chestnut_pod
In Treelight, he and Artanis had walked the beaches of Elendë, the white sand soft beneath bare toes as she splashed in the shallows and demanded he name every sea star. Upon the ragged new shores of this eastern land, they wore stout boots, for they were all torn rock and silt, and the waters colder than the Bay of Eldamar. And Artanis was Galadriel now, and if her name was softer, it was all of her that was.
| Major Characters: Finarfin, Galadriel |
| Major Relationships: Finarfin & Galadriel |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 1 July 2021 | Updated on 1 July 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
[podfic] The Impatience of Youth by Chestnut_pod
Irissë looked pained. “I’ve bruised myself. On – oh Eru, a bust of Uncle Fëanáro. Talk about a mood killer…”
“This isn’t working,” said Elenwë. “We need to go somewhere else or I’ll have nightmares for the rest of my life about your entire extended family watching us while we – ”
“Agreed,” said Irissë, looking rather ill.
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Elenwë |
| Major Relationships: Aredhel/Elenwë |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Moderate) |
| Posted on 30 June 2021 | Updated on 30 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
[podfic] A Promise of Lightning by Chestnut_pod, The Wavesinger
The story of Ilmarë and Thuringwethil, from the beginning to the beginning, again.
| Major Characters: Ilmarë, Thuringwethil |
| Major Relationships: Ilmarë/Thuringwethil |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Mild) |
| Posted on 27 June 2021 | Updated on 30 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
[podfic] How far can you carry this? by Chestnut_pod
They make mountains upon the beach from sand and pebbles, because all Eärendil’s memories are of cold and pale walls of stone and walking for ever and ever.
When Elwing thinks of home it is dark forests and damp loam beneath her feet and running and stopping and hiding and running again, like rabbits.
| Major Characters: Eärendil, Elwing |
| Major Relationships: Eärendil & Elwing |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 29 June 2021 | Updated on 30 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
[podfic] all they had to lend by Chestnut_pod
From a few hundred feet up, the swan ships could be seen to hesitate.
| Major Characters: Eärendil, Elwing |
| Major Relationships: Eärendil/Elwing |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 28 June 2021 | Updated on 28 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
Winter Solstice by Narya
Maglor in Avebury, at the turning of the year.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Back To The Future |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 50 |
| Posted on 27 June 2021 | Updated on 27 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Fire Like Ice by Lferion
Fingon would not have anticipated that he would ever find himself thinking of heat the same way he thought of extreme cold, and yet, here he was.
Takes place in a version of Arda with Beleriand Risen on the Aman side of the Straight Road, as in Bunn's Return to Aman and Undying Lands.
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingon & Maedhros |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Back To The Future, Pride |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 231 |
| Posted on 21 June 2021 | Updated on 21 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
For All Elvenkind by elennalore
An interstellar spaceship is ready to go. Its all-Elven crew and passengers will become the first explorers and settlers of an exoplanet orbiting the star Vega, or Luinil as the Elves call it. But only Mairon knows that the captain of the starship, Celebrimbor, has a hidden agenda.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Science Fiction | Challenges: Back To The Future |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 400 |
| Posted on 20 June 2021 | Updated on 20 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
At the end of days, again by Himring
Sometime, somewhere, in the Seventh Age, another distant descendant of Elendil dreams of Numenor.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Back To The Future |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 100 |
| Posted on 19 June 2021 | Updated on 19 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Windows by Keiliss
A long way from Balar, Erestor and Gildor share some bittersweet midwinter memories. Sometimes the window opens a crack and then it closes, allowing just a glimpse of the road less travelled.
| Major Characters: Erestor, Gildor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 961 |
| Posted on 6 April 2021 | Updated on 12 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
[podfic] Cold Comfort by Chestnut_pod, Elwin Fortuna
Nerdanel, early in the Second Age, ponders the wisdom of her choices.
