New Challenge: Crossroads of the Fallen King
Cross "The Silmarillion" with a second text or fandom in this month's crossover challenge.
SWG News
A Sense of History: Thálatta! Thálatta!
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.
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!
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] On a night of stars, a bird by Quente
Nimloth and Dior meet, and he is naked.
Alternatively,
Melian travels south to visit her daughter, and meets a familiar looking bird.
Written for the Tengwar prompt, Quessë (feather).
[Writing] Apprentice by Quente
Dior is in Menegroth learning to be his grandfather's heir -- but his grandmother decides to take him as apprentice too.
Written for the Tengwar Challenge, May 15: Súlë (spirit).
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge.
All 36 prompts plus bonus chapter
[Writing] A blip on the radar by daughterofshadows
Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.
[Writing] History abandons us by AdmirableMonster
During his incarceration in Roderick Burgess' basement, Dream receives a strange, ancient visitor.
[Writing] Tengwar Acrostics by Himring
Responses to the Tengwar Challenge in which first letters spell out the name of a tengwa.
1) Early Encounter (Nerdanel, Indis)
2) Numenorean Lullaby (Almarian, Aldarion)
[Writing] Tengwar Drabbles by cílil
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
Current Challenge
Crossroads of the Fallen King
Create a fanwork that crosses with a second text or fandom. Read more ...
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Songs of Arda
Create a fanwork about music. 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
Mythcon 53: Fantasies of the Middle Lands
Mythcon 53 will be held 2-5 August 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the theme "Fantasies of the Middle Lands."
Teitho May/June Challenge: Joker
For the May/June Teitho challenge, you can pick ANY of our past challenges that stir your imagination and write a story or create art for it.
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!
Fanworks Tagged with Femslash
Seeing Stars by Narya
Reborn in Valinor, Meleth begins to build a new life.
As the World Was Young by StarSpray
"River-daughter!" Indis appeared from between some tents. She was dressed for hunting, with her hair coiled around her head in thick braids, and with a spear on her shoulder. Usually her hair and clothes were adorned with beads of wood and clay that clicked together in rhythm with her steps, but now she moved silently, quiet as the owl that the River-daughter had greeted earlier.
Indis was, however, much lovelier than any owl. "Are you leaving?" the River-daughter asked her.
Sweet Violets and Golden Cowslip by StarSpray
Lalwen has dug too many graves. After the attack on the Havens of Sirion, she digs another.
To gather in a flourishing way by Chestnut_pod
It is renowned among both the Teleri and the Noldor, though perhaps for different reasons among each, that Eärwen Swan-Maiden of Alqualondë was married to Arafinwë of the Noldor in a dress broidered with one thousand pearls, and more draped around her neck and woven through her hair like sea spray.
[podfic] The Sorceress' Apprentice by Chestnut_pod
From her mother, Galadriel had learned grace, composure, and how to veil the teeth of diplomacy in silk and soft words. From her grandmother, she learned when to bare those teeth. From her cousin she learned the value of will and the power of independence.
Her ambition was her own, and carefully stoked.
(And from Melian she learned nothing at all.)
Food From the Heart by Nienna
Isilmë and Moda, her wife, decide to revamp a dish that Moda never liked from her childhood, a dish that was used to celebrate the dawning of winter.
The Nightingale Sang by ArtificialEnt
Luthien runs into a strange and batlike creature on her way to rescue Beren.
Any Wise and Wintry Thing by Elleth
Evranin and Gereth meet in the woods of Doriath on a midwinter night, long before the birth of Elwing and the fall of Doriath. They share a night of passion, and when Doriath falls, they meet again.
Sisters Such As Us by Elleth
Anairë travels to Alqualondë for research. Little did she expect to be swept off her feet by its princess, nor what follows.
Song of Lake Linaewen by Zdenka
Brief scenes of the love between a Sindarin Elf of Nevrast and a Noldo follower of Turgon: meeting and parting in the midst of loss, betrayal, and war. (A double drabble poem and four ficlets.)
Dreams of Far Lands by Elleth
Lalwen receives a gift, and takes heart.
Revels in Silence by Elleth
Níniel meets a wraith at night. Written for the Hearts in Council fic fest.
Beneath the Willow Tree by grey_gazania
Elenwë is stressed. Luckily, Aredhel knows exactly how to help.
Written for Rhapsody the Bard for the 2013 My Slashy Valentine exchange.
