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Preferred Name: Dawn
Preferred Pronouns: she/her
Member since 14 May 2007.
About Me
Like many Tolkien fans, I discovered his work through Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films and solidified my fan status after reading the books. I founded the Silmarillion Writers' Guild in 2005 and, over the past decade-plus, have worked to grow the community as a place for Tolkien fans to gather, share fanworks, and discuss his work.
Please don't hesitate to reach out using the contact form above or by emailing the moderator address.
I welcome fanworks (art, podfic, translations, etc.) based on my fanworks. This is me giving you permission to do it; you don't need to ask. Please link to the work you're using (here, please, not AO3) and credit me as Dawn Felagund.
Fanworks by Dawn Felagund
Torchsong by Dawn Felagund, Elleth
Maglor performs the Noldolantë and the room reacts.
Major Characters: Maglor, Original Female Character(s) |
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Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: |
Rating: General | Warnings: |
Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 898 |
Posted on 19 January 2025 | Updated on 13 March 2025 |
This fanwork is complete. |
All Hues and Honeys by Dawn Felagund
This is my latest collection of pieces too small to stand alone, often written for events on the SWG Discord.
The Latest:
"Fly." Fingon's faith in his friendship with Maedhros leads him to the decision to rescue him.
"Salt." Uinen discovers the kinslaying.
"Sunship." Nerdanel places the final cog in the sunship as an act of resistance.
"No One Heard That." The histories withheld some details of Fëanor's muster of the Noldor.
"Cracked." Námo explains death to a young Fëanor.
"Sunship, Reprise." The sunship's launching, from the perspective of the other side of the sea.
"Shadows beyond a Campfire." The sons of Fëanor build a campfire after the Nirnaeth.
"The Neologist." Pengolodh on language and history at three points in Gondolin's history.
Major Characters: Amras, Amrod, Caranthir, Curufin, Elrond, Elwing, Fëanor, Fingon, Finrod Felagund, Indis, Maedhros, Maglor, Nerdanel, Orodreth, Pengolodh, Salmar, Thorondor, Uinen, Arien, Mandos, Avari, Sons of Fëanor |
Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros, Fëanor/Nerdanel, Curufin/Original Character, Maglor & Salmar, Eärendil/Elwing, Arien & Nerdanel |
Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: Block Party, Holiday Party, It Comes in Threes, Jubilee, Middle-earth Olympics, Restoration and Rebuilding, Revolution, Teen Spirit |
Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
Chapters: 38 | Word Count: 6, 595 |
Posted on 25 March 2020 | Updated on 20 January 2025 |
This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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.
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Posted on 11 August 2023 | Updated on 6 January 2025 |
The Silmarillion: Who Speaks? by Dawn Felagund
On ongoing project to analyze who speaks in The Silmarillion and who is silent.
Major Characters: Túrin, Fëanor, Melian, Elu Thingol, Mandos |
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Genres: Nonfiction/Meta | Challenges: |
Rating: General | Warnings: In-Universe Intolerance |
Chapters: 5 | Word Count: 3, 266 |
Posted on 26 December 2024 | Updated on 4 January 2025 |
This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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.
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Posted on 8 December 2024 | Updated on 8 December 2024 |
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.
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Posted on 21 September 2024 | Updated on 21 September 2024 |
Death, Grief, and the Other in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The narrator of the Quenta Silmarillion uses death, grief, and mourning rituals to generate sympathy for or dehumanize groups of characters considered the Other.
Major Characters: Pengolodh |
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Posted on 14 September 2024 | Updated on 14 September 2024 |
Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Over thirty people contributed their thoughts on the experience of leaving and receiving feedback on fanworks. Emotions run high on all sides, but community and connections emerge as factors that promote feedback while easing its difficulties for readers and viewers.
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Posted on 3 August 2024 | Updated on 9 August 2024 |
Fandom Voices: Using Fanon in Fanworks by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Sixteen Tolkien fans contributed their definitions of and experiences with fanon or fan-generated theories about the legendarium.
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Posted on 17 November 2023 | Updated on 2 August 2024 |
Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that authors view comments as driving their motivation to create fanfiction. However, perception of comments by authors is part of a larger shift in fandom around how and how often fans interact with each other.