| Major Characters: Nerdanel, Nienna |
| Major Relationships: Nerdanel/Nienna |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 11 June 2021 | Updated on 11 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
[podfic] Away to the Waters by Chestnut_pod, Elleth
After the Five Armies, Tauriel travels East.
| Major Characters: Other Fictional Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, In-Universe Racism/Ethnocentrism |
| Posted on 11 June 2021 | Updated on 11 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
A Restless Night in Armenelos by Himring
Tar-Palantir, king of Numenor, at some point in the later part of his reign: night thoughts and a dream.
| Major Characters: Tar-Palantir |
| Major Relationships: Inzilbeth & Tar-Palantir |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Book by Its Cover |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 254 |
| Posted on 8 June 2021 | Updated on 8 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
| Major Characters: Inzilbêth, Tar-Palantir |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 203 |
| Posted on 18 April 2021 | Updated on 8 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
[podfic] Tribute for the Queen by Chestnut_pod
In which cats may or may not be a euphemism.
Prompt fic: "Lalwen gives Beruthiel a calico cat, Beruthiel is annoyed because it throws off her color scheme but also Lalwen is a hottie, confusion ensues."
| Major Characters: Berúthiel, Lalwen |
| Major Relationships: Berúthiel/Lalwen |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Moderate) |
| Posted on 7 June 2021 | Updated on 7 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
To gather in a flourishing way by Chestnut_pod
It is renowned among both the Teleri and the Noldor, though perhaps for different reasons among each, that Eärwen Swan-Maiden of Alqualondë was married to Arafinwë of the Noldor in a dress broidered with one thousand pearls, and more draped around her neck and woven through her hair like sea spray.
| Major Characters: Anairë, Eärwen |
| Major Relationships: Anairë/Eärwen |
| Genres: Experimental, Femslash, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, In-Universe Racism/Ethnocentrism |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 281 |
| Posted on 6 June 2021 | Updated on 6 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
For the Last Time by chrissystriped
Melkor is a captive of the Valar's army and Mairon sneaks into the camp to find him, when he is caught by Eonwe. Now he has to try to seduce his old friend to still have a chance.
| Major Characters: Eönwë, Melkor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Eönwë/Sauron |
| Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Graphic), Torture |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 402 |
| Posted on 20 December 2020 | Updated on 6 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
A Deed Justly Renowned by AdmirableMonster
Through snow, through ice, through ash and flame...I will always come for you, Russandol.
Fingon rescues Maedhros from Thangorodrim. It is no easy feat, for he battles not only the creatures and the hostile land, but also himself.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros |
| Genres: Drama, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes, Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 6, 654 |
| Posted on 6 June 2021 | Updated on 6 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Blossoms Appearing in the Land, Green Figs Forming on the Trees by janeways
The blossoms have appeared in the land / The time of pruning has come / The song of the turtledove / Is heard in our land
The green figs form on the fig tree / The vines in blossom give off fragrance / Arise, my darling / My fair one, come away!
- Song of Songs 2:12-3
Haleth and Caranthir attempt to make love and discover they don't know much about making babies.
My attempt at subverting the bodice-ripper; a triple drabble.
| Major Characters: Caranthir, Haleth |
| Major Relationships: Caranthir/Haleth |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, Humor, Romance | Challenges: Book by Its Cover |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 316 |
| Posted on 5 June 2021 | Updated on 5 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Always there for you by chrissystriped
After Fingolfin gets a worrying letter from Maedhros, he rides to Himring to be there for him.
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingolfin/Maedhros |
| Genres: Erotica, Hurt/Comfort, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 6, 872 |
| Posted on 5 June 2021 | Updated on 5 June 2021 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Third Finwë by jesatria
An account of the reign of King Nelyafinwë Maitimo, 3rd High King of the Noldor. AU, WIP
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Caranthir, Celegorm, Curufin, Fingolfin, Fingon, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 10, 160 |
| Posted on 2 February 2014 | Updated on 4 June 2021 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
