January Challenge: Jubilee
In celebration of our twentieth birthday year, create for any of our past challenges and earn stamps that you missed!
SWG News
The interest form for fanworks creators is now open. Sign-ups for fanworks begin on February 15. Learn more about sharing a fanwork at Mereth Aderthad here.
Mereth Aderthad 2025: Call for Fanworks
Do you want to share a fanwork at Mereth Aderthad? The interest form for fanworks creators is now open, and sign-ups for fanworks will begin on February 15.
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.
Jubilee Instadrabbling, January 18-19, 2025
As part of our upcoming Jubilee amnesty challenge, we will be instadrabbling on our Discord on January 18 and 19.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Through the Long Night by Idle Leaves
Maedhros comes to Barad Eithel after the Dagor Bragollach and the fall of Fingolfin.
[Writing] Signs of Healing by AdmirableMonster
Pengolodh chances upon a young human girl who has been brought to Rivendell for healing. He soon discovers they have more in common than he expected.
[Writing] Celebrimbor: 30-Day Character Study by cloudyhymns
Notes and writings on Celebrimbor, following the 30-Day Character Study challenge prompts.
[Writing] Shadow's Instadrabbles by daughterofshadows
The home of my insta-drabbling pieces!
(and the odd drabble of undetermined origin)
[Writing] Tyelkormo's Great Escape by Aprilertuile
Tyelkormo was currently outside the house, hiding from his mother.
It was nearly winter and every winter was peak matchmaking activity time in Tirion’s palace. So Nerdanel focused more on her sons at this period since she wanted them to make a good impression so they could find a…
[Series] Wise Hearts by Anérea
An evolving series exploring the life and times of the two wise-women of the Edain in Beleriand, Adanel and Andreth.
[Writing] Of Circles and Cycles by Anérea
A thoughtful young girl of about eight, Andreth comes to live with Adanel and begins learning her lore...
(part of a W in very slow P series)
Current Challenge
Jubilee
This January, for our annual amnesty challenge, any challenge from January 2017 onward is fair game! Read more ...
Random Challenge
Funky 70s
Choose a prompt from books, movies, quotes, headlines, style, and more from the 1970s. Read more ...
New in References
Vidumavi of the Northmen by Secondborn
A seemingly minor character, Vidumavi's story illustrates the themes of fellowship, the fading of faerie, and the dangers of racial hierarchy.
Tolkien, His Gnarly Canon, and His Authority by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data from 2015 and 2020 shows that Tolkien fans have diverse views on Tolkien's authority but suggests that adherence to his authority is decreasing over time.
So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Writing the Proposal by SWG Newsletter Staff
Video and materials from our session on how to write a proposal for a Tolkien conference. The session covers how conferences work, the different types of sessions, and how to structure and write a proposal.
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] Scatha's Bed by Himring
Like Smaug, Scatha, a great cold-drake of the North, keeps track of his hoard.
[Writing] Meadow Flowers & Butterflies by StarSpray
A collection of non-Silm-based drabbles and ficlets.
[Writing] Seven Names by Anne Wolfe
Seven names a princess of Rohan and daughter of Helm Hammerhand might have borne, and the fates that accompany them.
Around the World and Web
Finish Your Fucking Fics February 2025
A low-key bingo card challenge that aims to help authors clean out works-in-progress during the month of February.
Fandom Trumps Hate 2025
FTH is an online auction of fanworks that generates donations to progressive nonprofits that are working to protect marginalized people.
Femslash Big Bang 2025
Femslash Big Bang is a multifandom big bang for fiction of 10K+ words and artwork.
January 2025 Call for Papers and Proposals
Calls for papers and conference proposals that are open during the month of January.
January Challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The January challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. The prompts are: small comforts; include a list of ingredients. New participants welcome.
Vintage
Back in the day… It’s not just fashion that changes with the times, literary and artistic trends do also. But it’s nice to take a stroll along memory lane from time to time, and so we present Vintage.
This month's challenge will offer bingo cards with vintage literary, artistic, and fandom concepts as prompts. You may pick your card(s), and use one prompt, complete rows or lines on the cards, or fill an entire card. If you choose multiple prompts, you can incorporate them into one or multiple fanworks.
Below, you will find cards as well as text-only prompts. Remember that if you need assistance in putting together rows using the text prompts, you can contact the mods and we're happy to help.
