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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
Noegyth Nibin
Create a fanwork about the Petty-dwarves. 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.
Arda on Ice
As the Northern Hemisphere bids farewell to winter, we pay homage to a sport that, just like writing and art, involves both technical skill and artistry: figure skating. For this challenge, you will design a skating program using the prompts below. Before you begin, select the prompts you want to incorporate into your program. You can complete a program at four different levels:
- Novice: 3 prompts
- Junior: 5 prompts
- Senior: 7 prompts
- Pair/Team: 8 prompts shared between two or more creators
Prompts can be used in any order that you want and are intentionally broad, inviting a variety of different interpretations.
You can also collaborate with one or more other creators for the pair and team events! You can collaborate on a single fanwork, or you can collaborate to create multiple fanworks using a set of prompts. For example, one person might create a work of art, another might write a story about it, and a third creator could make a playlist, compose a poem to introduce the story, or conduct research to produce a comprehensive set of notes.
Thanks to Wanyin for suggesting this month's challenge and thanks to Lyra for the artwork used in the banner and stamps!
This challenge opened in .
Prompts
Choose your prompt from the collection below.
- View Prompts
-
Jumps
Axel: give a little extra effort
Loop: end up back where you started
Toe Loop: something forceful
Salchow: end up somewhere new
Flip: something unexpected
Lutz: something edgy
Walley: overcome a minor obstacle
Euler: involve mathematics
Split: done with grace
Spins
Upright: a change of perspective
Sit: a low moment
Camel: interact with an animal
Blur: a moment of confusion
Layback: look skyward
Biellman: a stretch
Flying: a moment of uncertainty
Footwork
Three Turn: something that comes in threes
Choctaw: refugees/seeking refuge
Mohawk: forming an alliance
Chasse: moving forward
Toe Step: getting to the point
Bracket: an outsider
Counter: a comeback
Twizzle: in a whirl
Rocker: a quiet moment
Spiral: a gradual change
Spread Eagle: feeling pulled two ways at once
Ina Bauer: parallels
Fanworks Tagged with Arda on Ice
Lúcë (Enchantment) by Anérea
When Melian and Thingol met they silently stared at each other for two hundred years. What actually happened between them during that time? And why could no one find them?
Misty Mountains Tall by StarSpray
The road of the High Pass is blocked by boulders, but an attempted negotiation with the stone giant responsible goes unexpectedly sideways.
Might As Well Dance by Grundy, polutropos, daughterofshadows, Anérea
Beren, Lúthien, and Huan circling each other, love, and doom.
Breathe Again by Lferion
Breathing as an exercise of Fea and Hroa both; three drabbles.
Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress by Grundy
Three drabbles on a theme for Arda On Ice.
Arda on Ice stamp art by Lyra
You've heard of Lay of Leithian, the rock opera - now get ready for Lay of Leithian, the ice skating show. Well, not really. But when we were setting up the challenges for 2022, I couldn't help envisioning characters from the Lay of Leithian as skaters for the Arda on Ice challenge.
Coming home by daughterofshadows
Gondolin is finally ready to welcome its people.
Among the buzz of moving in, a long awaited reunion takes place.
Lúcëmetta (Enchantment's End) by Anérea
Melian and Thingol awake from their enchantment in Nan Elmoth.
Enchantment by Anérea
When Melian and Thingol met they silently stared at each other for two hundred years. What actually happened between them during that time? And why could no one find them?
What was, what is, and what might be by chrissystriped
Osse and Nowe share some private time together. Nowe has a question about Osse's past. Osse does not want the Teleri to leave for Aman.
