A Sense of History: Straight Road
The next in a series of articles about ships passing to and from the West, Simon uses "The Fall of Númenor" to attempt to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to "Beowulf."
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Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback
Our Fandom Voices project tackles the fraught questions of feedback: what it is like to leave and receive feedback in the world of Tolkien fanworks.
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New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Meeting the In-Laws by awwyeah107
Caranthir is nervous about meeting Haleth’s father and brother for the first time. Haleth is sure everything will go well.
[Reference] Straight Road by Simon J. Cook
The Fall of Númenor offers the evidence used to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to Beowulf.
[Artwork] Morgoth's prisoner by elennalore
Maedhros in Angband
[Reference] Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Over thirty people contributed their thoughts on the experience of leaving and receiving feedback on fanworks. Emotions run high on all sides, but community and connections emerge as factors that promote feedback while easing its difficulties for readers and viewers.
[Writing] Coincidences of Fate by cílil
Sometimes Eönwë wonders if his life is just like Manwë's romance novels. Sometimes he even thinks the One may be laughing at him from above.
A story told in exactly 4 1/3 drabbles.
[Writing] Tengwar Drabbles by cílil
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
It's Magic!
Incorporate elements of fantasy or magic into a fanwork. Read more ...
New in References
Straight Road by Simon J. Cook
The Fall of Númenor offers the evidence used to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to Beowulf.
Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Over thirty people contributed their thoughts on the experience of leaving and receiving feedback on fanworks. Emotions run high on all sides, but community and connections emerge as factors that promote feedback while easing its difficulties for readers and viewers.
Fandom Voices: Using Fanon in Fanworks by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Sixteen Tolkien fans contributed their definitions of and experiences with fanon or fan-generated theories about the legendarium.
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
Eönwë Week 2024
Eönwë Week is a Tumblr event for creating fanworks about Eönwë.
Teitho August/September Contest: Do you remember ...?
For the contest theme for August and September, characters will look back to the past.
August challenge at tolkienshortfanworks on Dreamwidth
The August challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. The thematic challenge is: magic trees. The formal challenge is: call and response. New participants welcome.
August 2024 Call for Papers and Proposals
Calls for papers and proposals for conferences and publications that are open during the month of August 2024.
Innumerable Stars 2024
Innumerable Stars is a Tolkien fandom gift exchange for all works by Tolkien or associated with Middle-earth.
How Far Away by Zdenka
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Chapter 1
How far away? As far as flame from ice.
The swan-ships burn, the sea-waves rise in wrath,
And Maedhros thinks, This cannot be undone;
But Fingon treads that cold and bitter path,
And flowers rise before the new-born Sun.
How far away? As far as pain from hope.
Dark smoke and vapors hide the light of day;
Bereft and weary, Fingon searches long.
He lifts his harp--and faint and far away,
He hears a song in answer to his song.
How far away? As far as east from west.
Anfauglith stretches like a gash between;
Beset by wine and silence and despair,
Words fail them, and they say not what they mean,
And Fingon holds a single copper hair.
How far away? As far as death from life.
"The day has come!"--Fingon's triumphant shout--
But triumph shatters against Angband's walls,
And Maedhros wakes to find his light gone out,
And wields a bloodied sword, and falls--and falls--
How far away? As far as life from death.
No journey and no prayer, no harp and sword
May open Mandos' dark relentless gates;
And Maedhros burns, ears deaf to Námo's word,
And Fingon builds a house, and waits--and waits . . .
How far away? As close as hand and hand.
The Sun grows old, and Vairë tends her loom,
And Fingon prays upon the mountain's height . . .
And two asleep within a quiet room,
And day is blessed, and also blessed the night.
Chapter End Notes
The last line is meant to reference Frodo's words in The Return of the King: "Now not day only shall be beloved, but night too shall be beautiful and blessed and all its fear pass away!"
