Block Party

Throughout much of the world, people are locked in. Times feel uncertain, scary, and lonely.

Traditionally, the SWG’s April challenge goes alongside Legendarium Ladies April by offering prompts that are women-centric. This year, in light of the current circumstances, we’ve changed up at the last minute to a challenge that we hope will help people connect, show kindness to others, and refocus on their own creativity during this uncertain moment in history. We'll be holding our first ever block party: a month of small challenges intended to help you connect with your own creativity and fellow fans!

Each day during the next challenge, we will offer a creative prompt, task, or collaborative event. You are not required to complete them all, and you can complete a prompt on any day, not just the day it is assigned. (The obvious exception being those where we will meet in (virtual) person!) The intention is not to push people to do something every day or to ramp up their productivity but, in a time of loneliness, uncertainty, and stress, to offer a small nudge toward creativity, connection, and fellowship each day.

This challenge opened in April 2020 .

Prompts

Choose your prompt from the collection below.

View Prompts

April 15

Wishlist Wednesday: Make your wishlist and pick a project from someone else’s wishlist that you’d like to work on.

April 16

Comfort Food: When times get tough, the tough get chocolate. Or wine. Or macaroni and cheese. What does comfort food look like for your favorite Legendarium character(s)? How you handle this is up to you - it might spark a food-oriented fanwork, inspire you to try cooking something, or maybe just curl up with something nice to eat or drink and read about food in the Legendarium.

April 17

Feedback Friday: Leave feedback on a fanwork you love.

April 18

Ghost Stories: There are many 'textual ghosts' in the legendarium. Pick a textual ghost to center in a fanwork. View Elleth's link of textual ghosts here.

April 19

Create a fanwork with a prompt from Legendarium Ladies April. Find the LLA prompts here.

April 20

Meta Monday: Read or view a meta fanwork. (Hint: Our Reference Library and the Nonfiction/Essay section on the archive have many options! Also check out our newsletter archive and look for the Around the World and Web section for article, papers, blogposts, videos, podcasts, and more!)

April 21

Tuesday Try: Try your hand at a form of fanwork you have not done before.

April 22

Wishlist Wednesday: Work on a project for someone’s wishlist.

April 23

Live Event: Favorite Scene Reading (World Book Day)

All Tolkien fans have that one scene that transports them to Middle-earth, that gives them chills, that made them fall in love with a character, that brings tears to their eyes. In honor of World Book Day, we are gathering on April 23 to share those scenes in voice chat with each other.

We will host two sessions: one in the evening in European timezones and one in the evening in American timezones. You can contact a moderator ahead of time if you'd like to read, or you can just show up with a favorite passage to read! Audience members who wish to listen only are, of course, most welcome! Watch this space for specific times.

April 24

Feedback Friday: Leave feedback for a creator you’ve never given feedback to before.

April 25

Rare Pair Care: Skippering a sailboat? Paddling a canoe? Today’s your day! Create a fanwork centering on a rare pairing.

April 26

Live Event: Fanfic Book Club

Have you ever wanted to discuss fanfiction more deeply? Do you see fanfiction as literature just as worthy of serious consideration as the latest New York Times bestseller? Today's event will give participants a chance to dive deep into stories to think about what makes them work.

• This event only works if people are willing to read and discuss others' work, not just have their own discussed. If you submit a story for discussion, you must be willing to read and discuss the stories of two other authors.
• People who only want to read and discuss (versus submitting a fanfiction of their own for discussion) are most welcome!
• Sign up with the story you want discussed and the times you are available to have your story discussed. Story sign-ups are due no later than April 20.
• We're not imposing limits on word counts or story content (aside from the fact that stories must be Tolkien-based fanfiction). We recommend word counts under 5,000 words. We will provide a separate NSFW channel for the discussion of stories rated Adult on our ratings system.
• On April 21, we will post a discussion schedule. Sign up for two (or more!) stories that you would like to read and discuss. If you are not signed up by April 24, your story will be removed from the schedule.
• Show up on our Discord at the scheduled times for the stories you are going to discuss, as well as your story (if applicable).
• This is not a workshop. Assume the author has submitted a finished story that they are proud of. Do not offer critical feedback unless the author specifically asks for it during the discussion. We are discussing what about the story makes it work, both as a Tolkien-based fanfic and as a piece of literature. (Not sure where to begin in discussing a story? We'll provide a list of guiding questions to help!)

Sign up to have one of your stories read and discussed.
See our Fanfiction Book Club page for a list of stories being read and discussed.

April 27

Meta Monday: Create a piece of meta! Whether your favourite headcanon, a family tree or a whole essay, anything nonfiction counts.

