Choose a Name for Our New Column!
Our temporarily titled "location bio" will focus on the landscapes and locations of Middle-earth. We need your help naming it!
SWG News
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
A Sense of History: Crossroads
In the ongoing series on towers in Tolkien's work, a thread runs through "The Lord of the Rings," revealing the divine assistance of Varda in the travails of the Fellowship.
Cultus Dispatches: Canon Deviations, Multifandoms, and Original Content
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data gives some insight into what connections, if any, exist between fanfiction and original fiction.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Tengwar (working title) by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through 'Anca'
[Writing] I Stood Aside by Flora-lass
Maedhros' horror at the burning of the ships. Inspired by a painting (see notes).
[Reference] Thálatta! Thálatta! by Simon J. Cook
While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
[Writing] Words of Wisdom by AdmirableMonster
One or more drabbles about Pengolodh and his babysitter Salgant.
[Writing] Les Mots de Sagesse by AdmirableMonster
Plusieurs petites histoires qui parle de Pengolodh et Salgant pendant des moments differents.
[Writing] "Tengwar" ficlets by chrissystriped
Fics written for the "Tengwar" challenge.
[Writing] Upon Cirith Thoronath by StarSpray
A horrid cacophony of cries erupts ahead of them, as orcs appear—up the cliff on hidden ledges, on the path, with bows and swords. And behind them rises a figure of darkness and flame. The heat rolls down the path over them, bringing the smell of burning flesh and bitter fear with it. Someone…
Current Challenge
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Wish upon a Star
Create a fanwork where a character wishes upon or muses on the stars. Read more ...
New in References
Thálatta! Thálatta! by Simon J. Cook
[]While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
[]
With Gildor Inglorion we finally climb the stairs of Elostirion and look on the view, and what we see appears to reveal a hidden thread in the story of Frodo Baggins. This post reads two annotated translations of two Elvish songs to step through a crossroads in the narrative to arrive at the tower on the margin of the story, wherein is a stone that is a window onto Valinor.
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.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Waybread (The Waybredlik) by Himring
[]Lembas speaks out.
[Series] Apr 1st Stories by Uvatha the Horseman
[]Once a year on April 1st, a canon character from LOTR or the Silmarillion gets pranked.
[Writing] 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.
Around the World and Web
Monstrous May 2024
Monstrous May is a Tumblr event where, for each day of the month of May, there is a prompt involving and invoking the monstrous.
Fellowship of the Fics: Modern AU May
During May, Fellowship of the Fics offers modern AU prompt lists for setting, character occupation, and dialogue on Tumblr.
May challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The May challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic challenge: name; formal challenge: acrostic. As usual, these can be filled independently and freely combined with other prompts such as the SWG challenges. New participants welcome!
May 2024 Calls for Papers
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers in May 2024.
Angbang Week 2024
All new, unpublished fanworks about the Angbang (Melron) ship are welcome during this Tumblr event, running 6-12 May 2024.
New and Updated Fanworks
Include Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
The Region Cloud Hath Mask'd Him From Me Now by sallysavestheday
Maedhros and Fingon meet in the mists, again and again. Until they don't.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 176 |
| Posted on 21 January 2024 | Updated on 21 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
A Bow of Burning Gold by Lferion
What bow, what arrows will serve against such a foe as Glaurung? A single drabble.
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, General | Challenges: New Year's Resolution, Roaring Twenties |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 103 |
| Posted on 21 January 2024 | Updated on 21 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Cocktail Party, Reprise by Lferion
The competition cocktail party was a regular event, and Fingon gradually learned to appreciate, if not always enjoy it.
A triple drabble, with images and recipes for 9 cocktails.
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Experimental, Family, Fixed-Length Ficlet, General | Challenges: Experimental, New Year's Resolution, Roaring Twenties |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 664 |
| Posted on 20 January 2024 | Updated on 21 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Foreboding by chrissystriped
Círdan's ship arrives in Forochel to take Arvedui south.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Arvedui |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Experimental | Challenges: Experimental, New Year's Resolution |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 179 |
| Posted on 20 January 2024 | Updated on 20 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
I Never Meant To Kill You by Narya
Celegorm and Dior speak. A sequel to Broken Silver. Canon divergence AU.
| Major Characters: Celegorm, Dior |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 137 |
| Posted on 20 January 2024 | Updated on 20 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (3) |
Broken Silver by Narya
Sometimes the history books can't be trusted. Celegorm/Lúthien; canon divergence AU in which the butterfly flaps its wings.
| Major Characters: Celegorm, Eluréd, Elurín, Lúthien Tinúviel |
| Major Relationships: Celegorm/Lúthien |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 339 |
| Posted on 20 January 2024 | Updated on 20 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Nature of My Game by elennalore
Fëanáro needs Melkor's secret knowledge to create his Silmarils, but Fëanáro will also be an invaluable asset to Melkor in the Vala’s own game.
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Melkor |
| Major Relationships: Fëanor/Melkor |
| Genres: Drama, Slash | Challenges: New Year's Resolution, Turgon's Rock Opera |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 557 |
| Posted on 20 January 2024 | Updated on 20 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
What Old Tales Say by StarSpray
How oddly the old tales changed and twisted through the years!
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, Fluff, General | Challenges: New Year's Resolution, Understory |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 267 |
| Posted on 17 January 2024 | Updated on 17 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Never Mind the Dwarves by simon
This story was penned some years back as a way of marking the Peregrin Boffin of the 1939 drafts of The Lord of the Rings. Boffin was a Hobbit who walked to Moria but vanished from the story in summer 1940, when his character, Trotter, the Ranger met in Bree, became Aragorn, heir of Elendil.
