New Year's Resolution

SWG Resolution challenge banner - a homemade 2024 planner with the month of January showing; text "Resolution: SWG Challenge 1 Jan - 15 Feb"

Happy New Year! To help you start 2024 off right, we’re giving you a chance to catch up on any challenges you missed in 2023. Our annual amnesty allows you to pick from any of the previous year’s challenges. Whether finishing that epic novel for the challenge that ran away or making a sketch or writing a drabble, the idea is to make something fannish with one of our challenges as inspiration!

You do not need to use a new prompt to be eligible for this challenge. Participants can choose to complete any of the previous year's challenges. Did you miss a challenge you wanted to complete? Do it now. Did you start a fanwork for a challenge but never completed it? Here is your chance to finish. If you didn't leave any unrealized or unfinished projects behind you (congratulations!) or if none of the unfinished challenges strike your fancy, choose from any of our past challenges. (For a summary of the 2023 challenges and direct links, see the Challenge Prompts section below!)

You will receive a stamp on your 2024 collection for any challenges that you complete now*, as well as a stamp for the New Year's Resolution challenge on your 2023 collection. When you post to the SWG archive, please make sure you select the 2023 challenge you're completing and the New Year's Resolution challenge.

*If you choose to complete a challenge older than 2023, we will not be giving out past stamps; you will, however, receive your January 2024 stamp.

To help the mods correctly process stamps for this challenge:

  • Inform the mods if you need commenting stamps for 2023 challenges prior to Experimental, and which stamps you need. (All challenges have commenter and 5 comment stamps; some challenges have stamps for 10 or higher numbers of comments.)
  • For August's Roaring Twenties challenge, please let us know if you need column, row, diagonal, or card blackout stamps.

This challenge opened in .

Prompts

Choose your prompt from the collection below.

View Prompts

February | Cheesy Corn Chips
Celebrate the corny and the cheesy, the sappy and sweet and schmaltzy and saccharine in popular culture by choosing from our collection of corny, sentimental, and heartstring-rending prompts.

March | Middle-earth Is Multitudes
Use our daily prompt calendar to populate your fanworks with a more diverse array of characters.

April | Rejects
Create a fanwork around one of Tolkien's rejected ideas from the legendarium. Choose a prompt at the link above.

May | Bestiary of Arda
Choose a prompt from our "bestiary" of music and images of animals found in Arda.

June | Secret Gate
A Matryoshka challenge where prompts are based on the common plot points and tropes from mystery novels. Message the mods for a prompt set. Specify if you would like two, three, five, or seven prompts. If you've never done this type of challenge, read our Matryoshka challenge FAQ.

July | Dip the Ladle
Tolkien had many tales, places, and artists who inspired his work. For this challenge, prompts invite creating a fanwork using one of Tolkien's influences. Select one of the unassigned prompts, available at the link above.

August | Roaring 20s
Use bingo prompts from 1920s-themed cards to create a fanwork.

September | Turgon's Rock Opera
On the anniversary of the publication of "The Silmarillion," we’re reflecting on the importance of music in Arda with prompts that come from rock songs. Choose from one of the unassigned prompts, available at the link above.

October | Experimental
Tolkien was an experimental writer, pushing the boundaries of literary and artistic convention. This month, we invite you to experiment with a new technique or approach to your fanworks. We’ve listed some prompts you can select from, but you’re also free to develop your own.

November/December | Understory
This month's challenge is a remix challenge, meaning that you will use another person's fanwork as your inspiration. You will choose a minor character, small detail, or minor plot point and develop it into its own fanwork. Make sure you review the schedule and expectations for using another fan's work in the challenge guidelines. The link above includes a list of SWG creators who are willing to give permission to use their work in this challenge.

