Bingo Cards Wanted for Potluck Bingo
Our November-December challenge will be Potluck Bingo, featuring cards created by you! If you'd like to create cards or prompts for cards, we are taking submissions.
SWG News
Tolkien Meta Week, December 8-14
We will be hosting a Tolkien Meta Week in December, here on the archive and on our Tumblr, for nonfiction fanworks about Tolkien.
New Challenge: Orctober
Orcs on a quest for freedom seek a place sheltered and safe from the Dark Lord. Fulfill prompts to gather the clues needed to bring them to freedom.
Mereth Aderthad 2025: Call for Presenters for Meta, Research, and Scholarship Open
We welcome proposals from creators of meta, research, and scholarship about Tolkien for our July 2025 hybrid Mereth Aderthad event!
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] know that all my love will be your breath by Zdenka
Rían falls unconscious at the Mound of the Slain and hears Huor's voice telling her to live.
[Writing] Shadow's Instadrabbles by daughterofshadows
The home of my insta-drabbling pieces!
(and the odd drabble of undetermined origin)
[Writing] One Flesh, One Soul. Part II by FellFireFan
The fates of the lovers have been sealed. After Aegnor makes a promise to Andreth he seeks council one last time from Finrod to reveal the identity of the maiden who had stolen his heart and hopes Finrod will share in his newfound happiness. However, it does not go well between the brothers, and…
[Artwork] Annatar in Mandos by AdmirableMonster
Annatar in Mandos, as described by Fingon in Chthonion's masterful Harrowing series
[Writing] Freed by daughterofshadows
Fingon rescued Maedhros from Thangorodrim. In the dungeons of Angband, a flicker of hope is lit. If they can escape, perhaps so can others. If nothing else, they must try.
[Writing] All Hues and Honeys by Dawn Felagund
This is my latest collection of pieces too small to stand alone, often written for events on the SWG Discord.
The Latest:
"The First Orc." An Elven scout dreams of captivity.
[Artwork] Laughter and Mourning by silmalope
Laughter and Mourning, the daughters of Húrin. An illustration for the 2024 Orctober challenge prompt “eyes”.
Current Challenge
Potluck Bingo
As the year draws to a close, we gather with friends and share memories and gifts and, of course, a good meal. And there’s nothing like a potluck to make sure there’s something for everyone! For our last challenge of 2024, we’re offering Potluck Bingo. We hope to have a smorgasbord of bingo cards made by you prompting a delectable spread of fanworks, with something to suit all tastes. (The mods will contribute a few boards to get things started. But as with any potluck, the more, the merrier!) 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
Doom and Ascent: The Argument of ‘Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics’ by Simon J. Cook
Simon reads 'Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics' to conclude his account of the Anglo-Saxon tower of its allegory.
Why People Don't Comment: Data and History From the Tolkienfic Fandom by Dawn Walls-Thumma
A reworking of the 2018 article for Long Live Feedback that includes data from the 2020 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey, pointing to a lack of comments as related to skill, confidence, and community connection.
Death, Grief, and the Other in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The narrator of the Quenta Silmarillion uses death, grief, and mourning rituals to generate sympathy for or dehumanize groups of characters considered the Other.
Featured Themed Collection
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fiction, artwork, and essays that transcend the idea of Orcs as the enemy, instead considering their humanity.
Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Partners in Craft by elennalore
Annatar realises that he might like Celebrimbor too much.
[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.
Around the World and Web
Teitho November/December Contest: Healing
The theme for Teitho's November/December contest is healing.
Lord of the Rings Secret Santa 2024
LotR SESA has been ongoing for twenty-one years and is running again this year as a prompt meme hosted on AO3 for all genres of Tolkien-based fanfiction.
Barduil Holiday Exchange 2024
This gift exchange is open to all sorts of fanworks in the Barduil pairing.
Kiliel Week 2024
Kiliel Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about the Kili/Tauriel pairing.
November challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The challenge for November has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic prompt: refuge. Formal challenge: include imitation of a sound. As always, these can be filled independently and also freely combined with SWG and other challenges. New participants welcome!
Gilraen leaves for Rivendell by Himring
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Gilraen leaves for Rivendell
Farewell, the smoky cottage, farewell, the tear-soaked pillow!
A son of Elrond rides to my right, a son of Elrond rides to my left,
but I would not have chosen to leave the Angle,
did I not carry Hope of the Dunedain on my saddlebow.
Farewell, foresighted mother, farewell, my troubled father!
I will pen brief letters home without name or signature.
I would not have chosen to leave the Angle,
did I not carry Hope of the Dunedain in my arms.
Chilblains in winter, flooding in spring,
midges in summer— brief and hard the lives of the Dunedain,
but I would never have chosen to leave the Angle,
did I not carry the Hope of our people against my heart.
Chapter End Notes
This was originally posted to Many Paths to Tread, I think, and uploaded to AO3 in 2014.
One of the excellent stories by Rhapsody that inspired it is The Greatest Gift of All.
