New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
Challenges have been a part of the SWG since our group was formed in 2005. Before the archive, there were challenges. Before References or any special projects or B2MeM or any of the myriad things we've done over the last decade-plus, there were challenges. Challenges end and a new challenges is posted on the 15th of the month. (Yes, that means there is one thrilling day each month when there are two active challenges!) Participants—both authors and reviewers—will receive a stamp in their challenge stamp collection for their participation. Deadlines apply only if you want your fanwork to receive a stamp.
Every challenge that has ever been offered by the SWG is available for use by creators of fanworks who are looking for inspiration. Even if the deadline for stamps is passed, you are welcome to use the challenges listed on our site. And comments on past challenge fanworks are always welcome and always receive a reward for that month. Want to join us? Click to read the guidelines below!
The Tengwar are one of the delights of visiting Middle-earth as a fan of Tolkien's work. Whether a serious student of the letters; dabbling with them, Appendix open, on a lazy afternoon; or simply admiring the way they flow across a title page (or the One Ring …), most Tolkien fans find them beautiful and packed with meaning beyond what it seems should be contained within a single letter.
This month (and a bit beyond!), we will feature a prompt per day taken from the Tengwar chart. The prompt will include a graphic of the tengwa and its name in Quenya and English. You can use any part of the prompt: the tengwa itself, the name, the English translation, the graphic, or some other creative interpretation we haven't even dreamed up yet! You may do as many or as few of the daily prompts as you would like. One prompt is worth as much as challenging yourself to do them all, so work at the level and pace that is comfortable for you. (However, there may be a special reward for anyone ambitious enough to try them all!)
Prompts will be posted daily at midnight UTC on our website, Tumblr, Dreamwidth, and the #monthly-challenges channel on our Discord. You do not need to do the prompt on the day it was posted; you can go back and do prompts you missed or do them out of order.
Thank you to Cuarthol and Anérea for the gorgeous banners and stamps this month!
View prompts for the Tengwar challenge.
Choose a prompt from a list of 130 different things that "come in threes." Challenge opened in . Read more ...
For our annual Matryoshka challenge, we add an interactive component. Receive your first prompt and track down the rest by interacting with other SWG members or finding prompts posted online. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Our annual amnesty challenge allows you to complete and receive stamps for challenges you missed in the past year. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
For this remix challenge, develop a minor character, plot point, or other detail from a fanwork into a new fanwork. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Tolkien was an experimental writer, pushing the boundaries of literary and artistic convention. This month, we invite you to experiment with a new technique or approach to your fanworks. We’ve listed some prompts you can select from, but you’re also free to develop your own. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
On the anniversary of the publication of "The Silmarillion," we’re reflecting on the importance of music in Arda with prompts that come from rock songs. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Use bingo prompts from 1920s-themed cards to create a fanwork. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Tolkien had many tales, places, and artists who inspired his work. For this challenge, prompts invite creating a fanwork using one of Tolkien's influences. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
A Matryoshka challenge where prompts are based on the common plot points and tropes from mystery novels. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Choose a prompt from our "bestiary" of music and images of animals found in Arda. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork around one of Tolkien's rejected ideas from the legendarium. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Use our daily prompt calendar to populate your fanworks with a more diverse array of characters. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Celebrate the corny and the cheesy, the sappy and sweet and schmaltzy and saccharine in popular culture by choosing from our collection of corny, sentimental, and heartstring-rending prompts. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
This January, for our annual amnesty challenge, any challenge from January 2017 onward is fair game. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
This challenge has two parts—making postcards which will be used as prompts, and using postcard prompts to create a fanwork—and will run slightly longer than usual. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
In this modified Matryoshka challenge, your prompts will come from the journey you take around a map. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Select a Tarot card and use any aspect of the card or its description to inspire your fanwork. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Create a fanwork around a prompt focused on the theme of rebuilding and restoration. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Prompts for this challenge include zingers and insults from literature and pop culture. Challenge opened in . Read more ...
Choose from 120 alternate universe prompts, both settings and genres, to inspire a fanwork. Challenge opened in . Read more ...