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
Festival of Lights Fest
This is a fun and low-key event meant to encourage works about or inspired by Hanukkah, running this year in conjunction with the Potluck Bingo challenge. 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
When I Am Wise by Deborah Judge
At the end of the First Age, Elrond and Elros must choose between mortality and immortality.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 685 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Forest's Rulers by Erulisse
For Tolkien Weekly’s Fell Beasts Challenge - Spiders
Because it is National Poetry Month, I present a poem drabble for Spiders...
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 84 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Heart Song by Erulisse
Originally composed for HA's Nazgul of the Month Forum - April - Elrond the Bard, I wrote this story featuring a young Elrond learning about love and loss.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 223 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Mighty Sword by lanyon
Turgon looks back.
| Major Characters: Elenwë, Gandalf, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 3, 350 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
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A Crash Course in History by Himring
Maedhros reads The Lord of the Rings (the Imladris edition).
In honour of Oshun, Biographer-in-Chief, on the occasion of her birthday.
Fingon/Maedhros.
Now a MEFA 2011 nominee. Thank you very much, Angelica!
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Gift of a Story |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 264 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
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The Glinting Gleam by Nekomitsu
Maedhros found an unexpected treasure during the Feast of Reuniting and decided to show it to the King of the Exiles against the advice of his cousin Fingon. Featuring weddings-to-be, adventures, balrogs, golden harps, a most beautiful princess, fire, and thieving brothers. (Fairytale, loosely based on the Russian folktale The Fire Bird and Princess Vasilisa.)
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon, Lúthien Tinúviel, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 553 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Shades of Optimism by Himring
The Sons of Feanor ask Thingol to hand over the Silmaril. Maedhros and Maglor discuss the wording of the letter.
B2MEM 2011, March 28: There was no avoiding it; the letter had to be composed...
Language could be considered mildly expletive by some.
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Sons of Fëanor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 171 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
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The Feast of Reuniting by oshun
Written to the prompt to start a story with Charles Dickens' opening line from A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." (Perhaps, it could be read as a non-spoilery trailer for my Mereth Aderthad.)
| Major Characters: Daeron, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 449 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
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The Unspoken by Elfique
Many things remain unspoken, the reason for Glorfindel's apparent batchelorhood being one of them. A five part series of vignettes.
| Major Characters: Aredhel, Glorfindel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, Het, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 5 | Word Count: 2, 333 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Volcano by SurgicalSteel
Late Second Age. Ar-Zimraphel struggles up the mountain.
Character death.
| Major Characters: Tar-Míriel |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Character Death |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 720 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Survival of the Fittest by Erulisse
Tolkien Weekly's Fell Beasts - Wargs challenge. A true drabble.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 157 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Poppies for Idril by Erulisse
A story for H-A List's 9th Anniversary. The ninth wedding anniversary features Copper, Leather, Poppies and Lapis Lazuli. Here is my birthday gift for the list.
| Major Characters: Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 136 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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To Place Oneself above Loyalty or Betrayal by oshun
Write a story where the characters have to decide between loyalty or betrayal. Celebrimbor makes his choice at Nargothrond. I’m pushing a little here to squeeze out a few more passport stamps for myself. For March 9, B2MeM 2011, Nargothrond.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 152 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
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But Maybe That Was The Light Of The Trees by Nekomitsu
In response to the B2MeM 2011 challenge: Maglor's long life in thirty-one short vignettes.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros, Fingon, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 8 | Word Count: 2, 009 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Sacrifice by oshun
Himring: Write a story where characters make sacrifices in order to achieve their goals; March 11 B2MeM 2011. (Thank you to my dearest IgnobleBard for Beta reading.)
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon, Maedhros, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 720 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
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Spring Cleaning by Russandol
One day during the Noontide of the Blessed Realm, Manwë and Varda get ready for a celebration at Ilmarin, their halls upon the peak of Taniquetil.
Written for B2MeM 2011, Day 31: Valinor.
2nd Place, Humour: General & Smaug's Treasure, MEFA 2011
Dawn Felagund recorded a fabulous podfic for Spring Cleaning, listen to it here!
| Major Characters: Mandos, Manwë, Oromë, Tulkas, Varda |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Humor | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 364 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Talking Hurts by Lipstick
Maedhros is rescued from Thangorodrim, Maglor tries to talk him back to sanity
| Major Characters: Curufin, Fingon, Maedhros, Maglor, Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Rape/Nonconsensual Sex, Torture, Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Graphic), Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 5 | Word Count: 9, 122 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Folly by SurgicalSteel
For the B2MeM 2011 Challenge: Day Thirty-One: Valinor
"Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain."
Friedrich Schiller
Write a story or poem or create artwork that illustrates this quotation.
Could the downfall of Númenor have been prevented had the Valar acted differently?
| Major Characters: Ar-Pharazôn, Valar |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Expletive Language |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 168 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Laurië Lassi – Golden Leaves by Esteliel
Glorfindel's past, from his youth in Aman to his death at Cristhorn and his eventual return to Middle-earth. A collection of drabbles and small ficlets written for Back to Middle-earth Month 2011.
| Major Characters: Finrod Felagund, Glorfindel, Turgon |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fixed-Length Ficlet, General, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Chapters: 31 | Word Count: 8, 149 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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B2ME Day 31 - Stupidity by Erulisse
B2ME Day 31 - Stupidity. Stupid is as stupid does.
| Major Characters: Varda |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 150 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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B2ME Day 30 - Leaving or Returning Home by Erulisse
B2ME Day 30 - Leaving or Returning Home. Homecoming in a true drabble.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 106 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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B2ME Day 29 - Battling the Dark by Erulisse
B2ME - Battling the Dark - The trees are dead and the Noldor have left. Who is left to pick up the pieces?
| Major Characters: Eärwen |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 439 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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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.
| Major Characters: Elrond, Elros, Maedhros, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Ankle Biters, B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 568 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
B2ME Day 28 - Letters by Erulisse
B2ME Day 28 - Letters. A letter written to be delivered in Valinor.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: B2MeM 2011 |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 549 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Love and other forbidden things by tinni
A Maedhros/Fingon romance
| Major Characters: Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Romance, Slash/Femslash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 076 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (0) |
