Archive Software Upgrade and Downtime on April 19, 2025
Expect site outages on Saturday, April 19, 2025 as we perform a major software update on the archive.
SWG News
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."
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] High in the Clean Blue Air by StarSpray
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…
[Series] I made loving you a blood sport by atlantablack
In which Fëanor & Fingolfin are re-embodied in 4th age Aman, are nowhere near as healed as everyone believes them to be, and decide to pretend that sleeping together will fix their relationship instead of causing more problems.
[Writing] evidence of a love that transcends hunger by atlantablack
Fëanor does not even get a chance to finish being annoying before Fingolfin’s eyes flash with something far too dark to be only fury and his hand snaps out to grab a handful of Fëanor’s hair. He wrenches Fëanor’s head back in a move that is so surprisingly painful it throws him off balance. In…
[Writing] Not Going Without You by StarSpray
Daeron is caught by orcs in the shadow of the Ephel Dúath, but is rescued by someone entirely unexpected.
[Series] Instadrabbling by SWG Moderators
We get together from time to time on the SWG Discord and produce spontaneous fanworks based on randomly chosen prompts. This collection includes drabbles, ficlets, and other flash fanworks produced as part of our instadrabbling sessions.
[Writing] April Fancies by AdmirableMonster
A series of short responses to instadrabbling prompts on Sat, Apr 5, 2025.
[Writing] She Hath My Love (Drabbles about Women) by Elrond's Library
A collection of drabbles about women in Tolkien's Legendarium.
Current Challenge
Birthday Bash
Daily word, image, and poetry prompts are loosely structured around events and milestones leading up to our 20th birthday. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Back to Nature
Create a fanwork that considers conflicts with nature--both overt and symbolic--and characters' relationships with that which is natural in their world. Read more ...
New in References
Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow by cloudyhymns, daughterofshadows
Shadow spoke with cloudyhymns about his upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025, "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," where he shares his theory about how Dwarves and dragons are connected in the legendarium, a topic full of implications for fanworks.
Interview with polutropos by Dawn by polutropos, Dawn Felagund
Dawn spoke with polutropos about her upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad, “'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium," including the appeal of kidnap fam, the appeal of Maglor's character, and how The Silmarillion as an incomplete, complex word makes it ripe for both fanworks and scholarship.
Maglor by polutropos
As one of the most beloved Silmarillion characters, Maglor is a bundle of contradictions undergirded by a complex textual history. Warrior, musician, wanderer, and survivor, Maglor brings to the fore key themes in Tolkien's early legendarium, such as the role of music, oaths, and exile.
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] Paradox of the Fourth Age by Alassante
One wrong decision can make a world of difference. When one of the Fellowship makes the mistake, the consequences are so severe that only the Valar can repair it. But will they?
Glorfindel daughter's life is in Elrohir's hands and only she remembers th eir love for each other. The fate of…
[Writing] By Mirrormere by bunn
A new Age dawns, and Moria is retaken at last.
[Writing] Beneath the Bitter Rain by bunn
The Gardens of the Entwives are fallen, but two Entwives remain.
Around the World and Web
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.
Celedriel Week 2025
Celedriel Week is a Tumblr events for fanworks about Galadriel and Celeborn.
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.
Fanworks Tagged with Drama
My Preciousssss Mary Sues by whitewave
The main theme of the Non-Canon stories here will be Humor/Parody, bordering on the "Heretic". Please do not read if you are easily offended by these contents.
All stories will contain much adult language, innuendo, nudity, suggestive/compromising positions, and many embarassing situations for the characters, especially the Fëanorions and Mary Sue.
Somewhere I Have Never Travelled by The Wavesinger
My Finduilas/Nienor stories in the \'Somewhere I Have Never Travelled\' AU \'verse.
The Secret Chronicles of the Ainur by Russandol
All of my stories about the Valar and the Maiar. Most of them derived from Chasing Mirages.
Ratings and warning for individual stories vary, please check.
Lord and Liegeman by Lferion
Fingon was a king whether or not he used the title. He was a king because people chose to follow him, people who were lords themselves, with their own liegefolk. And the model for lordship at that level among the Noldor was kingship.
Opus of the tales untold by tinni
What happened to Maglor? Does Elured and Elurin live? Did the sons of Elrond choose the doom of man or the fate of the eldar? Find out in the Opus of the tales untold!