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
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Vintage Literature Text Prompts
B1: Tale within a tale
B2: Marriage Plot
B3: Sins of our fathers
B4: Epistolary
B5: ScientifictionI1: It was a dark and stormy night…
I2: Ghost Story
I3: Flashback
I4: Literary Fairy Tale
I5: Serialized StoriesN1: Parody
N2: Whodunnit
N3: Free Space
N4: Sketch Comedy
N5: Dream within a dreamG1: Boarding School Story
G2: 6-word story
G3: Comedy of Manners
G4: Masked Vigilante
G5: Urban FantasyO1: Radio Play
O2: Lost at sea
O3: Happily Ever After
O4: Magic Realism
O5: Fable
Vintage Art Text Prompts
B1: Medieval Color Palette
B2: Pop Art
B3: Screen Painting
B4: Engraving/Etching
B5: Macaroni ArtI1: Embroidery/ Tapestry
I2: Psychedelia
I3: Art Deco
I4: 50s color palette
I5: MosaicN1: Pointillism
N2: '70s/'80s Color Palette
N3: Free Space
N4: Quilling
N5: Illumination!G1: Newspaper Comic Strip
G2: Black figure pottery
G3: Arthur Rackham style
G4: Stained glass
G5: MonochromeO1: Dadaism
O2: Walk like an Egyptian
O3: Victorian Color Palette
O4: Silhouette portrait
O5: Woodcut
Vintage Poetry Text Prompts
B1: Alliterative Verse
B2: Villanelle
B3: Satirical Poem
B4: Dizain
B5: AlexandrineI1: Acrostic
I2: Ghazal
I3: Renga
I4: Broadside Ballad
I5: Verse EpicN1: Aubade
N2: Narrative Poem
N3: Free Space
N4: Bredlik
N5: Sea shantyG1: Sestina
G2: Limerick
G3: Elegy
G4: Tanka
G5: RondeauO1: Filk
O2: Ode
O3: Epigram
O4: Sonnet
O5: Dadaist Poetry
Vintage Fanworks Text Prompts
B1: Apocafic
B2: Everybody lives
B3: Together, they fight crime!
B4: 10th Walker
B5: Rule 34I1: Wingfic
I2: Lemon
I3: Wangst
I4: Character Falls into the modern world
I5: Magical Healing ElvesN1: Five Things/ Five Times
N2: Hobbitpile
N3: Free Space
N4: Spoof
N5: SongficG1: Tolkienian Prose
G2: Curtainfic
G3: Legomance
G4: Rule 63
G5: Fake DatingO1: Girl Falls into Middle-earth
O2: Anklebiters
O3: What if Character X had taken the Ring ...?
O4: Filk
O5: Smarm
Fanworks Tagged with Vintage
In the deep dark forest by daughterofshadows
Escape attempt from Nan Elmoth
Noldolantë by cuarthol
Filk of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'
A musical/poetic exploration of the Fall of the Noldor - 'Noldolantë' - from the discord sewn by Melkor to Fëanor's death.
But Not Always Sweet by Grundy
A collection of short responses, both drabbles and ficlets, to the prompts for the Vintage challenge.
SWG Vintage Challenge by Lferion
25 chapters assembled into five stories. Each chapter fills four prompts, one from each of the four cards in the SWG May 2022 Vintage Bingo Challenge, for a total of 100 prompts filled.
The five stories are not all in the same continuity/universe -- for one thing, Ilverien and Red Crow cannot coexist, though there are elements they have in common -- but all of them can be read as part of an overall set of ideas.
Free Press by Lferion
Four colleagues work together on increasingly complex challenges in storytelling.
Red Crow by Lferion
Glimpses of life in Aman, after the events of arriviste's void junk and Idrils_Scribe's Wings of White and Silver-grey.
Candles and Confidences by grey_gazania
Elrond and Gil-galad play a game and discuss some painful truths about their families.
Letters to the West by daughterofshadows
Erferil writes letters to someone who once was very dear to her.
And even if Amrûn cannot reply, the letters still comfort her.
Water Music by grey_gazania
Elrond, newly arrived to Balar, has a brief conversation with Gil-galad that makes him reassess his situation.
Three Bredlik Poems by Himring
Three bredlik poems featuring an unnamed orc, Melian and Tilion.
Full of Gorgeous Life by StarSpray
Three of Nerdanel's sons come home: a trio of double-drabbles.
Too Late, Cried the Gulls by grey_gazania
“Too late the ships of Círdan and Gil-galad the High King came hasting to the aid of the Elves of Sirion; and Elwing was gone, and her sons.” - The Silmarillion
Five Letters Caranthir Sent His Wife (And One Letter He Didn't) by grey_gazania
When Fëanor is exiled to Formenos, his seven sons accompany him, but Caranthir's wife stays behind in Tirion. A selection of their correspondence.
Written for the Vintage challenge prompts "epistolary" and "five things".
The Kids Are All Right Outtakes by grey_gazania
Scenes that didn't make it into "The Kids Are All Right", whether because I couldn't make them fit or because they were from the wrong POV.
Clad Much in Grey by Lindariel
Alatáriel accepts a mission on behalf of her family and encounters the mystery at the heart of a secret.
The Kids Are All Right by grey_gazania
As the survivors from Nargothrond come to Balar and the Fell Winter sets in, the girl who will become Gil-galad struggles alongside her friends to find a ray of hope in a darkness that seems unending.
Shadow's Instadrabbles by daughterofshadows
The home of my insta-drabbling pieces!
(and the odd drabble of undetermined origin)
