New Challenge: Potluck Bingo
Sit down to a delicious selection of prompts served on bingo boards, created by the SWG community.
SWG News
Bingo Cards Wanted for Potluck Bingo
Our November-December challenge will be Potluck Bingo, featuring cards created by you! If you'd like to create cards or prompts for cards, we are taking submissions.
Tolkien Meta Week, December 8-14
We will be hosting a Tolkien Meta Week in December, here on the archive and on our Tumblr, for nonfiction fanworks about Tolkien.
New Challenge: Orctober
Orcs on a quest for freedom seek a place sheltered and safe from the Dark Lord. Fulfill prompts to gather the clues needed to bring them to freedom.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Reference] Mapping Arda, Part III: The Second Age by Varda delle Stelle, Anérea
A series of articles featuring fan-made maps of all the lands of Arda. Part III explores the island of Númenor and mainland Middle-earth during the Second Age.
[Writing] Collection of Potluck Drabbles by Artano
This is a collection of true drabbles completed for the 'Four Words' drabble bingo card.
[Writing] Getting Dirty by Elleth
A collection of NSFW ficlets for the "Keep It Clean" bingo card of the 2024 Potluck Bingo.
[Reference] 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.
[Artwork] 2024 Potluck Doodles by silmalope
Assorted prompt fills for the 2024 Potluck bingo boards, to varying degrees of completion! :)
[Artwork] A Collection of Maps Exhibiting the Changing Political Landscape in Beleriand by Artano
Created for the 'Geography/Maps/Places' prompt on the "Tolkien meta" bingo board, this is a collection of maps marked with the various people groups showing how they arrived and moved about Beleriand. This collection focuses specifically on the time from the arrival of the Teleri, Vanyar, and…
[Writing] On the Nature of the Sindar’s Hunting the Petty-dwarves by Artano
This is an analysis on whether the Sindar ate the Petty-dwarves during the years they hunted them, completed for the 'Literary Analysis' prompt on the "Tolkien Meta" bingo card.
Current Challenge
Potluck Bingo
Help yourself to a collection of prompts on bingo boards designed by members and friends of the SWG. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Strangers in Strange Lands
Your character arrives for the first time in a new place. Maybe he journeyed there with a purpose, or maybe she ended up there by accident. What does she perceive? What new experiences and conflicts will he have? This month's challenge asks you to bring a character to a new, strange place for the first time and to develop a story around his or her experiences there. Read more ...
New in References
Mapping Arda, Part III: The Second Age by Varda delle Stelle, Anérea
A series of articles featuring fan-made maps of all the lands of Arda. Part III explores the island of Númenor and mainland Middle-earth during the Second Age.
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
[Artwork] Long-tressed Wingildi by Anérea
"... the long-tressed Wingildi ... spirits of the foam and the surf of ocean."
~ a painted sketch for Scribbles and Drabbles 2024.
[Writing] Partners in Craft by elennalore
Annatar realises that he might like Celebrimbor too much.
[Writing] Staging a Battle by StarSpray
He and Diamond were visiting, though Pippin had been disappearing every afternoon, and taking Frodo and Elanor and most other lads and lasses in the neighborhood with him—though why they couldn’t use Pippin’s own pony, Sam couldn’t imagine.
Around the World and Web
Teitho November/December Contest: Healing
The theme for Teitho's November/December contest is healing.
Lord of the Rings Secret Santa 2024
LotR SESA has been ongoing for twenty-one years and is running again this year as a prompt meme hosted on AO3 for all genres of Tolkien-based fanfiction.
Kiliel Week 2024
Kiliel Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about the Kili/Tauriel pairing.
November challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The challenge for November has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic prompt: refuge. Formal challenge: include imitation of a sound. As always, these can be filled independently and also freely combined with SWG and other challenges. New participants welcome!
November 2024 Call for Papers and Proposals
Calls for papers and proposals for conferences and publications that are open during the month of November 2024.
Aerlinn's Favorites
Favorite Fanworks
Downfallen by pandemonium_213
Thrilling, scary and evocative.
Fanwork Information
Sauron recounts the first human sacrifice in the temple of Armenelos.
MEFA 2009: First Place - Races: Villains: General
| Major Characters: Ar-Pharazôn, Sauron, Tar-Míriel |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, General | Challenges: Akallabêth in August |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Expletive Language, Mature Themes, Violence (Mild) |
| Posted on 15 August 2008 | Updated on 15 August 2008 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Golden Days by Lyra
Fanwork Information
Nerdanel recounts the development of her relationship with Fëanor - from their first proper meeting to married life. A fantasy of manners, pride, prejudice, love and craftsmanship.
| Major Characters: Aulë, Írimë, Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Finwë, Indis, Mahtan, Nerdanel, Original Character(s), Yavanna |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Posted on 25 January 2009 | Updated on 26 June 2016 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
I was like smoke without the fire by Agelast
This was amazing. I love how you made his standing aside not...well..heroic, but rather some sort of defeated. Oddly enough I've come across many fanfictions who paint him as this One Good Feanorian, which is just less interesting. I've always wondered how no one noticed Umbarto...And Macalaurë's song was a terryfying idea. Somehow "a song that is terrible in its beauty. Like the fire itself, it crackles and roars into violent life"" reminded me of the "le sacrfice"part in Stravinsky's Rite Of Spring...which is odd I suppose as it doesn't contain singing. But your describtion of the music reminds me of it I guess.
Fanwork Information
Maedhros stands aside at Losgar. As such actions go, it's remarkably inadequate.
| Major Characters: Amras, Amrod, Caranthir, Celegorm, Curufin, Fëanor, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Character Death |
| Posted on 23 August 2011 | Updated on 23 August 2011 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Light of the Westering Sun by Dawn Felagund
Loved it :)
Fanwork Information
For Unsung Heroine, a series of double drabbles about the life of Haleth and how it touched, briefly and in love, upon that of Caranthir. MEFA 2008 nominee.
| Major Characters: Caranthir, Haleth |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, Romance | Challenges: Gift of a Story |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Posted on 15 January 2008 | Updated on 15 January 2008 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
The Broideress Arc by Gadira
I absolutely loved this. Very, very intense, original take on Miriel's passing and character. It really draws you in!
Fanwork Information
Four-story arc, centered on Míriel the Broideress, queen of the Noldor. Those four stories have also been published separately.
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Finwë, Indis, Míriel Serindë, Vairë |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, Horror, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Character Death |
| Posted on 14 July 2007 | Updated on 14 July 2007 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