Laurëlot by hennethgalad
Finrod and Glorfindel. golden flowers.
Sons Of Justice by Gwenniel
The Sons of Feanor do only what they themselves deem right. They swore an Oath. A promise no one should make. For that they were forced into exile, for that they were both hated and feared.
A take on events in the lives of the sons of Fëanor, wordcounts vary from 5,000 to 20,000 and each told from a different son\'s perspective. Focuses on subjects such as loyalty, friendship and justice.
Completed POVs: Curufin, Caranthir, Maedhros, Amras.
Listed in order of Beleriand history, not writing-order.
Bloody Silmarils - Series by Dilly
In Gondolin, Turgon is depressed...
Bard Rising by Rhapsody
In this series you will find all stories - be it short works and novel(la's) - connected to my Maglor novel series Bard Rising (work title, I probably will come up with something better).
In the Glow of the Mountain by Hoglorfen
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\"Mordorian romantic drama at its finest.\" ~ Times of Khand
\"Tragic yet titillating.\" ~ Númenor News Network
\"That shit\'s nasty!\" ~ PlayDwarf
\"Who the fuck nicked my lube?!\" ~Lurtz
\"*noisy retching*\" ~ RivendailyThis is a not-so-classic tale of \"Orc boy meets Elf girl\", which proves once and for all that having the Dark Lord as your third bed-partner is NOT a good idea. One does not simply walk into Mordor... or anywhere near it. This is a very dark tale, as tales set under the Eye are wont to be. For Darkness taints all it touches, but without it the little glimmers of Light would not be as powerful.
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This series started out as smut and I never intended to write any more than the first part. But then I got hit by an irresistible load of \"WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!\" and kept writing. Let\'s see where this takes us! PS. It\'s still smut, but now it\'s smut with a story. I hope. DS.
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Series: Balar fics by Keiliss
Mainly about Gil-galad :)
Burning Bright by Keiliss
About the war between Sauron and the elves, the hiding of the rings of power, and the appeal to Númenor for aid. And wherever else it decides to to go next.
The Maedhros Saga by Ithilwen
A series of connected stories chronicling the life of Maedhros, eldest son of Feanor.
Antonyms by Harnatano - Lithenna
This series is dedicated to the short things I\'ll write and which can be in relation to Anathema, although there are necessary to understand the main narrative, nor do they need the main narrative to be understood.
Series: Beyond Doubt by Keiliss
Everything that belongs in the Even Quicker than Doubt \'verse.
Loyalty by grey_gazania
Who were Ulfang's people, and why did they betray the Elves?
The Maeglin Stories by Ithilwen
A set of three tales covering the life of that darkest of Elves, Maeglin
Violently Feminist Interpretations of Tolkien\'s Women by feanorusrex
Hey Tolkien can I get uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, some more feminist themes??
Sleeping Amber through Darkened Doorways by Urloth
The AU I am writing, primarily surrounding Celegorm and Finrod/ Tyelkormo and Findarato, starting with a tentative truce between the pair and carryig on past their deaths into the life of Gildor Inglorion, the bastard son in body of Finrod and in spirit of Celegorm.
This is otherwise known to me and my friends as that AU where I am completely awful to Celegorm.
Main verse: Quenta Quendi by Scribe of Mirrormere
Main verse for my fanfiction, especially the tales told from the POV of the elves. Stretches from the days of Cuiviénen to (one day) the Dagor Dagorath.
Artíreverse by WendWriter
Artíre the Watcher is an observer who likes drama for its own sake. He hates the thought of taking sides - he\'s more of a double agent. When Sauron inveigles him into a scheme against the Valar with the promise of a spectacle to enjoy, Artíre is forced to side with Melkor to satisfy his love of conflict. This kicks off a cycle of feuding that never really gets resolved and changes Artíre forever. Later on, he becomes the Watcher in the Water at Moria.
Alternative Perspective Character Studies by elvntari
Self-explanatory. And exploration of characters through telling the story through their eyes.
Baubles, trinkets and short scribbles by Rhapsody
Celegorm and the world around him: How did he interact with it? What did he learn and what would he regret? This ficlet series will offer short vignettes that explores the world according to Celegorm.
This is a collection of (unedited) ficlets, written for Back To Middle-earth Month 2011. They have nice stamps and passports, I caved. Did I mention unedited?