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Posted on 6 July 2024 | Updated on 6 July 2024 |
Fanfiction and the Serious Business of Writer's Craft by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that while most authors self-identify as taking their craft seriously, a growing subset of authors may be pushing that norm.
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Posted on 25 May 2024 | Updated on 25 May 2024 |
The Fissure by Dawn Felagund
Maeglin witnesses a coming-of-age ceremony among the Dwarves of Belegost. Written for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's 2024 Mailing Competition.
Major Characters: Dwarves, Eöl, Maeglin |
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Genres: General | Challenges: |
Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 710 |
Posted on 19 April 2024 | Updated on 19 April 2024 |
This fanwork is complete. |
Crossing Forest River by Dawn Felagund
Bilbo recounts, in verse, the attempt of Gandalf, Beorn, and him to cross the Forest River after the Battle of Five Armies. Written for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's 2024 Mailing Competition.
Major Characters: Beorn, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf |
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Genres: Adventure, Humor, Poetry | Challenges: |
Rating: General | Warnings: |
Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 220 |
Posted on 19 April 2024 | Updated on 19 April 2024 |
This fanwork is complete. |
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
In a book as full of death as the Quenta Silmarillion, grief and mourning are surprisingly absent. The characters who receive grief and mourning—and those who don't—appear to do so due to narrative bias. Grief and mourning (or a lack of them) serve to draw attention toward and away from objectionable actions committed by characters.
Major Characters: Aredhel, Elu Thingol, Eöl, Fëanor, Fingolfin, Finrod Felagund, Maeglin, Pengolodh |
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Posted on 15 April 2024 | Updated on 15 April 2024 |
Beyond Borders: Canon Deviations, Multifandoms, and Original Content by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2015 and 2020 Tolkien Fanfiction Surveys shows to what extent Tolkien fanfiction writers push beyond the canon and toward or into the realm of originality, as well as whether trends exist in among the various ways authors venture beyond the borders of Middle-earth.
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Posted on 30 March 2024 | Updated on 31 March 2024 |
10 Important Moments in Tolkien Fanfiction History by Dawn Walls-Thumma
From the appearance of the first Tolkien fanfics in 1960 to the latest appreciation months, Tolkien fanfiction has weathered changes great and small—and has persisted, changed, and grown.
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Posted on 22 February 2024 | Updated on 22 February 2024 |
Things Tolkien Fanfiction Readers and Writers Like to Do (Other Than Fanfiction) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Tolkien fanfiction writers and readers are involved in fandom in ways other than fanfiction. What else do they do and what patterns can we find in their preferences, using Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data?
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Posted on 27 January 2024 | Updated on 27 January 2024 |
Duel of Surveys: Comparing Tolkien Fanfiction and OTW Survey Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
A (rough!) comparison of the Tolkien Fanfiction and OTW 16th Anniversary Surveys, looking at time active in fandom, attendance at fan conventions, and platform use.
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Posted on 23 December 2023 | Updated on 23 December 2023 |
Celegorm by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Celegorm emerged early in Tolkien's work on the "Silmarillion," but his evolution into the villain he would become in the published text is complicated, and he filled two surprising roles before coming fully into his own. The first of two parts considers how early work on the "Silmarillion" shaped his final characterization.
Major Characters: Celegorm |
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Posted on 4 November 2023 | Updated on 25 November 2023 |
Theorycrafting: Interview with Scedasticity of the "Silmarillion Headcanon Survey" by Scedasticity and Dawn Felagund
The Silmarillion Headcanon Survey is a sprawling project that seeks to document where fans fall on various fan theories. Lead researcher Scedasticity discusses its inspiration, what it shows of the fandom, and what lies ahead for the project.
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Posted on 17 October 2023 | Updated on 21 October 2023 |
Dawn Felagund's Gallery
Fingon attacks Himring; Maedhros defends. A calligraphy piece done for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's Mailing Competition.
Major Characters: Fingon, MaedhrosMajor Relationships: Fingon & Maedhros
Challenge: No challenge listed
Rating: General
Warnings: No warnings listed | | |