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.
Middle-earth Is Multitudes
In notes to W.H. Auden's review of Return of the King, Tolkien wrote, "The theatre of my tale is this earth, the one in which we now live ..." Middle-earth, being a world much like our own, is home to a wide range of characters. In addition to fantasy peoples and creatures that populate Tolkien's imagined world, because Middle-earth is an analogue of our Earth, there would have been diversity within those groups as well, much like in our own world. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on as many character groups as we can fit in—and to be honest, we ran out of space. We hope there is something for everyone in this month’s prompts!
The Middle-earth Is Multitudes challenge will feature two new prompts every day, recognizing the diversity of the people who inhabit Middle-earth. One prompt will focus on a group within Middle-earth, while the second prompt will focus on additional identities or characteristics.
- You do not need to complete a prompt on the day it is featured.
- You can complete one prompt or both, and you can combine prompts from different days.
- Fanworks can but do not need to center on the character's identity; the bigger aim of this challenge is to include more diverse characters in our fanworks in a variety of roles, not only in fanworks that focus on that particular identity.
- We expect there will be overlap between prompts and want to encourage participants not to overthink if a particular character meets a prompt. If you think a person belongs in a particular group, that is good enough for us.
Many thanks go to Ettelenë for creating this month's stamps!
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
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Text Prompts
March 15
Ainur
Displaced and refugee charactersMarch 16
Petty-dwarves
Textual ghostsMarch 17
Orcs
Elderly charactersMarch 18
Hobbits
Nonbinary charactersMarch 19
Minyar
Pansexual charactersMarch 20
Trolls
ChildrenMarch 21
Edain
Ace-spec charactersMarch 22
Nelyar
Characters of colorMarch 23
Stone-giants
WomenMarch 24
Firebeards & Broadbeams
Trans charactersMarch 25
Easterlings
Characters with a physical disabilityMarch 26
Balrogs
Enslaved charactersMarch 27
Haradrim
Bisexual charactersMarch 28
Tatyar
Deaf or hard-of-hearing charactersMarch 29
Dragons
Nomadic or itinerant charactersMarch 30
Longbeards
Gay charactersMarch 31
Northmen
Characters who don’t speak the dominant languageApril 1
Nazgûl
Characters with an intellectual or developmental disabilityApril 2
Avari
Neurodiverse charactersApril 3
Valar
Indigenous charactersApril 4
Barrow-wights
Characters with mobility issuesApril 5
Peredhil
Characters with mental health issuesApril 6
Ents and Entwives
Lesbian charactersApril 7
Spiders
AdolescentsApril 8
Maiar
Characters with a learning disabilityApril 9
Ironfists & Stiffbeards
Character who belongs to an ethnic minorityApril 10
Blacklocks & Stonefoots
Aro-spec charactersApril 11
Númenóreans & Black Númenóreans
Blind/low vision charactersApril 12
Dúnedain
Character following a non-dominant religionApril 13
Eagles
Intersex charactersApril 14
Huorns
Nonspeaking characters and characters with speech disordersApril 15
Istari
Nonliterate characters
Fanworks Tagged with Middle-earth Is Multitudes
Forest-dwellers by chrissystriped
Rog helps a visitor with his prosthesis.
Assistance by Himring
Early in the Second Age, Gil-galad receives an important collaborator.
Flames by elennalore
From an account of an enslaved Elf in Angband.
Portrait of Eärwen, Swan Maiden of Alqualondë by between_thepages
A portrait of Eärwen, created for Middle-earth is Multitudes
Written and Unwritten by Grundy
Young Feanor learns a lesson.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall by reindeer_pizza
Tyelkormo is the beloved daughter of Nerdanel and Fëanor. But what if she doesn't want to be a daughter?
Before the Storm by polutropos
As Elwing navigates uncertainties about identity, rulership, and her impending motherhood, a chance meeting with a reclusive woman of the Haladin leads to a relationship that will give her strength facing the challenges to come. [WiP. Rating based on chapter 1 but will change to Adult.]
Of The Fate of Eluréd and Elurín by cuarthol
The cruel servants of Celegorm seized [Dior's] young sons and left them to starve in the forest... and of the fate of Eluréd and Elurín no tale tells.
Breaking Into Light by StarSpray
Glingaereth meets the crown prince of the Noldor by chance, if chance you call it.
“All the same, sister, be careful.”
“Me?” Glingaereth said. “Careful of what?”
“Of that prince.”
“What, Fingon? If you are worried about the Noldor’s feuds, he is the one who brought them to an end.”
Limbeleth shook her head. “I can’t explain it. It isn’t that you need worry about him, but—I have an uneasy feeling about them all, and I feel also that you will be bound up in their fate somehow.”
We Made Our Own by cuarthol
Finduilas has accompanied Finrod on a visit to Doriath, but she is soon drawn out into the forest to explore the land of hidden enchantments.
Rise before sunset by firstamazon
A disabled young man is approached by a mysterious stranger. A triple drabble.
Awesome Ladies by daughterofshadows
4 women, 4 story cycles, 400 words each.
Snapshots from the lives of four incredible women in Tolkien.
Cry the color of love by firstamazon
Míriel Þerindë was one of a kind.
A Promise of the Sun by cuarthol
The roles of youth and age trade places.
Finduilas may be one of the few among the Eldar of Nargothrond who can understand the changes which age brings to Bëor.
For One Year, One Day, of the Flame by cuarthol
Andreth prepares for the approach of midwinter, while Aegnor seeks to right a choice from long ago, before it is too late.
A Day's Journey through Minas Tirith by Himring
Ioreth has to endure some of the physical drawbacks of advanced age, but there are also people who accord her the kindness and respect she deserves.
Breath of life by firstamazon
A triple drabble - and a brief history - of an old orc.
A King Is He Who Can Hold His Own by sallysavestheday
Fleeing the fall of Doriath, Oropher is called into the kingship of the Greenwood.
Pages from the Archives of Cîr Imladris by Lferion
Elrond took his library with him to Valinor. In that archive are many things, and the librarians and archivists of Cîr Imladris (New Rivendell) are kept delightfully busy.
