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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.
10th Birthday Celebration
Happy 10th Birthday, SWG!
It is our 10th birthday, and we are pleased to announce a few gifts we've put together in true Tolkienian style for the fandom!
Send a Birthday Card!
Much of fandom is collective and collaborative. Whether working with a beta or coauthor, commenting on the work of a favorite author or artist, or collaborating to run fandom websites or events, few of us act alone in the fannish sphere. Our birthday card project is a way, during the month of our 10th birthday, to show your appreciation for the people who make your fannish experience enjoyable. Choose from over 100 beautiful digital cards to send to the SWG member of your choice with a customized message. We are compiling albums of cards that we will send to recipients on August 1.
Silmfic Prompt Generator
Have you ever been in the mood to write, but you're not sure what to work on? Are you an author or artist who delights in challenges or swaps to push your boundaries? Do you want to try something new but aren't quite sure what?
The moderators of the SWG have collaborated to create a random Silmfic prompt generator. Containing ten different categories--one for each year of the group's existence--the generator allows you to roll one or roll them all. (Trust us: rolling them all gets pretty wild pretty fast!) You can reroll as many times as you would like, so if you get one of our scarily obscure options (and they are in there!) or an impossible combination, you can keep rolling until you produce a combination that screams, "WRITE ME!!"
Writing Contest and Prize Drawing
Now we can hardly unveil this new gizmo without encouraging people to use it. During the month of July, we encourage our members to play with the prompt generator and create fanworks based on it. On August 16, we will be holding a drawing for anyone who participates to win some Silmarillion-themed prizes.
10th Birthday Prize Drawing Rules
- All stories written using the Silmfic prompt generator between July 1 and August 15, 2015, are eligible for the drawing.
- In order to be eligible, stories created for the contest must
- be posted to the SWG archive at silmarillionwritersguild.org. Stories posted to our LiveJournal, Dreamwidth, Yahoo! or Tumblr groups are not eligible.
- select 10th Birthday Celebration Contest from the Challenges list. Please note that there is also a 10th Birthday Celebration NO CONTEST option for those who wish to write using the generator in honor of our birthday but don't want to be entered in the drawing; make sure you select the correct challenge.
- list the prompts you used to create the story in the Story Notes or Chapter Notes.
- You can roll for just one category or all ten. You can reroll in a category if you want to, so if you end up with an impossible prompt or something you're just not comfortable writing, feel free to try again. And again and again. (Seriously, we have no idea if and how many times you reroll! Have fun with it!)
- Each story posted will result in one entry into the drawing. (So if you post five stories, you will have five entries into the drawing.)
- Each participant is eligible to win only once.
- If you win, you must be willing to provide a mailing address for us to send your prize to you.
- If you post an entry as part of an existing collection, please make sure to select 10th Birthday Celebration Contest from the challenges list and identify the prompts you used in the chapter notes for the piece or pieces that you are entering. This is how our mods will know from the table of contents of your collection which pieces in the collection are being entered, so it is important to place the prompts in the correct location.
- You can add a chapter to an existing work-in-progress using the prompt generator. Again, make sure to select the correct challenge and include your prompts in the chapter notes for the chapter(s) you are entering.
- The contest begins July 1 and ends on August 15 at midnight Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). We will draw winners on August 16. Winners will be notified at the email address they have listed on the SWG archive, so please make sure this is correct if you are participating. If we do not hear back within a week, we will re-draw a new winner. If you expect to be offline during the week after the drawing, please let us know ahead of time so that we do not give away your prize if you win and cannot respond within a week.
Prizes
There are three prizes as follows:
- A book set, including a 1st edition copy of The Silmarillion, Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J. R. R. Tolkien (essay collection, edited by Janet Brennan Croft), and The Road to Middle-earth by Tom Shippey.
- Your choice of a print by Tolkien fan artist and professional illustrator Jenny Dolfen, signed by the artist.
- A vintage, hard-to-find jigsaw puzzle (500 pieces) featuring an illustration from Tolkien's Father Christmas Letters.
Artwork and banner by Lyra and used with permission.
This challenge opened in .
Fanworks Tagged with 10th Birthday Celebration
A Brief Early History of Avant-Garde Textile Art by zopyrus
Vairë the Weaver had several tapestry projects going at once, and Míriel Serindë disappeared from them all at the same time.
Thralldom and Pearls by LadyBrooke
She is just a servant, and her lover can't be a thrall - for why would Morgoth want such an unimportant person as one?
A Curse of Death by LadyBrooke
This was supposed to be a birth, and Denethor’s wife is dying.
And from this, he wonders if he cursed his family for the remaining ages of the world.
Walls of Night by LadyBrooke
Celegorm knows the Sinda has no real power to do anything to them.
If it wasn't for his brothers trembling next to him, and the Sinda smirking, he would be utterly convince this was a dream. Afterall, that made more sense than a Sinda somehow dragging their souls along with his to this cursed place.
Mild violence warning for mention (and description) of future Silm events.
Improvisation by Ysilme
A short vacation is saved by Erestor’s inventive mind.
The Night the Wolves Were Silent by Lingwiloke
Elrond, and a quiet night at the conclusion of the War of Wrath.
Into the Darkness They Go by Elwin Fortuna
Aranwë paints a significant scene in the history of the Noldor.
My Dear Finduilas by Luxa
I write you this letter in hopes that I have not forgotten the words to do so.
Cousinly Bonding by Klose
While on a family holiday in Balar, Idril has a beachside chat with Gil-galad about their family.
Pretty Carvings by Luxa
“I am my people, Caranthir.” Haleth doesn't trust most Elves, but she trusts this one enough to show him their culture.
Three Letters by Talullah
Three letters Almarian receives from the men in her life.
What Is Love? by just_jenni
Earwen has an idea to help Nerdanel recover from her grief over Feanor's demise.
Skin by Scribe of Mirrormere
During a visit in Doriath, Aredhel and Eöl get caught up in a trivial argument.
The Coming Flood by Luxa
Two women stand as the funeral procession of everyone they've ever known rolls by and they hold hands. The Valar have much to pay for. Amarië/Elenwë, modern AU dystopia.
Arátellë by Scribe of Mirrormere
Aredhel’s experience in Alqualondë.
“I shall be known by no other name than Arátellë,” she told Turukáno.
Fight to the End by just_jenni
For the SWG Tenth Birthday Challenge.
Prompt Generator:
Form/Genre: Guyslash
Theme: Chaos vs Order
Quotes: "If they will not depart we shall afflict them in all ways that we can".
Event: Beren and Luthien fight against Celegorm and Curufin
Rating: R
Warnings: Non-explicit non-con.
A twist to the Beren, Luthien, Celegorm and Curufin story.
Rise Like the Break of Dawn by Elwin Fortuna
Lalwen witnesses the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and leads as many as she can to safety in its aftermath.
Save The World by Elwin Fortuna
Nimloth is on her way to visit Luthien. She's caught in a summer mist and hears a beautiful voice singing. Who will she meet?
the wise & the lovely by Agelast
Galadriel takes care of an unwanted suitor in her own inimitable way.
In His Absence by Elleth
After the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and its losses, two desperately lonely people find comfort with each other.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner by oshun
It’s a Years of the Trees’ story of Finrod and Amarië as young lovers, long before the rebellion of the Noldor separates them.