Portrait of Eärwen, Swan Maiden of Alqualondë by between_thepages
A portrait of Eärwen, created for Middle-earth is Multitudes
| Major Characters: Eärwen |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Character/Portrait, Drawing/Painting |
| Genres: | Challenges: Middle-earth Is Multitudes, New Year's Resolution |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 17 January 2024 | Updated on 17 January 2024 |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (24) |
The Watchfires Burned Low by cuarthol
There came a time of winter, when night was dark and without moon; and the wide plain of Ard-galen stretched dim beneath the cold stars, from the hill-forts of the Noldor to the feet of Thangorodrim. The watchfires burned low, and the guards were few;
The Silmarillion - JRR Tolkien
| Major Characters: Fingolfin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: New Year's Resolution, Turgon's Rock Opera |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 201 |
| Posted on 14 January 2024 | Updated on 15 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (14) |
'The sea-gift well hath throve' by Himring
It is a bit nerve-wracking, courting a princess of the House of Elros.
Elatan of Andunie hopes he is up to her standards.
| Major Characters: Elatan of Andúnië, Silmarien |
| Major Relationships: Elatan of Andúnië/Silmariën |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Understory |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 101 |
| Posted on 14 January 2024 | Updated on 14 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (11) |
Devotion by Flora-lass
Beleg loves Turin. Despite everything, because of everything, forever.
| Major Characters: Beleg |
| Major Relationships: Beleg/Túrin |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: Cheesy Corn Chips, New Year's Resolution |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 122 |
| Posted on 14 January 2024 | Updated on 14 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (21) |
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Drawing/Painting, Landscape |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 14 January 2024 | Updated on 14 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (10) |
The Pendant by Gabriel
Curufin visits his wife in the forge with another creation in mind.
| Major Characters: Historical Character(s), Unnamed Female Canon Character(s), Curufin |
| Major Relationships: Curufin/Unnamed Canon Character |
| Genres: General, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 813 |
| Posted on 13 January 2024 | Updated on 14 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Drunken Lullabies by Grundy
News of the Sudden Flame has reached Nargothrond.
| Major Characters: Finrod Felagund, Gildor |
| Major Relationships: Finrod & Gildor |
| Genres: | Challenges: Experimental, New Year's Resolution |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 386 |
| Posted on 13 January 2024 | Updated on 13 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (12) |
Echoes By The Water by Grundy
Círdan has a curious guest.
| Major Characters: Círdan |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crossover | crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Challenges: Understory |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 002 |
| Posted on 13 January 2024 | Updated on 13 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
The Light of the Trees of Valinor by Varda delle Stelle
Through the Light of the glass shine the Light of Laurelin
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Craft, Drawing/Painting |
| Genres: | Challenges: Experimental, New Year's Resolution |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on 12 January 2024 | Updated on 13 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (18) |
Organum by mairoff
When Melkor approaches him it is not necessarily out of ill intents - he thinks. As Aulë’s second he enjoys a certain reputation - one that gives him the moniker Admirable.
No, Mairon does not start evil at all.
Though, perhaps it is in his nature to ever evolve, ever iterate, he is fond of empirical processes and his surroundings feel small and smothering sometimes. But Mairon laughs, Mairon cares, Mairon even loves.
And that is his own doom.
| Major Characters: Melkor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Melkor/Sauron |
| Genres: | Challenges: Cheesy Corn Chips, New Year's Resolution |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 513 |
| Posted on 12 January 2024 | Updated on 12 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Twice He Answered by Adoraincerta
After the War of Wrath they were taken again.
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Maglor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Maedhros/Sauron, Maedhros/Maglor |
| Genres: Erotica, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Incest, Rape/Nonconsensual Sex, Sexual Content (Graphic), Torture, Violence (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 1, 132 |
| Posted on 6 January 2024 | Updated on 11 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Miriel Hath My Love by Rocky41_7
Indis knows that Miriel is the only one who understands their connection. This is why it should be Indis who looks after Miriel's body.
| Major Characters: Finwë, Indis |
| Major Relationships: Indis/Míriel, Finwë/Indis |
| Genres: Femslash, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Mature Themes, Rape/Nonconsensual Sex, Sexual Content (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 9, 589 |
| Posted on 8 January 2024 | Updated on 8 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Blood and Light by SonOfMandos
Mother, let me live to see the day go by
Save me from myself, for I will sacrifice
Anything and Everything, to feel Him one more time
--Sacrifice, Aleah.
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Maedhros/Sauron |
| Genres: Mystery, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 035 |
| Posted on 7 September 2022 | Updated on 8 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Shards Of Memory by LadySternchen
Written for Understory-challenge, inspired by StarSpray's story 'Rising as if Weightless'.
While his court is still enjoying the feast he gave in honour of the Princes of Doriath That Was, Olwë stands alone before the mosaic depicting him and his brothers.
| Major Characters: Olwë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, Ficlet | Challenges: Understory |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 656 |
| Posted on 7 January 2024 | Updated on 7 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
In These Altered States, Rejoice by sallysavestheday
Fingon and Maedhros shape new lives after Mandos. One chapter from Fingon's point of view and one from Maedhros'.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 1, 376 |
| Posted on 7 January 2024 | Updated on 7 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Long Was the Way that Fate Them Bore by sallysavestheday
Elrond makes sense of his complicated family, and his complicated self.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Glorfindel, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 583 |
| Posted on 7 January 2024 | Updated on 7 January 2024 |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
