Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
SWG News
New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
Comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Shepherd Princess by Himring
A princess and her sheepdog. (Drabble featuring a young Ancalime.)
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] A Song Amidst His Torment by Elrond's Library
Of course it was a trap.
Maitimo has to survive. He must. But what price is too high to pay for survival?
[Writing] Nasyalossë by Lovimmy3365
Erestor lay up against a tree, brown washed to black in the wet of the snow. The black disc of the new moon sailed across the dark sky. Erestor wished it were gone. He had no need to look into dark eyes any longer.
He was dying.
(AKA Erestor unwittingly travels back in time to the…
[Playlist] Yacht Rock Silmarillion by Dawn Felagund
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the characters in The Silmarillion were smoooooth like they were sippin' a Sex on the Beach on a party barge in the harbor at Alqualondë? The "Yacht Rock Silmarillion" retells The Silmarillion as though the characters all had perms…
[Writing] and let's be winners by mistake by atlantablack
"Move farther north," Caranthir says to her a month after the attack, gaze steady on her even as his hands continue briskly gutting fish. "There is plenty of land closer to my fortress, and my people can help protect yours if there is another attack."
Haleth looks up from her…
Current Challenge
Building Middle-earth
While Tolkien is known for his vast natural landscapes, those expanses are populated by people—and the buildings they construct. Whether a cottage tucked into the forest or the soaring spires of a grand city, the architecture of Arda can send the imagination adventuring through settings ethereal and astonishing. This month's challenge uses architecture to inspire fanworks. Read more ...
Random Challenge
B2MeM 2011
Back to Middle-earth Month 2011 featured a daily postcard from a different location in Middle-earth with a creative prompt inspired by that location. Read more ...
New in References
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
By definition, fanworks fandom does not draw a lot of boundaries, but community archives and events have taken a strong stance against AI-generated fanworks due to ethical considerations and member input.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Around the World and Web
Celedriel Week 2026
A Tumblr event week focusing on the relationship between Celeborn and Galadriel.
Esoteric Tolkien Week 2026
A fandom event dedicated to the strange, otherworldly, and inexplicable in Middle-earth and beyond.
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
Truly All Fanworks
This page includes all fanworks from the main SWG archive and the Beyond the Silmarillion section.
Lockdown Instadrabbles by Idrils Scribe
Written for the lockdown instadrabbling event on the SWG Discord.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elrond, Eärendil, Fingon, Finwë, Míriel Serindë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 4 | Word Count: 405 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
The Firework. by hennethgalad
Elladan struggles with his painting.
22: 'Nocturn:black and gold' Whistler
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Celebrían, Elladan |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 852 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Halls of Waiting by StarSpray
Dior comes to Mandos, and must decide how he will leave it.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Dior, Mandos, Nimloth |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020, Soundtrack |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 367 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Gleaming Spires by Himring
Aredhel arrives in Gondolin.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Aredhel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Soundtrack |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 99 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
Distractions by Lferion
Fingon, unfocused, distracted and distressed. A double-drabble and three drabbles.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet, Poetry | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 504 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
all you have to do, is listen by HannaGoldworthy
Once, he had been more than a gracious listener in the Music.
That time was gone.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Maglor, Original Female Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crossover, Experimental, Family, Fixed-Length Ficlet, General | Challenges: Soundtrack |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 788 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
The Ring of Arrows. by hennethgalad
Elrond has an alchemist to deal with.
19: “Pandora”
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Celebrían, Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 747 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
A Midwinter’s Feast by Lilith
Celebrían is very excited about the Midwinter feast and invites her cousin to come, but she discovers that families and holiday celebrations may become very complicated, particularly when a new acquaintance creates some conflict.
It is part of the Thû or Lady!Sauron 'verse.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Celebrían, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel, Original Character(s), Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: B2MeM 2020, Season's Greetings |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 8 | Word Count: 72, 607 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (20) |
Death rides to Gondolin. by hennethgalad
The elves of Vinyamar move to Gondolin.
18: "Because I could not stop for death
Death kindly stopped for me
The carriage held but just ourselves and
Immortality".
Emily Dickinson.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Idril |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 875 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Perfection. by hennethgalad
Mairon chooses his form.
17: "For nothing is evil in the beginning; even Sauron was not so."
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Aulë, Sauron, Yavanna |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 702 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Elwing's Soliloquy. by hennethgalad
Elwing confronts Maedhros and Maglor stand over her sleeping children.
day 15: "an important moment"
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros, Elwing, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 622 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Second Childhood by HannaGoldworthy
Because Feanor could not make anything easy on anyone, and that included his own second life.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Family, General, Humor, Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: Crackuary |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 6 | Word Count: 11, 105 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
The Faithless Ship. by hennethgalad
Nimrodel when the balrog wakes.
14: "Ophelia" b2mem2020
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Mithrellas, Nimrodel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 741 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Kingdom. by hennethgalad
Family life at the Havens of Sirion.
13: "Your kingdom is gone. If it is to be restore, which I doubt, it must be from small beginnings". Unfinished Tales
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elwing, Eärendil, Idril, Tuor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Violence (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 732 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Nothing Collapses by StarSpray
Dor Firn-i-Guinar did not sink with the rest of Beleriand, and it is a place heavy with memory.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elrond |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 310 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
The Straight Path. by hennethgalad
The Eldar become aware of the reshaping of the world after the fall of Númenor.
11: 'The Milky Way'
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Círdan, Elrond, Galadriel, Gil-galad, Lindir |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 715 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Shield-House by Lferion
The House of Shields is more than a bar. A double drabble.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crackfic, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Crackuary |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 201 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Considering Cards by Lferion
A three-card spread that changes everything.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Elrond, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 251 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Casting Omens, Reading Cards by Lferion
Maglor read the cards too well
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crackfic, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Crackuary |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 302 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Modern solutions by Lyra
Fingon's rescue of Maedhros, Red Bull commercial style. I apologise for everything.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros, Thorondor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Comic Strip, Crackfic | Challenges: Crackuary |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
None might restrain him by Lyra
One fine morning, Fëanor wakes up in Fingolfin's body. It goes exactly as well as you'd expect. Not actually featuring Fingolfin.
Implied (canon) character death.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Mandos, Manwë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crackfic | Challenges: Crackuary |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 079 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Diplomacy. by hennethgalad
Gimli and Glóin after the Council of Elrond.
9: "They had begun to forget: forget their own beginnings and legends, forget what little they had known about the greatness of the world.” (Unfinished Tales, Part Three, III, The Quest of Erebor)
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Gimli |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2020 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 995 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
The Nights Your Heart Shivers by StarSpray
"All right, hunting down Daeron the Minstrel: that sounds like fun. But where would we even begin to look for him?"
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Daeron, Eluréd, Elurín, Ents, Nellas |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure, General, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense | Challenges: B-Movie, Crackuary |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 7, 845 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Fëanor, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crackfic, Family, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Crackuary |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 101 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Pollen and Honey by Lferion
Nerdanel contemplates names for her new-born twins.
| Canon Source: The Silmarillion and Related Works |
| Major Characters: Amras, Amrod, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Crackfic, Family, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Crackuary |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 304 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
