New Challenge: Title Track
Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
SWG News
Our Annual Amnesty Challenge: New Year's Resolution
Start 2026 off with creativity! If you missed a challenge or didn't get to finish or post a challenge fanwork, complete any 2025 challenge before 15 February to receive the stamp.
"The Fëanorian Zine" Available to Read and Download
We are pleased to be able to offer "The Fëanorian Zine" to read and download on the SWG for free.
Call for Artists for the 2026 Challenge Stamps
We are soliciting help from artists who want to help create the stamps we award to challenge participants.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] In Early Spring by Serinquanion
In what Maedhros was re-embodied early and was sent back to Middle Earth on his volition with Glorfindel.
This isn't about what happened right then but years after Fall of Sauron when he still refused to return to Valinor.
He found a strange sapling at the shore of what remains of…
[Writing] Umnenyalië by Serinquanion
He was going to die. The molten rocks would burn him just like the cursed gem in his palm did. Maybe less painfully but still being burnt hurt and Maedhros knew it. He intimately knew it from his time in Angband where Þauron burnt him often in frustration and to toy with him and his master…
[Writing] Winter Warmth by Serinquanion
A winter night in Himring. But inside the quarters where fire blazed in hearth was warmer, and not only from the fire or quilt.
[Writing] A Hundred Miles Through the Desert by StarSpray
“Come on.” Maedhros grabbed his hand and pulled him along down the path, both of them quickening their pace now, until the trees opened up into a wide meadow filled with flowers, bright yellow celandine and dandelions and sweet-scented pale chamomile mingling with cornflowers and irises. On…
[Writing] Who Will Hear Me? by XirinOfArvada
A lonely elf finds a flute half buried beneath the sand and wonders if its owner will hear him when he calls.
[Writing] Loyal, Faithful by Himring
Late in the Second Age, one of the Faithful reflects critically on past developments. (Free verse.)
[Writing] East Away! by Flora-lass
Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.
Current Challenge
Title Track
Create a fanwork using our collection of 125 titles from Tolkien's books, chapters, essays, poems, and fragments as inspiration. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Love Actually
Choose a quote from the canon about love and create a fanwork that responds to the quote. Read more ...
New in References
Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the parallels between the concept of abnegation in the scientific work surrounding the atomic bomb and in The Silmarillion. The relinquishment of self-interest in favor of the interests of others, abnegation was identified by Tolkien as a powerful act of spirit and reason. The legendarium has many examples of the complexities of abnegation, which parallel similar discussions held by physicists during and after World War II.
Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel by JazTheBard
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the many similarities between Tolkien's three "twilight children," Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel (Luthien, Maeglin, and Arwen) in terms of appearance, plot, and cultural background. Yet these three characters play very different roles in the text.
The Aromantic in Tolkien by daughterofshadows
Presented at Mereth Aderthad 2025, this paper makes the case thata, although the term "aromantic" had not yet been coined in Tolkien's day, many of his characters can be read as aromantic. The paper takes a closer look at Aredhel, Bilbo, and Boromir as three examples of characters who can be read as aromantic.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] here you will dwell, bound to your grief by Elrond's Library
Arwen grieves, and loves.
[Writing] Faramir's Verse by losselen
“Come, Faramir. Let us not stand in ceremony. I think words are due between you and I, and not only those between a King and his Steward.”
Faramir has speech with Gandalf and his King.
[Writing] In a Hole in the Ground... by StarSpray
“There’s a goblin hiding in the taters, Dad!” Pippin hefted the pan, which was much too big for him to carry, let alone wield.
Around the World and Web
March Challenge - Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge for the month of March to create a Back to Middle-earth Month themed challenge.
Tolkien Fashion Week 2026
This two-week-long Tumblr event is dedicated to honoring the world of fashion and textiles Tolkien wrote about in his books.
Celegorm and Curufin Week 2026
Celegorm and Curufin Week is a Tumblr week celebrating the relationship between Celegorm and Curufin Feanorion
Back to Middle-earth Month 2026
Back to Middle-earth Month is returning for it's 20th year with many prompts and archival efforts.
New and Updated Fanworks
Include Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
The Project by elennalore
Celebrimbor can't abandon the project on the Three.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Swinging 40s |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 101 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Not in Love by AdmirablePrecious
THEY ARE NOT IN LOVE!
| Major Characters: Sauron, Celebrimbor |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 740 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Varda - Queen Of Stars by Gabriel
A Tolkien of colour sketch if Varda.
| Major Characters: Varda |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Character/Portrait |
| Genres: Folktales/Myths/Legends, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (4) |
Crossed Paths by Flora-lass
Tuor and Voronwë encounter Túrin at Ivrin. Hurt and not much comfort (but they try).
| Major Characters: Tuor, Voronwë, Túrin |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe, Fixed-Length Ficlet, Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: Swinging 40s |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 400 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (12) |
The Beautiful Game by Kaylee Arafinwiel
An association football (soccer) pitch with some Rings of Power on it. On it is written in black and white script, my pitch (ha) to the artists: What if football (soccer) was invented in Beleriand/Middle-earth? Who would be most likely to invent it? To perfect it? Who would be most competitive about it? What if the Dark Lords and Elven Ringbearers--or any Ringbearers--got in on it?
Write something showing how the Beautiful Game might have evolved in Tolkien's world, and who would play it. Might there be leagues? Imagine, the World Cup of Beleriand...Anyway, this is something I've always wanted to write but never been able to. I hope someone can!
