We're at the time of the year where big fandom events like Back to Middle-earth Month and Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang begin to appear on the calendar. And we've welcomed lots of new members in the past several months. Put those together, and there are probably a few people wondering, "I've written something; now where do I find someone to beta-read my story?"
Beta-reading is a fandom practice that involves a reader giving feedback on a story before it is posted publicly. "Giving feedback" is intentionally vague because beta-reading looks different for every author and reader. Some dig deep into the workings of a story, others focus on a specific area like dialogue or characterization, and still others copyedit and catch all those there/their/they're-type mistakes.
If you're looking for a beta, we can help. We have a beta directory on our site where writers can search for betas who specialize in what they most need for a story, whether that's someone to help with pacing and plot or someone who knows a ton about the Second Age. If you belong to our Discord server, we also have a #beta-finder channel there, which is especially useful when you end up pinch-hitting for an exchange and need someone fast.
If you want to help writers get their stories into shape, consider adding yourself to our beta directory! Anyone with an SWG membership can do so. Go to your profile and click the Beta Profile tab at the top. Note the checkbox "Activate This Profile" at the bottom; if you need to go on hiatus and don't want people to contact you, just uncheck this box, and you will be removed from the list without losing your profile data. When you're ready to be put back on, just recheck the box.
Finally, as the News below shows, we have some upcoming dates and events! First, the "abstract gallery" of Mereth Aderthad presentations will be made available in a week for people considering creating a fanwork for the event. If you want to know when the abstract gallery opens and have not added your name to our interest form, make sure you do! Fanworks sign-ups will open February 15.
We also have an instadrabbling session coming up on February 15 at 18:00/6PM UTC (find this in my timezone). The session will focus on Maedhros and Maglor's relationship, timed just before Maedhros & Maglor Week that begins the next day. (We are not affiliated with Maedhros & Maglor Week.) You can learn more about the instadrabbling session here and join our Discord here.
SWG News
New Challenge: Musicals
Prompts this month come from musicals.
So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Putting Together the Presentation
The video and materials from our latest session of "So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference?" are now available. This session covers crafting a paper intended for presentation and designing helpful, accessible visuals to accompany your talk.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow
Dragons are one of the most familiar creatures in Tolkien's world and one of the least understood. In this interview, Shadow spoke with cloudyhymns about his Mereth Aderthad presentation "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," the nature of dragons and their connections with Dwarves, and the musicality of Tolkien's works.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June
The first Saturday of each month, we will be hosting instadrabbling on our Discord server.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with polutropos by Dawn
"And love grew after between them"—those words have fascinated a fandom intent on revealing the how and why of the "kidnap fam" plot point in "The Silmarillion." In this interview, polutropos discusses her upcoming Mereth Aderthad paper on the topic, “'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium."
Mereth Aderthad Registration Is Open!
Registration for attending Mereth Aderthad is open for both in-person and virtual attendees and will remain open through the day of the event.
New Challenge: Birthday Bash
In honor of our twentieth birthday, we look back at twenty years of SWG history with a new poetry, image, and word prompt each day.
Character of the Month: Vidumavi of the Northmen
A seemingly minor character, Vidumavi's story illustrates the themes of fellowship, the fading of faerie, and the dangers of racial hierarchy.
Tolkien Fanartics: Mapping Arda - The Second Age
In the third part of the Mapping Arda series, Anérea and Varda delle Stelle present a selection of fan-created maps of the lands of the Second Age.
Fun and Games
We periodically feature Tolkien-themed puzzles made by our members. The New York Times' game Connections requires players to group a set of words into four groups of four. This week's Tolkien Connections can be found here. Find full directions on how to play here. If you'd like to make a puzzle, reply to this newsletter or contact us. Past games can be found in the Tolkien Connections collection.
New Fanworks
Sketch of Maglor by the sea by by randomhamster [Artwork]
A simple sketch of Maglor playing his harp by the sea, uploaded to use as my new profile picture
Read more ...The Last Maker by by Ecthelion [Writing]
In the end, the master of lies made the mistake of underestimating him.
A story of Celebrimbor, the last of the House of Fëanor in Middle-erath.