April 28

Tuesday Try: Strike out a new direction - read or create in a genre you’ve never done before.

April 29

Wishlist Wednesday: Work on a project for someone’s wishlist.

April 30

Beginning in late March, the Poetry Foundation ran a twelve-day series of poems that captured varying perspectives on hope, solitude, and communal spirit. For the final day of Poetry Month, choose a poem from the Poetry Foundation’s "Together and By Ourselves" series and use all or part of that poem as inspiration for a fanwork.

Of History and Hope by Miller Williams
A Blessing by James Wright
Together and by Ourselves by Alex Dimitrov
Hope by Langston Hughes
The Promise by Jane Hirshfield
"Hope" is the thing with feathers - (314) by Emily Dickinson
Ode to the Hotel Near the Children’s Hospital by Kevin Young
Half Omen Half Hope by Joanna Klink
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
spring again by Jesús Papoleto Meléndez
Passion for Solitude by Cesare Pavese, translated by Geoffrey Brock
At the Last New Arriving by Gabrielle Calvocoressi

May 1

Feedback Friday: Leave feedback on a fanwork that has no feedback yet.

May 2

Hiding in Plain Sight: We all know Galadriel and Fëanor, but there are many characters who get far less screen time. Create or comment on a fanwork featuring a rare character.

As with previous events, we are defining rare characters as those appearing in five or fewer stories on our archive. Here is an updated list of rare characteres:

Adanel Ailinel Algund Almarian Almiel Amlach Amroth Angrim* Ar-Adunakhôr Ar-Gimilzôr Ar-Sakalthôr Aranwë Arminas Arthad* Arvedui Asfaloth Balan Baragund Barahir (Fourth Age) Baran* Belegund Belen Bereg* Beregar Berúthiel Borlach Borlad Boromir (House of Bëor) Boromir (Steward of Gondor) Boron Borthand Bregolas Bregor Cirion Ciryon Dagnir* Dairuin* Dís Dorlas Draugluin Eilinel Elendur Elentir Elmar Enel Enelyë* Enerdhil

Eriol Evranin Eärendur Eärnil* Eärnur Fíriel Fuinur* Galador Galdor (Edain) Galdor of the Havens Gelmir Gereth Gethron Gilfanon Gimilkhâd Glirhuin Glóredhel Grithnir Guilin Gundor Haldad Haldan Haldar Halmir Handir Hareth Hathaldir Hathol Herucalmo Herumor* Hiril Hunleth Hunthor Ibun* Imlach* Imrahil Isilmë Isilmo Khîm* Larnach* Larnach's Daughter Lenwë Lindo* Lindórië Littleheart Lorgan

Magor Son of Malach* Makar Malach* Malbeth the Seer Marach Mardil* Marhwini Meássë Meleth (Mortal)* Meneldil Meril Meril-i-Turinqi Mîm Morwë Nahar Nielíqui Númendil* Núneth Nurwë Ohtar Pallando Quennar i Onótimo Radhruin* Ragnor* Rochallor* Rúmil (Lothlórien)* Silmarien Tar-Alcarin Tar-Ancalimon Tar-Atanamir* Tar-Ciryatan Tar-Elendil Tar-Meneldur Tar-Minastir Tar-Telemmaitë Telemnar* Tevildo Théodwyn Tinfang Ulfast Ulwarth Urthel Valandil Vardamir Vëantur Yávien

*These characters are super-rare and currently have no fanworks posted on the SWG archive.

Note that characters who don't appear on the site's character list yet also count, as long as they are from a Silmarillion-centric text. These would include characters not in The Silmarillion itself whom no one, in our archive's thirteen-year history, has requested to have added yet. Choose the option "Admin: New Character Needed!" when you post your story, and we will be in touch to add the character you need.

May 3

Live Event: Team Storytelling Unveiling

May 4

Meta Monday: Take us behind the scenes of one of your own fanworks! For example, you could talk about why you wrote or illustrated a particular scene, share the inspiration behind something you created, or offer to take questions from the audience.

May 5

Tuesday Try: Branch Out - if you're usually found in the First Age, check out the Second. If you generally stick to elves, why not visit the dwarves?

May 6

Wishlist Wednesday: Work on a project for someone’s wishlist.

May 7

Anything Could Happen: Use the random prompt generator to create a fanwork.

May 8

Feedback Friday: Leave feedback on a fanwork created for this event.

May 9

Make a fanwork about a woman who is also a mother. She should have a major role in the fanwork, but the fanwork does not have to address motherhood in any way!

May 10

Live Event: Image Instadrabbling