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Drawing/Painting |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (1) |
Before and After by Kaylee Arafinwiel
The green plain of Ard-galen was laid waste and became the desolation of Anfauglith, its only green land being the Hill of the Slain. Or...maybe this is Mordor, before it was laid waste and as it's recovering? Or both? Something similar? Up to you.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (1) |
Volcano by Kaylee Arafinwiel
A view of a volcano somewhere on Arda (or off it, I guess, if we want to take this to some other planet the Valar have visited, lol, who knows).
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: No type listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (1) |
Peanut Butter Jellyfish Mine? by Kaylee Arafinwiel
A craban and jellyfish somewhere on Arda. The hatchling craban mistakes the jellyfish for an 'octofish (octopus) fren'. Inspired by octopus_fool, though anyone can fill this
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Comic/Cartoon |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (1) |
Star Fish? by Kaylee Arafinwiel
Black background, white stars (linked by a thin line) - the constellation Pisces, The Fish.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Drawing/Painting |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (1) |
It's All Perspective by Kaylee Arafinwiel
It looks like a doodle or a sketch, or maybe it's a coded message? Who knows, just enjoy. Someone is drawing/encoding something, let it be whoever, whenever, and whyever you want. Could be Silmarillion, or beyond.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Artwork Type: Abstract/Pattern |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (1) |
Melian’s Lament by LadySternchen
I’ve written this lament for the Hungarian Tolkien Society’s 2024/25 Annual Mailing Competition. Requirements were as folllows:
- a lament (or song, but I chose the lament) not more than 20 lines long
- it had to deal with an event mentioned in canon, but with nothing written about it
So I’ve written Melian’s lament I imagine she sings after her return to Lórien
| Major Characters: Melian |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 282 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
I Will Remember You at Moonrise by Isilme_among_the_stars
Argon, my sweet, foolish, impetuous youngest brother, ran ahead. I found him, you know, before he died.
Fingon remembers the first rising of the Moon and Sun, mourns his youngest brother and resolves that his cousin will not share Argon's fate.
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Argon & Fingon, Fingon & Maedhros |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Swinging 40s |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 1, 026 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Truth in Tragedy by AdmirableMonster
A short and very personal essay that is a mix of defense-of-genre-fiction and processing my relationship with my dad. Not intended to tell anyone else how to feel about the fiction they consume, just trying to sort myself out.
| Major Characters: Eöl, Denethor (Steward of Gondor) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Experimental, Nonfiction/Meta | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 403 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
August Instadrabbling by elennalore
Two drabbles about re-embodied Elves in Valinor. Chapter 1: Maeglin. Chapter 2: Celebrimbor.
| Major Characters: Maeglin, Celebrimbor, Frodo |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 203 |
| 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) |
A Different Sort of Grond by AdmirablePrecious
Order is his goal, something Morgoth only uses to create chaos later, but there is a sliver in Morgoth only Mairon sees.
| Major Characters: Sauron, Melkor |
| Major Relationships: Melkor/Sauron |
| Genres: Erotica, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Moderate), Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 808 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Bend Over Boyfriend by averytinylizard
Fingon makes a small request to Maedhros. She obliges.
featuring Trans Fingon and genderbent Maedhros.
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros |
| Genres: Erotica, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Incest, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 748 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
and I take the big plunge by averytinylizard
Two of Finwë's granddaughters spend a few nights together.
feat: genderbent maedhros
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Aredhel/Maedhros |
| Genres: Erotica, Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Incest, Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 3 | Word Count: 8, 262 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
your servant, don't forsake him by averytinylizard
Fingolfin and Maedhros both have particular needs. They find fellowship over this.
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingolfin/Maedhros |
| Genres: Erotica, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Incest, Sexual Content (Graphic), Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 3, 969 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
Their Long Homes by Isilme_among_the_stars
By the time the Silmarils find their long homes, their tale has passed from the high and beautiful to darkness and ruin. But the story does not end there, for even ruined things crave the light. The bearers of the gems turn their faces from the darkness and embark upon the long road to redemption.
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General, Fanwork Collection | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
The Future's In Our Hands by StarSpray
Well, Fëanor frightened him. Fëanor frightened them all, still, in one way or another.
Fëanor's sons receive letters from him, and try to decide what to do.
| Major Characters: Curufin, Caranthir, Amras, Amrod, Celegorm |
| Major Relationships: Curufin & Fëanor, Amras & Amrod, Amras & Amrod & Fëanor, Caranthir & Fëanor, Celegorm & Fëanor |
| Genres: Family | Challenges: Swinging 40s |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death, Mature Themes, Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 5 | Word Count: 26, 994 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (10) |
the marriage of true minds by averytinylizard
They marry in a field, years after leaving the halls.
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros |
| Genres: Erotica, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Graphic) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 4, 244 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
to die in two places at once by averytinylizard
Ósanwë gives an intimacy to relationships that is almost unmatched.
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros |
| Genres: Drama, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death, Violence (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 623 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
we three together by averytinylizard
After the Dagor Aglareb, Maglor and Fingon help Maedhros relax.
Distant sequel to this fic, also featuring Maedhros as a trans woman.
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Fingon, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros/Maglor |
| Genres: Fluff, Poly, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Incest |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 237 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
That Forlorn Lover by Elrond's Library
Fingon's rescue of Maedhros in An Attempt at poetry
For the July 2025 Challenge Swinging 40s
| Major Characters: Fingon |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: Swinging 40s |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 124 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
a thief in the night by averytinylizard
Fingon steals Maedhros away a hundred times during the long peace.
Double drabble
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros |
| Genres: Ficlet, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 201 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (1) |