Fanworks Tagged with New Year's Resolution

This is a Writing fanwork

Eärendil on Taniquetil by Lferion

Eärendil, waiting for the answer of the Valar to his plea. A triple drabble.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

In the Forest: Night by Lferion

Celegorm, Returned, faces a challenge. A double-drabble.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Natural History of Middle-earth: A Tour by Himring

Drabbles inspired by natural history prompts, from the Years of the Trees to the Fourth Age, from Valinor to Far Harad.

Featuring Indis and Miriel, Ilmare and Varda, Earendil and his mariners, Aragorn and the past, and Beruthiel and her white cat.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Maglor's Dream by Himring

Wandering Maglor dreams of Arda Marred.

 

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Spring in Doriath by Himring

Doriath welcomes the spring.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Aurora: Seeking the Northern Sky by Lferion

Fingon, returned, has more questions than answers, and travels north to find what answers he can for himself.

A drabble sequence

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Eagle's eye by SkyEventide

Manwe and Mandos watch the Nirnaeth. They break the fourth wall.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Tales for the New Year by Kaylee Arafinwiel

In the beginning, the Elves awakened...what else happened at Cuivienen, and where might things go from there?

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

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.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Triptych by Narya

A trio of drabbles from the point of view of Duilin's wife, Netiliel.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Sweeping past the minutes of its face by Himring

A mechanical clock is imported from The Shire to Valinor.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Nost-na-Lothion by Grundy

Sometimes little things make a big difference. Flowers, for example.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Lord by Lferion

Fingon, Returned, still holds the fealty of many, unlooked-for. He's not sure what to do with it.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Liegeman by Lferion

Ilverin Littleheart has a story he does not tell, a fealty he cannot acknowledge.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Hewers of wood and drawers of water. by hennethgalad

an unwitting eyewitness struggles with the consequence.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Twice Burnt by Lferion

Fingolfin Returned reflects on petitioning for the release of Feanor

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Day Will Come Again by Narya

Fingon takes a moment to remember his cousin at midwinter.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

The Small and Secret Things by Lferion

"[Yavanna] is the lover of all things that grow in the earth, and all their countless forms she holds in her mind, from the trees like towers in forests long ago to the moss upon stones or the small and secret things in the mould." ~ Valaquenta

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Through a Mirror Darkly by HannaGoldworthy

Year 2510 of the Third Age: Celebrian arrives in Valinor during Sovalle, a new (for her) feast of repentance and reconciliation.  And, much to her suprise and discomfort, she's not the only new face hanging around...

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble by Raiyana

Nargothrond, Midwinter:
Curufin attempts to recreate a warming cordial from Aman with Beleriand ingredients. ->
Celegorm tests it. ->
Shenanigans.

Aka the accidental invention of miruvor

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

... of Passion by Raiyana

Gwindor's captivity in Angband involves the torture he might have expected... until Gorthaur hatches a new plan to fulfil an old desire.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Tending the Lady's Garden by Raiyana

After the War of Wrath, Finarfin rules in Tirion and Findis is left adrift, her former occupations no longer filling her days. Instead, she journeys with Indis to her house in the countryside, hoping that she might aid her remaining parent in staying just that - remaining to her.

What she finds there?

Well, not quite what was expected, but perhaps there is hope yet for her; small spots of brightness fighting against the sorrow of her house.

And flowers.

Lots of flowers.

 

Warning for many Findis feels.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Liver, Heart, and Soul by Scribe of Mirrormere

Caranthir hears of a Moriquendi tribe with a rather unusual practice. He wishes to seek their demise immediately, but one of his daughters selects a different path.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

Steel Rose by HannaGoldworthy

A clan of Easterlings makes their way into Beleriand, where they forge an unlikely friendship with the very people they are supposed to betray.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents

This is a Writing fanwork

By Fate Mastered by Lyra

For Túrin, nothing turns out as he planned.
A series of drabbles (according to Libre Office) inspired by (of all things) the Sitcom! Bingo challenge and the Narn i Hîn Húrin.

Fanwork Information and Table of Contents