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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
Restoration and Rebuilding
Create a fanwork around a prompt focused on the theme of rebuilding and restoration. 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.
Ankle Biters
This month, we imagine our favorite characters as children. Whether silly, fluffy, playful, or profound, stories about characters' childhoods are a common fan fiction sub-genre.
What lessons learned in childhood shaped what a character would become? Characters like Túrin, Elwing, and Fëanor had canon childhood experiences that determined, in part, who they would become as adults. Other characters may have been children during major historical events; for example, Celebrimbor quite likely was a child during the Darkening of Valinor, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, and the Noldorin exile. How did these events shape these characters' fates?
Or maybe you want something lighter: the time a character got punished for a bad deed or learned something fun about the world, the arrival of a new sibling, a character's first word ... the possibilities are endless! Let's look back to a time in history where much remained to be determined, when even the most tragic characters experienced the joy of discovery and innocence.
This challenge opened in .
Fanworks Tagged with Ankle Biters
Getting to Know Him by oshun
Request from Winterwitch: “ . . . something about Maedhros and Elrond would be lovely, perhaps of the time when one of the two discovers his respect, admiration, or even fondness of the other. Or Maglor and Elrond in the same situation.”
This is young Elrond's POV in the first hours after Maedhros and Maglor take him and his brother with them from the Havens of Sirion.
Look Homeward Angel by oshun
Day 30: Grey Havens -- Write a story or poem, or create a piece of art on the theme of leaving or returning home. A moment of domesticity with Elros, Elrond, Maglor and Maedhros.
On the Edge of Ruin, Part II by MithLuin
"Memories"
The childhood of Elrond and Elros, beginning with the attack on the Havens and ending with the events depicted in Part I.
Ulmo’s Palace by oshun
Written for the prompts: Curufin and Ulmo's Palace; for the Probably AU Genfic Swap at Elffetish. One of those cute 'lil elfing stories which contains dark undertones and/or is blasphemous to the Valar.
A Ponderous Tome by oshun
A short character study of a youthful Elrond and a reflection on an aspect of his relationship with Maedhros and Maglor; in response to Day 26 of the B2MeM challenge. The prompt is: “a teacher who played a key role . . . . write a character who educated his people in some way.”
MEFA 2009, Third Place - First Age and Prior:
Featuring Maedhros or Maglor
Tree and Flower Awards 2013, First Place
Favorite Characerization of Elrond
Do You Believe in Ghosts? by oshun
Happy 2008 Halloween Birthday to IgnobleBard, dear friend, generous and stalwart Beta, who loves scary stories. Credit goes to DarthFingon for the prompt from a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon of the same name. Warnings: language you might expect from a house filled with testosterone-challenged males; references to sexual intimacy, both het and slash, but no explicit content.
MEFA 2009, First Place - Humor: Children
Findekáno the Valiant by oshun
Response to Claudio/Darth Fingon's challenge to write how Fingon got the label of "the Valiant." Warnings: crack fic, language (somewhat crude), and could be read as foreshadowing slash (years down the road).
Full Brothers in Blood by oshun
Gift story for Dawn Felagund, Christmas 2007, Fingon and Turgon as young brothers. Honorable Mention, MEFA 2008
Two for Trouble by oshun
Written for the SWG July 2007 "The Terrible Twos!" Challenge.
