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
Solve a Problem
Create a fanwork that solves a canon problem using your own favorite (or most frustrating!) canon problem to solve or by choosing one of the member-submitted canon problems. 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
Returning Home by Sairina
When Maglor son of Fëanor surrenders to Eönwë at the end of the War of Wrath, no one expects him to reveal the secret of the Silmarilli. And yet... However, he still participated in the Kinslaying, and Námo isn't known to be merciful...
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: Laws and Customs |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 448 |
| Posted on 25 June 2020 | Updated on 25 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Downfall: A Triptych by Himring
The downfall of Numenor, from three different points of view: Sauron, Uinen, and Elendur, son of Isildur.
| Major Characters: Elendur, Sauron, Uinen |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Archetypes |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 1, 077 |
| Posted on 16 June 2020 | Updated on 16 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (9) |
All Unveiled Secrets by Ellynn
Sequel to "Lunatic Idea". Six years after reading about Erwin Schrödinger's hypothesis of parallel universes, which Maglor of all people on Earth knows to be true, he finds himself in the unique opportunity to meet the old physicist.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 235 |
| Posted on 10 June 2020 | Updated on 10 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Full Moon Magic by Talullah
Tindómiel is a pretty girl who has vague dreams and not many certainties... until she meets her teacher.
| Major Characters: Tindómiel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 514 |
| Posted on 6 June 2020 | Updated on 6 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Wildflowers by Talullah
Mairen and Yávien, Yávien and Mairen, that had always been so...
| Major Characters: Mairen, Yávien |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 870 |
| Posted on 6 June 2020 | Updated on 6 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Light That Forms Us by Talullah
Yávien suddenly sees her deepest wish being fulfilled, but what will it mean for her life?
| Major Characters: Mairen, Yávien |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 422 |
| Posted on 6 June 2020 | Updated on 6 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Frog Prince by Talullah
Erendis walks under the stars with her child and tells her a tale.
| Major Characters: Erendis, Tar-Ancalimë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 621 |
| Posted on 6 June 2020 | Updated on 6 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Lockdown Instadrabbling by Nienna
A collection of ficlets (not true drabbles) written for Lockdown Instadrabbling on Discord.
| Major Characters: Anairë, Ar-Pharazôn, Elemmírë, Eärwen, Fëanor, Galadriel, Lalwen, Melian, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General, Het, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 5 | Word Count: 1, 603 |
| Posted on 4 June 2020 | Updated on 4 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Ada by ziggy
Companion piece to Erinyator. Elrond, son and father.
But if he did not speak, then who would remember? If he did not tell them, his children would not know how much HE owed to Maglor, Maedhros. And he could not have his children think so badly of them.
So he nestled Elrohir’s head against his shoulder and began. ‘Once, long long ago, there were two small boys, twins…’
‘Like Elladan and me.’
| Major Characters: Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 552 |
| Posted on 1 June 2020 | Updated on 1 June 2020 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Murmuration by Talullah
Ailinel has to make a decision.
| Major Characters: Ailinel, Orchaldor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 805 |
| Posted on 30 May 2020 | Updated on 30 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
With the Tide by Talullah
Tar-Telperiën is eager to enjoy her month of rest in the beautiful Summer of Nindámos, but something is not quite right.
| Major Characters: Tar-Telperiën |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 495 |
| Posted on 30 May 2020 | Updated on 30 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
To Bring Beauty Into This World by Talullah
Tar-Vanimeldë tries to mend a rift.
| Major Characters: Tar-Vanimeldë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 386 |
| Posted on 30 May 2020 | Updated on 30 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
I Am Running Into a New Year by Talullah
Lindissë writes a letter to her cousin Isilmë to tell her some news. (Implied past relationship between Lindissë and Silmariën.)
| Major Characters: Lindissë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 7, 656 |
| Posted on 30 May 2020 | Updated on 30 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Yonya by Harnatano - Lithenna
Just a short thing I needed to write, about post-Nargothrond Curufin and his painful hesitations regarding celebrimbor's decision.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Celegorm, Curufin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Experimental, Family, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 195 |
| Posted on 28 May 2020 | Updated on 28 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Lunatic Idea by Ellynn
In 1952, one astrophysicist brings forth a revolutionary idea about the universe. It sounds lunatic – by the words of the astrophysicst himself – but Maglor Feanorion knows it to be true.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 570 |
| Posted on 26 May 2020 | Updated on 26 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Erinyator by ziggy
Maedhros had not intended any of this.
The thought came to him as he watched the sleeping children snuggled under their blankets with the red light of the hearth fire against the softness of their cheeks, their dark heads just over the top of the blankets.
The smaller one snuffled and rubbed his nose in his sleep and Maedhros automatically smoothed his hand over the warm dark head and hummed the lullaby he had hummed over countless ages to other small boys. All dead now but one.
And this was not life.
No. He had not intended this.
His stump itched and he scratched it carelessly; it did that when he remembered.
| Major Characters: Elrond |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 450 |
| Posted on 24 May 2020 | Updated on 24 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Forms of Water by Lferion
Nerdanel works in expressive forms of fabric and water, under very different circumstances.
| Major Characters: Nerdanel, Vairë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Archetypes |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 406 |
| Posted on 19 May 2020 | Updated on 19 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Letting Light and Twilight Mingle by StarSpray
It is Elros and Elrond's tenth birthday, and Middle-earth receives an unexpected gift.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 265 |
| Posted on 18 May 2020 | Updated on 18 May 2020 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
Niphredil by Dawn Felagund, Grundy, Idrils Scribe, Nienna
A gift is forged in Middle-earth and passes through many hands to crown a queen. Written for the Team Storytelling challenge. Author and art credits are in the chapter notes.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Block Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 4 | Word Count: 5, 018 |
| Posted on 17 May 2020 | Updated on 17 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
A Thousand Miles by Talullah
Vardilmë speaks of her life.
| Major Characters: Vardilmë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 062 |
| Posted on 16 May 2020 | Updated on 16 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Fingolfin to Anaire by Himring
At the Feast of Reuniting, Fingolfin finds himself missing Anaire.
| Major Characters: Fingolfin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: Block Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 156 |
| Posted on 14 May 2020 | Updated on 14 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
MINE IS BETTER by bluehair
After a few busy days, I read a discord discussion and had to write this utter crack.
But yes, whose is better, between Fëanor and Fingolfin?
| Major Characters: Anairë, Fëanor, Fingolfin, Finwë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crackfic | Challenges: Crackuary, Sibling Rivalry |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 153 |
| Posted on 13 May 2020 | Updated on 13 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Fortune Teller by Talullah
Tindómiel searches for a teacher.
| Major Characters: Tindómiel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Block Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 117 |
| Posted on 12 May 2020 | Updated on 12 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
When Wind is on the Brow by Himring
Perhaps, when there were still Entings, not all of them conformed to the expectations laid down for their gender?
| Major Characters: Ents |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Block Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 98 |
| Posted on 10 May 2020 | Updated on 10 May 2020 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Lockdown Image Instadrabbling by Lindariel
From the Discord server session on 10 May 2020.
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Curufin, Eärendil, Finrod Felagund, Galadriel, Idril, Lúthien Tinúviel, Varda, Yavanna |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Block Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 7 | Word Count: 700 |
| Posted on 10 May 2020 | Updated on 10 May 2020 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
