Tolkien Meta Week Starts December 8!
Join us December 8-14, here and on Tumblr, as we share our thoughts, musings, rants, and headcanons about all aspects of Tolkien's world.
SWG News
We are currently accepting proposals to present your meta, research, and scholarship! Learn more about presenting your meta, research, and scholarship here.
Artists Needed to Create 2025 Challenge Stamps
We are soliciting help from artists who want to help create the stamps we award to challenge participants.
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.
New Challenge: Potluck Bingo
Sit down to a delicious selection of prompts served on bingo boards, created by the SWG community.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Silhouettes of Doom by Ecthelion
"At least we have learned that the sons of Fëanor can die too."
Nine POVs on the kinslaying at Doriath.
[Writing] Stream of Clashing Ice by Himring
Maglor and his companion almost drown in the River Lune.
[Writing] Kiss the ground / then turn from it by Elleth
After the attack on the Havens of Sirion, a figure from Maedhros' past comes face-to-face with him one last time.
[Writing] Mercy, Love by Elleth
Maedhros' rescue from Thangorodrim left him deeply scarred. But how did it impact Fingon as his rescuer? A drabble sequence from Thangorodrim to the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.
[Artwork] Aredhel at Eithel Ivrin by Anérea
Painting of Aredhel at the Pools of Ivrin
[Writing] Many Journeys by Elleth
A gathering place for ficlets of varying length written in response to prompts, prods and as gift ficlets.
New (added December 2024):
Instadrabbling fics from the SWG server event on February 17, which I never uploaded here, as well as a couple of shorter ficlets…
[Writing] Merry Midwinter by Aprilertuile
Snippets of life of a midwinter in Fëanáro and Nerdanel's household in Valinor, during the Age of the Trees.
Prompts will be as follow, taken from the Midwinter Bingo card (board by AdmirableMonster) :
Family ; Carols and Singing ; Death and rebirth ; Candles ; Sledding
…
Current Challenge
Festival of Lights Fest
This is a fun and low-key event meant to encourage works about or inspired by Hanukkah, running this year in conjunction with the Potluck Bingo challenge. Read more ...
Potluck Bingo
Help yourself to a collection of prompts on bingo boards designed by members and friends of the SWG. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Of All That Remains
Create a fanwork that features a memory from a character's childhood. Read more ...
New in References
Libraries at the Edge of Middle-earth: Fanworks, Archives, and Communities as Heritage by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Tolkien fanfiction archives both preserve the "libraries of Middle-earth" in the form of keeping Tolkien's original words alive and promote conversations around heritage as community and fan identity that keeps those central texts relevant to diverse fans in a rapidly changing world.
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.
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
[Multimedia] Entwined {text + podfic} by Anérea
First Age 116: in the foothills of the Orocani Mountains, west of Hildórien and far, far east of Beleriand.
Woman meets Maia in four perfect drabbles.
[Writing] Homage to the Song of Durin by Flora-lass
Legolas is inspired by Gimli's song - and by Gimli himself.
[Writing] Partners in Craft by elennalore
Annatar realises that he might like Celebrimbor too much.
Around the World and Web
Thorin's Spring Forge 2025
Sign-ups are open for Thorin's Spring Forge, a minibang-style event where writers and artists come together to create fanworks centred on Thorin Oakenshield.
Tolkien Pinup Calendar: Dead Dove December
Tolkien Pinup Calendar is hosting a December event for non-con smut fanworks.
Tolkien Pinup Calendar: 8 Nights of Smut
Tolkien Pinup Calendar and Hanukkah Bingo are teaming up for eight nights of naughty prompts.
Festival of Lights Fest 2024
This is a fun and low-key event meant to encourage works about or inspired by Hanukkah, running this year in conjunction with the Potluck Bingo challenge.
Fluffcember 2024
Fluffcember is a Tumblr event with daily fluffy prompts during the month of December.
Arda on Ice
As the Northern Hemisphere bids farewell to winter, we pay homage to a sport that, just like writing and art, involves both technical skill and artistry: figure skating. For this challenge, you will design a skating program using the prompts below. Before you begin, select the prompts you want to incorporate into your program. You can complete a program at four different levels:
- Novice: 3 prompts
- Junior: 5 prompts
- Senior: 7 prompts
- Pair/Team: 8 prompts shared between two or more creators
Prompts can be used in any order that you want and are intentionally broad, inviting a variety of different interpretations.
You can also collaborate with one or more other creators for the pair and team events! You can collaborate on a single fanwork, or you can collaborate to create multiple fanworks using a set of prompts. For example, one person might create a work of art, another might write a story about it, and a third creator could make a playlist, compose a poem to introduce the story, or conduct research to produce a comprehensive set of notes.
Thanks to Wanyin for suggesting this month's challenge and thanks to Lyra for the artwork used in the banner and stamps!
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
-
Jumps
Axel: give a little extra effort
Loop: end up back where you started
Toe Loop: something forceful
Salchow: end up somewhere new
Flip: something unexpected
Lutz: something edgy
Walley: overcome a minor obstacle
Euler: involve mathematics
Split: done with grace
Spins
Upright: a change of perspective
Sit: a low moment
Camel: interact with an animal
Blur: a moment of confusion
Layback: look skyward
Biellman: a stretch
Flying: a moment of uncertainty
Footwork
Three Turn: something that comes in threes
Choctaw: refugees/seeking refuge
Mohawk: forming an alliance
Chasse: moving forward
Toe Step: getting to the point
Bracket: an outsider
Counter: a comeback
Twizzle: in a whirl
Rocker: a quiet moment
Spiral: a gradual change
Spread Eagle: feeling pulled two ways at once
Ina Bauer: parallels
Fanworks Tagged with Arda on Ice
Lúcë (Enchantment) by Anérea
When Melian and Thingol met they silently stared at each other for two hundred years. What actually happened between them during that time? And why could no one find them?
Misty Mountains Tall by StarSpray
The road of the High Pass is blocked by boulders, but an attempted negotiation with the stone giant responsible goes unexpectedly sideways.
Might As Well Dance by Grundy, polutropos, daughterofshadows, Anérea
Beren, Lúthien, and Huan circling each other, love, and doom.
Breathe Again by Lferion
Breathing as an exercise of Fea and Hroa both; three drabbles.
Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress by Grundy
Three drabbles on a theme for Arda On Ice.
Arda on Ice stamp art by Lyra
You've heard of Lay of Leithian, the rock opera - now get ready for Lay of Leithian, the ice skating show. Well, not really. But when we were setting up the challenges for 2022, I couldn't help envisioning characters from the Lay of Leithian as skaters for the Arda on Ice challenge.
Coming home by daughterofshadows
Gondolin is finally ready to welcome its people.
Among the buzz of moving in, a long awaited reunion takes place.
Lúcëmetta (Enchantment's End) by Anérea
Melian and Thingol awake from their enchantment in Nan Elmoth.
Enchantment by Anérea
When Melian and Thingol met they silently stared at each other for two hundred years. What actually happened between them during that time? And why could no one find them?
What was, what is, and what might be by chrissystriped
Osse and Nowe share some private time together. Nowe has a question about Osse's past. Osse does not want the Teleri to leave for Aman.