Gloredhel, in Brethil, to Galdor of Dor-lomin. F.A. 458 by by Himring [Writing]
Gloredhel writes to her brother, after his sons have gone missing.
We know that Hurin and Huor were rescued by Eagles and carried to Gondolin, but their relatives, at this point, don't.
Scion of Kings by by silmalope [Artwork]
Drawing my favorite Gil-galad origin headcanon, wherein Fingon stumbles across a stray war orphan in the battlefield.
Read more ...Sorrow Beyond Song by by AndrethS@elind3791 [Writing]
The fall of Fingolfin from Fingon's perspective
Read more ...On the Nature of Time by by Elrond's Library [Writing]
A series of half-drabbles using the one word prompts for the March/April 2025 Birthday Bash Challenge, looking at the perception of time through the eyes of Maiar (in general) and Maedhros (specifically).
Read more ...Guard You in Sleep by by Zdenka [Writing]
Níniel comforts Finduilas after a nightmare.
Read more ...Updated Fanworks
High in the Clean Blue Air by by StarSpray [Writing]
They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky shores and the cliffs and the sandy beaches. The gulls, and the dunes, and the tide pools with their ever-changing denizens. Someone began to sing a song of farewell, and other voices took it up. He did not join them.
Maglor keeps a promise, and comes to Valinor, only to find the ghosts he thought he'd left behind are alive and waiting for him.
Read more ...Shadows of Us by by Artano [Writing]
Finrod is truamatized from the sudden responsibility thrust upon him and from crossing the Helcaraxë. When he receives a message stating the Petty-dwarves of Nargothrond plan to murder his people, he exiles them. Mîm decides to assassinate Finrod to stop him. What could go wrong?
Read more ...She Hath My Love (Drabbles about Women) by by Elrond's Library [Writing]
A collection of drabbles about women in Tolkien's Legendarium.
Read more ...An Essay on the Sons of Fëanor by by clotho123 [Writing]
An overview of the Sons of Fëanor and their role in Tolkien's Silmarillion writings
Read more ...Dream of the Black Sword by by Flora-lass [Writing]
Beleg comforts Gwindor in Taur-nu-Fuin, and is rewarded.
Read more ...The Writhen Pool by by pandemonium_213 [Writing]
When the Istyari of Second Age Ost-in-Edhil deny her a place in an important new initiative to be taken up by the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, a young master smith struggles to make her mark in the man's realm of the forges. An opportunity arrives when the smith is offered a commission that will present challenges of both mind and heart.
Pandë!verse-centric.
Rated Adult. Specific advisories will be posted per chapter as needed.
Two — count 'em, two — new chapters posted!
Chapter 10, In the Bright Light of Morning
Summary: The morning after arriving in Ost-in-Edhil, Elrond and Erestor each suffer from the aches and pains of the long road from Mithlond as well as from other sources.
Chapter 11, The Path's Heart
Summary: Elrond finds a nearly comatose Mélamírë in dire straits. She resists his attempts to reach her through sanwe-latya, until, with her permission, he gives her a bitter medicine that allows them to share a dream, called the lugnolossê by an ancient shaman of the Unbegotten.
Read more ...Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
Rosemary for Remembrance by by Himring [Multimedia]
Three years after Arathorn's death, Gilraen receives a letter.
It contains a short poem and a sprig of rosemary.
Read more ...Around the World and Web
Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (TRSB) Sign-Ups Open!
The Tolkien Reserve Summer Bang is a collaborative fan event celebrating the works and adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien. Writers and artists will team up to bring new stories to life—from the Shire to the far reaches of Valinor (and everything in between).
April Challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for April has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic prompt is: wood. The formal challenge is: linnod (Gilraen's canonical verse form). These can be filled separately and freely combined with other challenges and prompts that allow this.
Tolkien Ekphrasis Week 2025
This is a Tolkien-fandom-wide event dedicated to the art of ekphrasis in Tolkien's worlds. Its goal is to illuminate the artistic surroundings of the places, people, and stories we love, in as many media as possible.
Teitho March/April Challenge: Mothers
The Teitho Contest theme for the months of March and April is mothers.
Silmarillion Epistolary Week 2025
Silmarillion Epistolary is a challenge dedicated to creating fanworks to tell the story of the Silmarillion in the style of an epistolary novel.
